Africa – the world's second largest continent and the only one that lies all four hemispheres. A hot, dry landscape full of wildlife may be the only image that comes to mind when you think of the continent. But how much do you really know about Africa?
Here are some facts for you to check out.
The Sahara Desert
The world's largest hot desert covers roughly 3.6 million square miles on the continent, and is about 30 percent sand, while a large part of it is stone. However, it has many oasis areas, with Guelta d'Archei being one of the most famous. It lies in the heart of the desert. Every day, hundreds of camels are herded into the water by passing caravans for them to drink.
A young Tuareg leads a trio of camels through the Western Sahara desert. /VCG Photo
Dung beetles are attracted by the feces left by the animals drinking at the oasis. The ancient Egyptians made a connection between the ball of dung being rolled by the beetle and the movement of the sun across the sky. The insect was even depicted as the solar god Khepri, which has the face of a beetle and the body of a man.
The Egyptian solar god Khepri. /CGTN Photo
Is all of Africa ... hot?
Despite being the hottest continent on Earth, Africa has many destinations where you can go to escape the heat – Nairobi, Kenya, is one of them. The city lies near the equator, but has mild temperatures due to its altitude. The cool season lasts for just under three months, with an average daily high temperature below 23 degrees Celsius. The coldest day of the year usually falls in July, with an average low of 12 degrees Celsius. In Botswana, winters can also be chilly.
Average high and low temperature of Nairobi, Kenya, in July. /CGTN Photo
Rising economies
Africa is home to some of the oldest civilizations in the world, and now, it boasts some of the world's fastest growing economies. Take the latest figures from 2017 as a reference:
Seychelles and Mauritius are two African countries with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita higher than China in 2017. /CGTN Photo
Seychelles' economy has benefited from its robust growth in tourist arrivals, which rose by 15.4 percent in 2017 to a record high of 349,861 (more than three times its resident population), according to the World Bank. Meanwhile, Mauritius' economy has made great strides since 1968, also to much extent benefiting from a buoyant tourism sector.
As a continent rich in natural resources, African oil takes growing importance, mainly after the 2015 oil crisis and recent oil reserve discoveries. Sudan and Nigeria are two of the main oil producers. Although facing an over-dependency on oil resources, these countries are working to diversity their economies.
Video director: Ge Kai
Script: Ge Kai
Voice over: Matthew Watson
Animation: Fu Lei
Graphics: Gao Hongmei, Jia Jieqiong