Are you ready to get wowed? Here are the wondrous things you may not have known about Africa.

1. Almost half of the gold ever mined on Earth has come from South Africa; Witwatersrand, precisely.

2. Graca Machel, Mozambique native, is the only woman to have ever been first lady of two different countries (Mozambique and South Africa).

3. The world's biggest frog - the Goliath frog, is found in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The Goliath frog can live up to 15 years.

4. Africa and Europe are separated at the Strait of Gibraltar, by less than nine miles. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from Morocco.

5. Timbuktu, found in Mali, is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, which is also the oldest university in Africa. The university is referred to as the 'University of Sankore'.

6. Over 25% of the world's languages are spoken only in Africa. Africa is home to around 2000 languages, Nigeria alone having over 500 languages.

7. Almost 40% of adults in Africa are illiterate; two-thirds of them being women.

8. Africa has approximately 30% of the earth's remaining mineral resources. Africa has over 90% of the world's platinum reserves and over 40% of the world's gold reserves.

9. Africa is the second most populous and second largest continent on Earth. Africa covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20% of its total land area. The area covered by the African continent is about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles).

10. The African elephant is the largest living land mammal.

11. Tropical Africa is home to the world's largest and heaviest beetle, the Goliath beetle.

12. The world's third biggest hospital is found in Soweto, South Africa. It is the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital.

13. Nigeria, often referred to as the "Giant of Africa" is the most populated country in Africa, and the 10th most populated country in the world. Nigeria has a population of over 186 million inhabitants.

14. The Nile river is the longest in Africa and in the world. It is approximately 4,258 miles (6,853 kilometers) long.

15. Liberia was Africa's first independent republic. Liberia had its independence on July 26, 1847.



