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Getting to Know Africa: 50 Interesting Facts…

Posted by Steve Boyes of National Geographic Expeditions on October 31, 2013

(116)
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 There are 54 countries and one “non-self governing territory”, the Western Sahara, in Africa.
 All of Africa was colonized by foreign powers during the “scramble for Africa”, except Ethiopia and Liberia.
 Before colonial rule Africa comprised up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct
languages and customs.
 The Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt is one of the world’s oldest and longest-lasting civilizations.
 African continent is the world’s oldest populated area.
 Arabic is spoken by 170 million people on the continent, followed in popularity by English (130 million),
Swahili (100), French (115), Berber (50), Hausa (50), Portuguese (20) and Spanish (10).
 Over 25% all languages are spoken only in Africa with over 2,000 recognised languages spoken on the
continent.
 Africa is the second most populous continent with about 1.1 billion people or 16% of the world’s
population. Over 50% of Africans are under the age of 25.
 The continent’s population will more than double to 2.3 billion people by 2050.
 Africa is the world’s poorest and most underdeveloped continent with a continental GDP that accounts for just
2.4% of global GDP.
 Almost 40% of adults in Africa are illiterate – two-thirds are women. Adult literacy rates are below 50% in
Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
 Over 25 million people are HIV-positive on the continent and over 17 million have died of the disease already.
 The Second Congo War claimed over 5.4 million lives and is the deadliest worldwide conflict since World
War II.
 There are fewer people with internet connections in Africa than there are in just New York City.
 Approximately 90% of all cases of malaria worldwide occur in Africa, accounting for 24% of all child deaths
in sub-Saharan Africa.

A
fishing village in Ghana is a bustle of activity as traders come and go… (Steve Boyes)

 Africa is the world’s second largest continent covering about over 30 million square kilometers
 The Sahara is the largest desert in the world and is bigger than the continental USA.
 Africa is the world’s hottest continent with deserts and drylands covering 60% of land surface area (e.g.
Kalahari, Sahara and Namib).
 Africa is the world’s second driest continent (after Australia).
 Africa has approximately 30% of the earth’s remaining mineral resources.
 Nigeria is fourth largest oil exporter in the world, and Africa’s biggest oil producer with about 2.2 million
barrels produced every day. Top 10 oil producers in order of total exports: Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Libya,
Egypt, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Gabon, South Africa.
 The continent has the largest reserves of precious metals with over 40% of the gold reserves, over 60% of the
cobalt, and 90% of the platinum reserves.

Every year the catch gets smaller and smaller. For better luck the flags have been getting brighter and more
abundant. Today the fish are small and few due to exploitation by commercial fishing vessels. (Steve Boyes)
 Boat taxis and fishermen waiting to depart for Ganvi Village with passengers… (Steve Boyes)

 China is Africa’s top trade partner with Sino-African trade volumes now nearing $200 billion per year.
 China’s direct investment in Africa exceeds $50 billion. Just look at the “Forum on China
Africa Cooperation”.
 Neocolonialism is a real threat with over 1 million Chinese citizens on the African continent. Angola alone has
a population of over 350,000 Chinese.
 Pigs walk around on top of 20m deep refuse piles at the water’s edge in Freetown (Sierra Leone). Most people
do not use money and prefer to barter for sachets of clean water, the most valuable commodity in Freetown.
(Steve Boyes)

 Over 55% of Africa’s labour force working in food production with vast areas of arable and pastoral lands
supporting agricultural economies.
 Over 90% of soils are unsuitable for agriculture and only 0.25% has moderate to low potential for sustainable
farming.
 Rainfall variability is very high – from 0 mm/year in the Sahara to 9,500 mm/year near Mount Cameroon.
 Over 240 million Africans suffer from chronic undernourishment.
 The
streets of Porto Novo, the capital of Benin, are not paved, all cars are second-hand, and all taxis are
motorbikes. (Steve Boyes)

 Water scarcity impacts the lives of over 300 million Africans, of whom approximately 75% of Africans rely on
groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. Global warming is aggravating the situation.
 Limited groundwater represents only 15% of the continent’s total renewable water resources. New discoveries
of groundwater reserves in large sedimentary basins in Libya, Algeria and Chad may slack Africa’s growing
thirst for the next few decades…
 Productivity of about 65% of the continent’s agricultural lands has declined significantly with vast tracts of
land have been degraded by erosion, poor land management practices, mining and pollution over the last 50
years.
 Some landscapes are estimated to lose over 50 metric tonnes of soil per hectare per year due to neglect and
desertification.
 Over 30% of Africa’s pastural land and almost 20% of all forests and woodlands are classified as moderately-
or heavily-degraded.
 Ladies waiting for a boat to take them back to the floating village of Ganvi in Benin. The water is polluted and
the fish stocks are collapsing. Is there hope for communities like this? (Conrad Hennig)

 Deforestation rates in Africa are twice the average for the rest of the world with more than four million
hectares of primary forest disappearing every year. Countries like Kenya, malawi and Zambia have 1-5% of
the primary forests remaining. Forests used to cover over 20% of Africa’s 30 million square kilometers with
almost all currently being destroyed and degraded by commercial and subsistence logging, as well as land
conversion to plantations, agriculture, mines, roads and settlements.
 Some 60% of the tropical forests in the Congo Basin are considered commercially exploitable.
 Six of the top ten countries with the largest annual net loss of forested area are in Africa.
 Primary forests shrink by on average 40,000 square kilometres (or 0.6% of total remaining forest cover) each
year with most significant losses in heavily-forested countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Gabon.
 Hala Village in the valleys below Hogsback Mountain where Cape parrots used to feed on yellowwood fruits,
Celtis fruits, wild olives, and wild plums before they were chopped out by greedy colonists or burnt under
communal land ownership. We have now planted thousands of indigenous fruit trees in “Cape Parrot
Community Orchards” in several villages, fencing them off to protect them from livestock and paying local
communities to care for them as the custodians of these forest plots. We have also launched a micro-nursery
program that builds small tree nurseries for ten households in the village, which are stocked with yellowwood
seedlings that must be grown up to planting size. These partnerships are all going from strength to strength.
(Steve Boyes / Cape Parrot Project)

 Over 1,270 large dams have been built along the continent’s many rivers.
 Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.
 Africa has the most extensive biomass burning in the world, yet only emits about 4% of the world’s total
carbon dioxide emissions.
 Africa has eight of the 11 major biomes and the largest-remaining populations of lion, elephant, rhinoceros,
cheetah, hyena, leopard and hundreds of other species.
 Notch and sons, photographed by Ken Dyball. “We had the choice of going to a cheetah mother and four little
cubs or sitting with five very lazy, sleeping male lions. We picked the lions…. and it looked like they would
sleep until dark. A strong wind came up so they all got to their feet. One of the sons was a bit aggresive
towards Notch (the father on the right). The other three sons were by Notch’s side wanting to join in at
anytime! This was a time of testing each other out: a few of them had some recent and deep puncture wounds.
Photographed in the Masai Mara, Kenya. (purenaturesafaris.com)

 Megafauna like giraffe, zebra, gorilla, hippopotamus, chimpanzee and wildebeest are unique to the continent
and only found here.
 Lake Malawi has more fish species than any other freshwater system on earth.
 The Nile River is the longest river in the world with a total length of 6,650 kilometres.
 Africa has over 85% of the world’s elephants and over 99% of the remaining lions are on the African
continent.
 Eight of Conservation International’s 34 biodiversity hotspots are in Africa.
 The Serengeti (Tanzania) hosts the world’s largest wildlife migration on Earth with over 750,000 zebra
marching ahead of 1.2 million wildebeest as they cross this amazing landscape.
 Thera are over 3,000 protected areas in Africa, including 198 Marine Protected Areas, 50 Biosphere Reserves,
129 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 80 RAMSAR “Wetlands of International Importance”.
 Africa is home to the world’s largest living land animal, the African elephant, which can weigh up to 7 tons.
 Africa has over 25% of the world’s bird species.
 NarinaTrogons are the most widespread and generalist in their habitat preferences of the three Apaloderma
trogons. Their name is “Khoikhoi” in origin and is believed to come from the mistress of the French
ornithologist, François Le Vaillant. They are distributed from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, and E Africa to South
Africa. (Justin Klusener)

Africa Facts and Figures and did you know.

Parent page

 Guide to Africa

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 Wildlife
 Culture
 Health
 Language
 Miscellaneous

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Geographical
Africa, second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covering about 30,330,000 sq km
(11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area.

Largest Country
Algeria is the largest country of the African continent covering a total area of 2,381,741sq. kms -
(919,595 sq. miles)

Smallest Country
The smallest African country is The Seychelles covering an area of 453 sq km but Gambia is the
smallest of the mainland African states, covering an area of 11,300 sq km (4,363 sq mi).

Largest City
Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa with an estimated 9.2 million population
Highest Point
Mount Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Point - (5895m/19,340 ft) in Tanzania

Lowest Point
the lowest is Lake 'Asal (153 m/502 ft below sea level) in Djibouti

Northernmost Point
is Cape Blanc (Ra's al Abyad;) in Tunisia

Southernmost Point
is Cape Agulhas in South Africa

Largest Lake
Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the is the world's second-largest freshwater lake -
covering an area of 69,490 sq km (26,830 sq mi) and lies 1,130 m (3,720 ft) above sea level. Its
greatest known depth is 82 m (270 ft).

Deepest Lake
Lake Tanganyika is the deepest lake in Africa reaching at its greatest depth is 1,436 m (4,710 ft),
making it the second deepest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Baikal.

Longest River
The River Nile drains north-eastern Africa, and, at 6,650 km (4,132 miles), is the longest river in
Africa and in the world. It is formed from the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia,
and the White Nile, which originates at Lake Victoria.

The Great Africa Rift Valley

The Rift Valley extends more than 4,830 km (3,000 mi) from Syria in south-western Asia to
Mozambique in south-eastern Africa.
The width of the valley ranges from a few miles to more than 160 km (100 mi). In eastern Africa, the
valley splits into two branches: the Eastern Rift and the Western Rift.
The fault in which the Rift sits is still moving: the western side of the rift is pulling away from the
eastern ridge at about 6 mm per year, while in the south it is moving together at a rate of 2 mm per
year.

Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world, probably over 500
from ten families. Particularly noteworthy are the Cichlidae, of which all but five of over 400 species
are endemic to Lake Malawi. The lake contains 30% of all known cichlid species. Of particular
interest is the 'mbuna' rock fish.
Namib Desert
The Namib is the world's oldest desert, and the only desert in Africa inhabited by elephant, rhino,
giraffe and lion.

Namibia - Fish River Canyon

The Fish River canyon is the second largest canyon in the world.

The Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert alone is expanding southwards at an average of 0.8 km (½ mile) a month.
Wildlife
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa - the cheetah (70 mph), wildebeest, lion, and
Thomson's gazelle (all about 50 mph).

Penguins (see photos)

South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west
coast near the Cape.

Chameleons
Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the
world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar.

Seals
The largest seal colony in the southern hemisphere is a Cape Cross in Namibia.

Frogs
The world's biggest frog is found in Cameroon. Named the goliath frog, their body can be one-foot
long.

Nile Crocodiles
The Nile crocodile is Africa's largest living reptile - growing to an average length of 5 m.

African Elephants
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.
An elephant can weigh up to 6-7 tons and has no natural enemies, he is not a predator and there is
none large enough to challenge him.
Did you know elephants drink up to 160 liters of water per day and a mature elephant can carry up to
6.8 liters of water in its trunk
An African elephant possesses such "manual" dexterity in his/her trunk tip that he/she can actually
turn the pages of a book with it.

Giraffes
Did you know that the tongue of a giraffe can be as long as 45 cm?
Giraffes are 6 ft tall when they are born.
Even though their necks can be 6-7 feet in length, Giraffe have the same number of vertabrae in
their necks as humans (7)
The tallest animal on earth is the giraffe - its horn tops being up to 6 metres above ground level.

Gorillas
The Gorilla is the largest of the living primates, male gorillas weight up to 200kg, yet are shy and
retiring.

Cheetahs
The cheetah is the fastest land animal at 95 km/h (60mph).

Beetles
The world's largest and heaviest beetle, the Goliath Beetle is found in tropical Africa. It can reach a
length of 5 inches and weigh up to ¼ lb

Butterfly
Having a wingspan of only ½", the smallest butterfly is in the world is found in South Africa. It is know
as the Dwarf Blue Butterfly

Fish
The only place where shoals of fresh water sardines are found is in Lake Tanganyika.
Culture
Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.

Beer
Apart from Muslim nations, Ghana has the lowest per capita consumption of beer in Africa, yet its
brewery industry is one of the most competitive.

Weddings
Did you know that in Africa it is almost imposible to hold a small wedding? The idea of a private
wedding is unknown and is greatly frowned upon. Friends and relatives expect to be invited to a
wedding and to play a role in the ceremony.
Health
Malaria
90% of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa
3,000 children under the age of five die each day from malaria in Africa
1-5% of GDP in Africa covers costs of malaria control and lost labour days
Did you know, that Africa would have been an estimated US $100 billion better off in 1999 if malaria
had been eliminated years ago?

Aids
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS.
At least 25 million people in Africa are HIV-positive.
12 million children who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.

Hospitals
The world's biggest hospital is in Soweto.
Language
Kiswahili
The word "Crossword" in Kiswahili is "chemshebongo" which, when translated, means "boil brains".
In East & Central Africa the British Army was still remembered. One regiment was known in Kiswahili
as "Magi Bareedi Askari", translated this is "Water Cold Soldiers" or in other words the "Cold Stream
Guards".
(supplied by Simon Vivian)
Miscellaneous
Diamonds
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75
carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa,
which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. They now
form part of the British crown jewels.

Windmills
Did you know there are about 280,000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number
only to Australia?

Most Populated Country

With a population of more than 113 million, Nigeria is easily the most populated country in Africa and
the 10th most populous country in the world.

Historical Fact
In 1896 the Anglo-Zanzibar War was the shortest war in history - lasting a mere 30 minutes

Nuclear Power
South Africa is the only African country with fully functioning nuclear reactors, it is also the only
independant state in the world to voluntarily end its own nuclear weapons programme, dissembling
its weapons in the early 1990's.
Referenceshttps://www.africaguide.com/facts.htm
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/31/getting-to-know-africa-50-facts/

6 of the most stunning spots in Africa

Camera? Passport? Unbridled sense of adventure and keen to make
others envious? Click on through
15 November, 2012

With its expansive landscapes and formidable animal life, the world's second-biggest continent
is arguably the best for photographers.

Throw in that sense of being in a place that hasn't changed for centuries and sometimes
millennia, and you get some of the most inspiring, and inspired, spots on the planet.

1. The great migration, Tanzania

It's not the river they need to worry about.A

photo won't capture the thunder of hooves on dirt as more
than a million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra make their annual migration, but
still, this is one for the top of the pile.

The migration is actually a year-round event as the animals move from Tanzania's Ngorongoro
Reserve in January, up through the Serengeti around June and hit Kenya's Masai Mara around
September, before journeying south again.
More info at www.wildwatch.com

Also on CNN: 9 ways to travel Africa in style

2. Table Mountain, South Africa

We've got the table, the wine, all we need's the company.Table
Mountain makes Cape Town, one of the
world's best beach cities, also one of the world's most photogenic.

Cable car rides are available to the top of the mesa, giving great views, fantastic
sunrises/sunsets and a great photo. Challenge: try and limit yourself to 50 pics.

More info at www.tablemountain.net

3. Djmaa el Fna, Morocco

World's most mesmerizing market.The world’s most exciting town square, Djmaa el Fna reminds you
you're in Africa. In the heart of the old city of Marrakech, snake-charmers, henna-painters, story-
tellers, date-sellers and orange juice vendors set up their stalls in the sleepy heat of the
afternoon.

As night falls, the vendors are joined by tribal drummers, ladyboy dancers and mobile
restaurateurs selling delicious grilled meats, bread and salad as the smoke rises above their
stalls till past midnight.

More information at www.visitmorocco.com

4. Sossusvlei Dunes, Namibia

Who knew sand could be so stunning?Sossusvlei
means "the gathering place of water” but you'll need
to bring your own if you don't want to dehydrate at this, Namibia’s most outstanding attraction.

The dunes have developed over millions of years, the result of material flowing from the Orange
River into the Atlantic, carried north and returned again to land by the surf.

Climbing the dunes yields breathtaking views, including the Deadvlei, a ghostly expanse of dried
white clay punctuated by skeletons of ancient camelthorn trees.

More info at www.namibian.org

5. Mountain gorillas, Rwanda

Looks like this baby's had a late night.A
close encounter with the mountain gorillas of the Rwandan
rainforest will stay with you for a lifetime.

Various operators run tours tracking silverbacks and their troupes in the dense forest.

More info at www.rwandagorillassafari.com

Also on CNN: Africa's amazing, unsung cities

6. Victoria Falls, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Liquid awesome.Oneof the world’s most majestic water spectacles, Victoria Falls (also called
Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "The Cloud That Thunders) -- were reportedly first seen by a European when
Scotsman David Livingstone journeyed here in 1855.

Since then thousands have enjoyed the spray from the 108-meter high cascade, which was
once recorded flowing at 12,800 cubic meters per second -- double that of Niagara's highest
flow.

More info at www.zambiatourism.com

(NB. Thanks to our users to help correct our error)

7. Spitzkoppe, Namibia
Namibia -- home of the beautiful desert.The
Spitzkoppe feature various granite peaks in Namibia's
Namib Desert, with the highest peak hitting nearly 1,800 meters.

Activities in the area include bouldering and rustic cave camping as well as multi-day safaris.

More info at www.namibia-1on1.com

8. Sahara dunes, Morocco

Whether you're running it or gawking at it, you'll be impressed.The
most user-friendly part of the Sahara is
accessible from the northern edge of Morocco. You can trek with Berbers from the town of
Zagoura, or camp out in Tazzarine where runners from all over the world complete the week-
long Marathon des Sables every spring.

The foot of the Merzouga Dunes is the ultimate location for star-gazing, totally free of light
pollution.

For camel treks, click to www.cameltrekking.com

9. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

 And you thought building your garden
wall was hard work.
The most famous of the structures at Giza, near Cairo, the Pyramid of King Cheops was built
around 2650 BC from 2.5 million blocks of limestone.

Its sides are oriented exactly to the north, south, east and west.

The Chephren pyramid, built by Cheops’ son, is similar in size and incorporates the entrances to
a burial chamber which still contains the large granite sarcophagus of King Chephren.

The pyramid of Mycerinus is smaller than both and all three are surrounded by other smaller
pyramids and dozens of tombs.
More info at www.gotoegypt.org

10. Nyika Plateau National Park, Malawi

Malawi calling. Your dream escape awaits.Nyika,

Malawi’s largest park, is one of the most unusual in
Afric with a plateau cut by numerous rivers that reach Lake Malawi by way of waterfalls off the
eastern edge of the mountains.

The eastern border of the plateau forms the wall of the Great Rift Valley.

The great domes of hills have gentle slopes, making Nyika perfect for both trekking and
mountain biking as well as Jeep exploration.

Antelope and zebra abound, and the park has one of the highest densities of leopard in Central
Africa.

More info at www.malawitourism.com

Also on CNN: Where to see Africa's big game

11. Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana

More salt than all the world's microwave meals combined.It's

said you can hear your own blood flow in this
vast area of dried-up salt pans in the Kalahari Desert, a forbidding landscaped formed by a
huge lake that dried up millennia ago.

But it can transform in an instant during winter, if rains have been good enough to make lush
grass sprout, bringing a stampede of wildlife to break the silence including zebra, wildebeest
and flamingos.

More info at www.expertafrica.com

12. Draa Valley, Morocco

Never thought we'd say this, but date palms and kasbahs make a surprisingly good team. Between
the Atlas
Mountains and the dunes of the Sahara lies one of Morocco’s most splendid and rewarding
landscapes: the Draa, a mass of date plantations punctuated by kasbahs made of rammed red
earth rising against the sky.

Zagora, at the southern end, makes a good base with decent hotels and restaurants. Allow five
hours to reach the Draa from Marrakech via a spectacular route across the Atlas mountains --
it’s best not to self-drive.

More info at www.travel-exploration.com

13. Sphinx, Egypt

 colossal temple is on the way down to Egypt’s Valley
Not looking too shabby for nearly 9,000 years.This
Temple of King Chefren. The body of a lion with a human head is a 70 meters long and 20
meters high -- as tall as a six-story apartment block.

Although the Sphinx has been thought of as female, many scholars believe the face is that of
King Chefren.

More information at www.gotoegypt.org

14. Mount Mulanje, Malawi

If the view's good from down here, wait till you get up there. At
around 3,000 meters, the Mulanje Massif is
the highest mountain in central Africa. It's split in two by the Fort Lister Gap, a broad pass
eroded by the Phalombe and Sombani rivers.

The mountain is distinguished by giant basins of rock and narrow gullies cut by fast-flowing
streams. A strenuous trek leads to magnificent viewpoints.

En route, expect to encounter monkeys, hares, voles and a carpet of enchanting wildflowers
after the rain. Large numbers of butterflies are another feature.

More info at www.summitpost.org

15. Riding safari, Kenya

Hoofing it up the savannah.The best way to experience Kenya’s zebras? From the back of a horse.

Travelers can gallop alongside the stripey beasts in the Masai Mara, covering up to 100
kilometers in a week.

More info at www.ridingtours.com

Also on CNN: 25 of Africa's best beaches

16. Wonders of the Nile, Egypt

The night is young, the Nile not so much.A
cruise down the Egyptian Nile, ideally on a romantic felucca
rather than a crowded tourist boat, reveals relics of one of the world’s most ancient
civilisations.

The highpoint is the Valley of the Kings, with its monumental statues, and the magnificent Kom
Ombo Temple, north of Aswan on the east bank.

More info at www.gotoegypt.org

17. The Southern Cross, Zambia

Less light, more memories.This
iconic formation in the night sky is best seen from the Southern
Hemisphere, and few spots offer better vantage points than on an open-air safari in Luangwa,
Zambia.

The constellation has appeared in various cultures in various ways, not least with a reference in
the Australian national anthem.

More info at www.normancarrsafaris.com

18. Flamingos, Kenya

 If Hello Kitty was actually Hello Birdie.
Lake Nakuru National Park is home to one million resident flamingos, providing one of Kenya’s
most unforgettable sights.

This lake has become famous for the greatest bird spectacle in the world, with swathes of
vibrant pink filling the alkaline lake and the huge sky.

More info at www.kws.org

19. Lower Zambezi, Zambia

Ernest Hemingway would have loved this.Canoeing
safaris in the Lower Zambezi offer sightings of
hippos, elephants and other animals drinking from the rivers and tributaries around camp.

Sports fishermen and women can also be accommodated at various of the camps and lodges
on the banks of the river.

More info at www.zambiatourism.com

20. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique

Whales, dolphin and dugong, oh my.The
10-minute helicopter ride across the Bazaruto Archipelago to
the Azura Retreats lodge on Benguerra Island is worth it in its own right. The destination is the
icing on the cake.

This award-winning boutique hotel set on a remote desert island is set within a Marine National
Park, giving the chance to see whales, dolphins and dugong.

More info at www.azura-retreats.com

Also on CNN: The best of Africa's islands

21. Nxia Pan National Park, Botswana

One thing we know -- Botswana is not short of sodium.The
Baines Baobabs that sit close to the entrance
of Botswana’s Nxai Pan National Park take their name from a series of watercolors by Victorian
explorer and artist Thomas Baines.

Their fruit apparently tastes a little like sherbet.

The Nxai Pan park is great for viewing the vast, salt-rich pans that characterize the Kalahari and
is also known for lion, leopard and cheetah and unusually large herds of giraffe.

More info at www.expertafrica.com

22. Fish River Canyon, Namibia

For all NASA knows, the Mars rover went off course and landed here. Some
500 meters deep and more than
160 kilometers long, this great rift is second only to the United States' Grand Canyon in size,
and during the dry season is characterized by beautiful turquoise pools of seasonally-flowing
water stretching into the distance.

More info at www.namibia-travel.net

23. Rhinos at Solio Reserve, Kenya

No pots of gold in Kenya, just rhinos.Located
in the valley between the dramatic slopes of Mount
Kenya and the rolling peaks of the Aberdare Mountains, Solio Reserve is home to around 250
black and white rhino and considered the best place to see these increasingly rare species.

More info at www.jacadatravel.com

24. Nyiragongo Volcano, Virunga National Park, Eastern Congo

Can't stand the heat? Get out of Africa.A
whopping two kilometers wide and usually containing a lava
lake, Nyiragongo Volcano is one of Africa's most active volcanoes, with an eruption in 2002
displacing half a million people.

More info at www.volcanolive.com

25. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Climb Kili, take photo, retire happy.Mount
Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 meters Africa's highest peak -- and an
item on thousands of bucket lists -- is a “Sky island,” creating a varied and dramatic natural
habitat.

Rising through lush rainforests and alpine meadows, climbers finally cross a barren lunar
landscape to reach the twin summit, often above the clouds.

More info at www.tanzaniaparks.com

26. Lake Malawi, Malawi

Sunbathe, soak, repeat.Lake
Malawi, one of the largest lakes in the world, was dubbed “Lake of
Stars” by Dr. David Livingstone, who trekked here a century and a half ago.

The lake has more tropical fish than any lake in the world -- 1,300 species -- and the freshwater
diving is great.

The bio-diversity has been recognised by UNESCO, which has made Lake Malawi National
Park, the world’s first freshwater park, a World Heritage Site.

More info at www.malawitourism.com