Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Africa isn't


Africa isn't a country.  Kenya is.  Ethiopia is.  Benin  Ghana, South Africa, Gabon, DRC, Mozambique, Sudan, Liberia, Cote Ivoire, Benin, the Gambia, Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria, ... all countries.  But Africa; the place is monster huge.
Africa is much too large to summarize.
 
That's the US and China and Europe stuffed into Africa's outline ...


Larger than the USA, China, India, Japan, and all of Europe. 

Combined.

And now for the interesting part... Africa is broadly diverse in culture, history, ecology, climatology.  Folks from East Africa and West Africa and South Africa are different; surprise, surprise; and folks from the Mediterranean coast often refer to themselves as other than African.  Folks from Sao Tome & Principe laugh and say, "... but this isn't really Africa."

I've seen just a little of five African countries.  Only almost fifty more countries to go.  :)      
Understanding the world is a difficult task, but what a joy to see even just a little of it up close.  What say we pick one and go?


"Africa is a diverse continent, with each country, or even each part of a country having its own unique culture. While it is common for people in the West to refer to Africa as if it was a single country, one should remember the sheer size of the continent, and that Africa is not one country but 54 different countries, meaning that it is impossible to make generalizations of Africa as a whole.

... misunderstood by many people as a land of poverty, corruption, war and famine, and simply as a land of suffering—a misconception only bolstered by the media and the numerous NGOs on the continent—Africa today is a vast continent with many bustling metropolises, friendly people, and amazingly diverse and beautiful landscapes. While there are plenty of places resembling the stereotypical Africa of war, famine, and poverty, much of the continent is peaceful, well-fed, and of working class" ~WikiTravel.org