Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

DNA Mapping 121 African Populations

DNA mapping Africa through genetics after Dr. Sarah Tishkoff studied 121 African populations, four African American and 60 non-African populations.

Dr. Sarah Tishkoff is a professor of Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania studying Africa's genetics.

There is an extensive amount of ethnic diversity in Africa and genetic evidence is at the moment pointing to East Africa as the cradle of humanity.  In 1924 the Taung child a fossilized skull of a young child who lived about 2.8 million years ago in Taung, South Africa was discovered. 

Lucy at 3.2 million years old in November 1974 in the Afar region of Ethiopia was unearthed.  In 1987, three scientists announced in the journal Nature that they had found a common ancestor to us all, African Eve was a woman who lived in Africa 150,000 years ago.  

The theory is all people alive today can trace some of their genetic heritage through their mothers back to this one woman. In 2008 another species of Australopithecus, A. sediba was discovered in South Africa, it lived around 2 million years ago.
DNA Mapping Africa

Dr. Sarah Tishkoff is a professor of Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania studying genetic material variations, human evolution, and disease risk in global populations. 

Since 2001 Dr. Tishkoff studies observable characteristics of ethnically diverse Africans, such as shape, stature, size, color, and behavior that results from the interaction of its genetic makeup with the environment. 

Her studies hope to reveal African history and how genetic variation can show for example why humans have different susceptibility to disease.  Dr. Tishkoff genetic diversity research can shed light on modern-day diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. 

Africa also has a high prevalence of several infectious diseases including HIV, malaria, and TB, resulting in millions of deaths per year.  DNA samples from around 9,000 geographically and ethnically diverse Africans with distinct diets such as hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and farmers were collected. Dr. Tishkoff and her team studied 121 African populations, four African American populations, and 60 non-African populations.

The Khoisan people of Southern Africa was previously thought to possess the oldest DNA lineages, but those of the Sandawe tribe of central Tanzania are older.  This suggests southern Khoisan originated in East Africa, according to Dr Tishkoff. Modern humans originated in Africa around 200,000 years ago and then spread across the rest of the globe within the past 100,000 years.  

Modern humans have existed continuously in Africa longer than in any other geographic region and have maintained relatively large effective population sizes, resulting in high levels of within-population genetic diversity. 1.3 billion People live on the African continent, that's roughly 724 trillion cells in each human body, limitless genetic diversity and one mother of us all. 


Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to genetic DNA articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. Deadliest routes for refugees.
  2. You can be any color, culture, race or ethnicity you choose.
  3. Worst serial killers recorded in history are women.
  4. Indigenous healers and plants used.
  5. Night running mental illness or magic.
  6. One Tribe Crossing the Gate of Grief Populated the World.

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com

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