Although Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth, don’t be surprised that many young people outside the continent mistakenly think of it as a single country. With 54 countries and more than 1000 languages spoken across Africa, I am often surprised by how many facts are unknown to youth around the globe.

As an African girl living in Macedonia for a few years, I enjoy sharing facts about Africa, which inspired today’s writing.

The minimum things known about it are the famous pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Kilimanjaro on the coast of Tanzania, which is the highest mountain on the continent, as well as the popular safari trips.

Speaking of safari trips is about visiting the National parks in the east of Africa such as the Kenya Masai Mara National Reserve, the Rwanda Volcano National Park, and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But did you know the inspiration behind naming it a safari trip was because the mentioned countries share a language called SWAHILI which by the way is the most spoken language in Africa? Simply a TRIP is translated as SAFARI in Swahili.

Africa is a diverse land, with a rich culture, history, traditions, cuisine and beliefs that open the minds of travelers from elsewhere. Let me tell you more details about it while recommending where you can experience the best.

As for CULTURE and HISTORY

I believe each way of life is beautiful on its own, such as the rituals of the Masai tribe in East Africa or Egyptian culture, the number one most culturally influential in Africa, with its 5000 years of recorded history and cultural monuments.

Historically, starting in the late 19th century, the Colonial Era had a huge impact on life and culture. This period was followed by the Post-Colonial Era when African nations gained independence and started to rebuild their nations.

AFRICAN CUISINE

While food topics can often spark debates, we can all agree that in any room where cuisine is being discussed, African dishes are sure to stand out. With a bunch of dishes out there, the internet believes these are the best African dishes.

Egusi soup (Nigeria), jollof rice (West Africa), kitfo (Ethiopia). UGALI, which is one of the best East African meals – for reference it looks like polenta, is usually served with cassava leaves popular name SOMBE,  grilled meat, or African spiced red sauce. There are quite a lot of interesting dishes that we can name,  but the most similarity is Africans use a lot of spices during the cooking.

Food is a big deal in African communities and the majority of African countries organize food and drink festivals now and then.

MUSIC

Talking about Africa and leaving music behind, sounds like a crime. African music and dances such as afro jazz, afrobeat, Congolese rumba, Bantu Music, R&B, hip-hop, and the latest trend of Amapiano that influences today’s modern trending music will leave you in awe mode. There is nothing like Africa without music because Africans believe MUSIC is a language that connects people, that heals and nourishes souls.

There is a popular African quote that says  “If I have ever seen MAGIC it has been in Africa” and that is true. Did you know that some African tribes can heal some diseases using Drums and musical sounds? As unrealistic as it sounds, that is AFRICAN MAGIC.

In a world where traditional and contemporary music meet, there’s a chance to experience it all at the yearly ‘AFRONATION FESTIVAL’, which takes place in PORTUGAL, where the heartbeat of afrobeat meets the soul of global movements in a celebration of African creativity.

Dearest VOICES magazine readers, it can take days, months, or years to talk about Africa. As for today, let us end it here. 

HAKUNA MATATA!

Queen Eduidge