Africa overview

Population: 748 million
Countries: 56
Area: About 30.33 million square
km. It makes up about 22% of the
world's total land area.
Languages: More than 1 000
different languages are spoken in
Africa. Somalia is the only country
in the world where all the citizens
speak one language, Somali.
Fastest animals: Four of the
five fastest land animals live
in Africa.
Longest river: The Nile drains
northeastern Africa, and, at
6 650km, is the longest river in
the world.
Lowest point: Lake Asal
(153m below sea level) in Djibouti.
Highest point: Mount Kilimanjaro
(5 895m) in Tanzania.
Malaria: Over 3 000 children
under the age of five die each day
from malaria in Africa.
Employment: Africa has one
of the world's highest youth
unemployment rates (25.6% in the
Middle East and North Africa, and
21% in sub-Saharan Africa). Africa
loses an estimated 20 000 skilled
personnel a year to developed
countries.
Source: China-Africa Development Fund