16 Things You Didn't Know About Africa

1. The largest population in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is 151.3 million in NIGERIA. The smallest is 0.1 million (100,000) in Seychelles.
2. Total trade as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is the highest in Seychelles: 283.4 percent and lowest in Central Africa Republic: 37.5 percent.
3. In two thirds of SSA countries, only one or two products are responsible for 75 percent or more of the country’s total exports.
4. Cape Verde receives the highest net official development assistance (ODA ) per capita: $438.20. Nigeria receives the lowest: $9.50.
5. The percentage of parliamentary seats held by women is highest in Rwanda with 56.3 percent, and lowest in São Tomé and Príncipe with 1.8 percent.
6. Only 5.7 percent of births in Ethiopia are attended by skilled personnel compared to 98.4 percent in Mauritius.
7. Youth literacy (ages 15-24) is highest in Gabon at 97 percent and lowest inBurkina Faso at 39.3 percent.
8. The highest connection charge for a business phone is $366.60 in Benin. The lowest is in Ghana at $0.70.
9. In South Africa there are 924 mobile phones per 1000 people. In Eritrea there are 22 per 1000 people.
10. In Côte d’Ivoire it takes 16.6 days on average to clear customs on direct exports, compared with 3.8 days in Gabon. Imports, on the other hand, take 31.4 days to clear customs in the Republic of Congo, compared to 4.4 days in Lesotho.
11. The percentage of firms that identify corruption as a major constraint to doing business was highest in Côte d’Ivoire at 75.0 percent, while the lowest is in Ghana with 9.9 percent.
12. In Chad, 37 percent of children who start first grade make it to the fifth grade, versus 99 percent in Mauritius.
13. In Sierra Leone 272 out of every 1,000 children die before the age of five. In Seychelles, the number is 13 per 1,000.
14. In Somalia, 29 percent of the population has access to a safe source of water. In Mauritius, access is 100 percent.
15. In Sierra Leone, 3 persons per 1,000 are Internet users. In Seychelles, where there were 212 computers per 1,000 people for the period 2005-2007, 371 in every 1,000 people are Internet users.
16. South Africa has the highest carbon dioxide emissions: 414,649 metric tons, while Comoros has the lowest: 88 metric tons.

Adapted from Development Outreach