Learn Something Surprising About Africa, Courtesy of ‘Africa Facts Zone’  · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Professional wresting known as Laamb in Senegal is more popular than football. Photo released under Creative Commons by Wikipedia user Pierre-Yves Beaudouin.
Did you know that Rwanda has the highest proportion of women in parliament? Or that the lyrics of Nigeria's national anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots”, are a mix of words taken from the five best entries in a national contest? The countries that make up the continent of Africa are much more than the doom and gloom portrayed in western media, but many of these facts don't receive any coverage.
17-year-old Nigerian student Isima Odeh (@IsimaOdeh) plans to change that through Africa Facts Zone, a facts brand designed to give people refreshing tidbits about Africa and Africans. He created Africa Facts Zone in 2013, and it has over 55,000 followers on Twitter and over 124 likes on Facebook page.
During a brief email conversation, Odeh told Global Voices that he came up with the idea in 2013 when he decided to use some of the time he spends on the Internet to tell people about his beautiful continent. He gets his facts from newspapers, history books, news from reliable websites, and watching the news. Something he says he did not know before he started his initiative is that Africa has the lowest divorce rate in the world.
Isima Odeh, the founder of Africa Fact Zone. Photo used with his permission.
Below is some of the information that Africa Facts Zone has shared with its followers so far.
Ghana's expat king
King Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah of Hohoe, Ghana governs his kingdom via Skype & phone calls from Germany.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 1, 2014
King Bansah decided to settle in Germany after he went there as an exchange student in 1970.
Ancient Egyptian dentistry
The world's first known Dentist was from Ancient Egypt, his name was Hesi-Re.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 29, 2014
Hesy-Ra was an official physician and scribe who lived during the Third dynasty of Egypt. He bore titles such as “Chief of Dentists and Physicians”.
Andry Rajoelina, ex President of Madagascar used to be a Club DJ.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 24, 2014
Andry Rajoelina began working as a disc jockey when he was in high school to earn pocket money.
Marco Polo's poor navigation
The country of Madagascar got its name when Marco Polo mistakenly thought he was in Mogadishu, Somalia.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 24, 2014
The name Madagascar was first recorded in the memoirs of 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo as a corrupted transliteration of the name Mogadishu, the Somali port with which Polo had confused the island.
Africa has the most Heads of State that have died in office in the 21st century.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 3, 2014
10 African leaders died in office between 2008 and 2012 compared to only three in the rest of the world.
Uganda's large endowment
In 2014, Members of Parliament in Uganda complained that regular condoms are too small for Ugandan men.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 7, 2014
A Ugandan member of parliament, Tom Aza, said this year that Uganda's Parliamentary Committee for HIV/AIDS's tour of areas worst hit by the virus revealed that some men have bigger sexual organs and therefore should be considered for bigger condoms.
Africa's first satellite
In 2011, Nigeria launched NigeriaSat-X, the first satellite to be designed and built by Africans, into orbit.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 2, 2014
Nigeria launched into orbit the first satellite to be designed and built by Africans, NigeriaSat-X, in August 2011.
Nigeria's towering bottle tree
The world's largest bottle tree is in Lagos State, Nigeria. It was made with 8,000 bottles. pic.twitter.com/l2QOF5r5mD
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 13, 2014
The world's tallest bottle tree, built by Nigeria's indigenous beer Star Larger, symbolises greatness and the enterprising Nigerian spirit. The tree aims to break the World Record of 1,000 beer bottles being held by the Chinese city of Shanghai.
The brave men and women fighting Ebola
Ebola health workers (Sierra Leonean, Nigerian, Guinean, Liberian, Cuban, WHO health workers etc.) are the 2014 TIME Person(s) of the Year.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 11, 2014
Time magazine editor Nancy Gibbs explains why the Ebola Fighters are TIME magazine's choice for Person of the Year 2014.
Egg-cellent water storage
Khoisan hunters use ostrich eggs buried in the ground to store water while they are on hunting paths.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 9, 2014
The Khoisan or San people are known for burying sealed ostrich eggs filled with water during the wet season and recovering them during the dry season.
Miriam Makeba's return home
Miriam Makeba returned to South Africa on June 10,1990 for the time since being banned in 1963 by the apartheid govt, on her French passport
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 23, 2014
Miriam Makeba was a Grammy Award-winning South African singer and civil rights activist. Because of her anti-apartheid work, the South African apartheid government revoked her passport in 1960 and her citizenship and right of return in 1963. She received nine passports and honorary citizenship in 10 countries.
Senegal loves wrestling
Professional wrestling is more popular than football in Senegal.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 22, 2014
Senegalese professional wrestling, known as Laamb, has become a national sport.
Egyptian football rivalries
The biggest football club rivalry in Africa is between two Egyptian clubs (Al-Ahly and Zamalek).
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 29, 2014
The Cairo Derby involving Al Ahly and Zamalek is most violent and fiercest football rivalry in Africa.
On October 7, 2014, Somalia got its first ATM.
Salaam Somali bank installed first ATM in Mogadishu, Somalia this year.