Africa Day is 50 years old

In 1972, the United Nations (UN) established the 25th of May as Africa Day.

January 24, 2023

Table of Contents

Africa Day is now 50 years old.

May 25th, is Africa Day, being a day of celebration across the African continent and throughout the diaspora in the world, it is without a doubt, a day that should be celebrated and commemorated by all true Africans.

But what many Africans do not know is that Africa Day celebrated its “Golden Wedding” in 2022, that is, it celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 25, 2022. To celebrate this anniversary, Mais Afrika has a gift for all your readers and followers, to receive it just click HERE.

the day of africa

On May 25, in the already distant year of 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 African Heads of State and Government met with the purpose of defending and emancipating the African continent, freeing its people from colonialism. To this end, they created the Organization of African Unity (OUA), an international diplomatic institution. Today, thanks to her, the continent has 54 independent countries.

In 1972, the United Nations (ONU) established the 25th of May as Africa Day in honor of this organization that did everything to make Africa what it is today. The OAU was replaced in 2002 by the African Union, but the celebration of the date remained unchanged.

This day recalls the struggle for independence on the African continent, against European colonization and against the Apartheid regime, as well as symbolizing the desire for a more united, organized, developed and free continent.

The date is celebrated in several countries in Africa and by Africans around the world. In countries such as Ghana, Mali, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Africa Day is a national holiday.

The African Continent

Africa is considered the “Cradle of Humanity” because the oldest known ancestor of humanity Australopithecus ramidus, appeared and developed on the African continent at least 4,4 million years ago. It has 30.230.000 km² of territorial extension, distributed in 54 countries.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Algeria is the largest country and the Seychelles is the smallest.

Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is the highest point in Africa and is also the highest freestanding mountain in the world. While Lake Assal in Djibouti is the lowest point on the continent, lying at 155 m below sea level.

Lake Niassa is home to the largest variety of fish species in the world, including at least 700 species of cichlids. It is one of the Great Lakes of Africa and the southernmost of the East African Rift system and is located between Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.

It is also the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, the ninth largest lake in the world by area, the second deepest lake in the world and the third largest in Africa. The part of the lake that belongs to Mozambique was officially declared a nature reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011.

It is a meromitic lake, which means that its layers of water do not mix. The permanent stratification of Lake Niassa water and the oxide-anoxic boundary (ratio of oxygen in the water) are maintained by moderately small chemical and thermal gradients.

The longest river in the world is the Nile, located in the northeast of the African continent and is 7.088 km long from its source in the "Nyungwe National Park" in Rwanda, to its mouth located in Egypt.

Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt are the countries that make up its hydrographic basin with an area of 3.349.000 km². Its source is to the south of the equator and its mouth to the north.

In 895AD, in Fez, in present-day Morocco, the first university in the world was founded. It started with classes being held inside a large mosque and later expanded to become a place of education.

The original Madrasa (Islamic School) still functions today and is part of the University of Al Quaraouiyine. It is also the oldest continuously operating educational institution in the world and was also the first institution to award degrees according to different levels of study: Islamic studies, mathematics, grammar and medicine.

But the most unique in the history of this University is the fact that it was founded by a woman, more precisely Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya (فاطمة بنت محمد الفهرية القرشية‎), better known as Fatima al-Fihri.

When Fatima and her sister inherited their father's fortune, Fatima used her share to found Al Qarawiynn University, which in 1963 became a state university. Interestingly, teaching is still taught in the traditional way, that is, students are seated in a semicircle around a sheikh (Islamic scholar).

Conclusion

Africa is clearly the “Cradle of Humanity”, not only because the first man was born on the continent, but also because it was where many innovations that transformed the world emerged.

From the creation of agriculture to organized fishing, through the exploration of the first mines, these and many other innovations originated on the continent. And they spread to the rest of the world.

Currently, the African continent is not just “a beautiful place to spend holidays” it is a hub of technological development and is at the forefront of energy change.

During these last two years of existence of our news site, African Markets, we made known to our readers many of these wonders and much more. That's why, on our first anniversary, we proudly launched a limited edition book entitled "Unknown Africa”, deepening the knowledge of this great continent that we love.

Now, in honor of Africa Day and, taking advantage of the change of our name to More Afrika, we are going to offer all our readers and followers this same book in PDF version. If you want it, you just have to download it by clicking HERE.