Africa is the largest and second-most populous country in the world after Asia. Africa’s population accounts for more than 18% of the total population. Of all the seven continents, Africa is known for the worst atrocities it experienced through the colonial powers who introduced economic policies that denied Africans the right to acquire health. Slave trade killed many, as million were ferried to Europe and the Americas to work in the plantations at the peak of Industrial revolution.
Up to date, Africa is still the least developed and managed continent in the world, with surging corruption worsening the economic condition of the continent’s dwellers. Despite being the richest continent, sitting in a tapestry of wealth, including minerals, that has been the center of most civil wars, the continent’s state is a manifestation of poor leadership.
The continent is also known to be the cradle of mankind, with several early civilizations and technology pointing to Egypt, Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia), and a section of the Western and Southern African. Paleontologists’ and archeologists’ research findings have revealed that Africa is home to the earliest human settlement on earth.
Africa is comprised of 55 countries tethered on diverse cultural heritages and thousands of languages. Arabic, Kiswahili, and Hausa, and Zulu are the most spoken languages on the Subcontinent—Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, West Africa, and South Africa. These languages serves as a reflection of intergenerational cultural heritage and a unifying factor, though Arabic is not an African language just like French and English, but widely spoken on the continent.
Most sub-Saharan Africans are Christians, with a few practicing African religion and Islam. North Africa is predominantly Islamic, despite being the earliest Christianity adopters before the Islamic conquest in the 7th century. Christianity was first adopted by Ethiopians and Egyptians before it spread to Europe in the 1st century.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and sixth in the world. Nigeria accounts for 2.91% of the total world population in 2024, with a growth rate of 2.1%. With it’s most languishing in abject poverty, Nigeria is an oil-rich country with lots of fertile lands. Nigeria is also one of the richest countries in Africa, with its GDP second after Africa.
Ethiopia is the second sub-Saharan African country with a population of 132,059,767 people. It has a growth rate of 2.62% and accounts for 1.65% of the total world population. Ethiopia is known for the long decades of civil wars that rendered it a landlocked country. The Ethiopian Empire is also known for being home to the earliest civilizations and iron technology advancements in the world.
Egypt is the third-most populous country in Africa. As of 2024, Egypt had a record population of 116,538,258 million people. The country has a pouplation growthrate of 1.75%, with it’s population accounting for 1.46% of the total world population.
Egyptians were the first Christians in Africa, the cradle of major technological innovations in the world. The country attracts millions of tourists annually due to its rich cultural heritage. It is known for its ancient civilization, constituting the pyramids, pharaohs, and preservation of mummies and tombs.
Source: United Nations, World Population Review.
