Africa - The Origins Of Man!
All the available scientific evidence in the world today suggests Africa was the continent in which human life began.
The Facts:
Africa is the only location in the world that provides evidence of humans throughout all the major stages of evolution. It is the only continent that the oldest fossils of our ancestors have been found. The earliest humans fossils being dated back to ca. 200,000 years ago. Scientific evidence including; carbon dating, fossil identification and DNA human genetic testing supports the notion that Africa and in particular South Africa, is the cradle of humankind.
So unless future scientific evidence should suggests otherwise, your may be surprised to know that YOUR ancestors originated from South Africa!!
The Continent:
Some interesting facts about Africa and the African continent.
- Africa is the second largest and second most populated continent in the world.
- The African continent consists of 53 countries (including all the islands).
- Africa covers 20% of the world`s total land surface or 6% of the world`s total surface.
- With nearly one billion inhabitants, it accounts for approximately 14% of the world's human population.
Religion:
In the history of the African continent, religion has always had a powerful effect on people lives. The majority of Africans are either Christians or Muslims, although there are also a large number of alternative religions still practised on the African continent today. These different beliefs share some common religious factors: A belief in one god or a number of semi gods, the belief in ancestral spirits, the idea of sacrifice - often involving a living animal and the performace of religious rites for the passage from life to death. The existance of many different religions and cultures, together with its rich heritage, has spurned a thriving community of artists and craftspeople producing a amazing range of African artefacts.
Slavery:
Prior to its abolition towards the end of the 19th century, slavery had been practised all over the world for thousands of years. It is not possible to be exact, but it is estimated that around 15 million Africans were forcibly taken into slavery before it was abolitied. Obviously the world`s population 200 years ago was a lot less than the figure today. If the same figures were estimated in the world today it would be nearer 100 million mark!. Never before in the history of mankind had so many people from one continent been forced removed, imprisoned and transported out of there own homeland. The majority of the people went to the Americas, although many were taken to the Middle East.
Large scale slave trading in Africa ceased towards the end of the 19th century, but its legacy of suffering continues today.
