Africa Factbook

Africa influenced the world in the area of thought and wisdom with proverbs. Much of the language and thought of Africans are expressed in proverbs. Au fait proverbs about making decisions, in some African cultures, when a proverb is quoted, it is preceded with a statement “So said the elders... Odenkyem, the crocodile, Adinkra symbol for prudence and practicality.  Reading and collecting African proverbs from your elders is the perfect place to begin your African culture journey. So said the Elders Au fait decisions African proverbs The mouth is responsible for discord among people. A relative's slap hurts more than a stranger's. A thing that comes does not beat a drum. That which comes without work is a curse. You should cross a stream before the floods come. To ask is the desire to know the way. Don't put the key to happiness in someone else's pocket. The frown on the face of the goat will not stop

Cypraeidae common name cowries singular cowry is the symbol of fertility and birth, used for money and is a popular artifact used in fortune-telling. Wearing cowrie shells and glass beads a Karo Woman in Ethiopia is beautiful Cowrie Shells What Are They Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture. Brief History of Cowrie Shells Cowrie Shells Cowries occur primarily in coastal waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. The cowries are a relatively small family of about 200 species but are the most collected of all seashells.  The basic shape of the shell is the same in all species. A natural coating of enamel on the outer surface gives the shell a brilliant polished look.   Long prized by people for their shape and attractive colors, they were widely used for money in ancient times. While some cowries are abundant, some species are now quite rare and get a very high price from collectors.   Cowrie or cowry shells are believed to be the first form of un

Oko and the Snake African Folktale is retold for those who appreciate and understand the social value of folklore in African countries. There several versions of the same folktale story throughout  Africa  however, the meaning is the same; a snake is always a snake at heart no matter the kindness shown. Oko and the Snake African Folktale  When you raise a snake, you should not be surprised when it bites you. West African Proverb

Why is the Rabbits Nose is Slit African Folklore Story “Long, long ago, when the world was quite young, the Lady Moon wanted someone to take a message to Men. She tried first one creature and then another, but no! They were all too busy, they couldn’t go. At last she called the Crocodile.  He is very slow and not much good, but the Lady Moon thought she would pinch his tail and make him go quickly. So she said to him: ‘Go down to humans at once and give them this message: “As I die and, dying, live, so also shall you die, and, dying, live.” “Know how the Moon is sometimes big and round like she is now in the sky. Every night she gets smaller and smaller until there’s no more Moon: she is dead.  Then one night a silver horn hangs in the sky thin, very thin. It is the new Moon that grows, and grows, and gets beautiful and golden and so it goes on, always living, and growing, and dying, and living again. “So the Lady Moon pinched old Oom Crocodile’s tail, and he gave o

Poverty is an old enemy that has many faces. Poverty Porn is exploiting the poor in order to line your own pockets and make yourself rich , achieve success any means necessary and in the end, exploiting the poverty in Africa outweighs the fact that stereotyping hurts far worse. Poverty porn is considered any type of media, be it written, photographed or filmed, which exploits the poor condition in order to generate the necessary sympathy for selling newspapers or increasing charitable donations or support for a given cause. Poverty porn is typically associated with poverty-stricken Africans, but can be found everywhere.  "Poverty porn is typically associated with poverty-stricken Africans but can be found everywhere. The subjects are overwhelming children, with the material usually characterized by images or descriptions of suffering, malnourished or otherwise helpless persons. Exploiting property does not bring salvation.  The stereotype of poverty porn is the Afri

Curried Fish Seafood Recipe Tanzanian Curried Fish Recipe By Chic African Culture African food recipe Tanzanian curried fish recipe is a simple African food recipe to make for a weeknight dinner. Tanzanian curried fish recipe is the favorite fish curry dish of coastal Tanzania, the addition of coconut milk adds a sweet savory taste dimension to this dish. Tanzanian Curried Fish Recipe Serves 4 African food Total time from start to finish 30 minutes Ingredients 2 fresh white fish fillets or catfish 2 tablespoons good quality curry powder 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 onion, chopped finely 2 tablespoons of butter 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 tablespoon cumin 1 cup coconut milk Directions In a large saucepan brown over medium, heat the butter, curry, onions, garlic, cumin and paprika. Add remaining ingredients, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with vegetables or white rice. Traditionally curried fish in Tanzania is served with Ugali . Tanzanian Curried Fish Re

Africa got her name three ways, Afri name of peoples in North Africa, the Greek word Aphrike meaning without cold and Latin word Aprica always sunny. Learn three theories on how Africa was named and a listing of African country names to understand Africa and the 54 names each country received on her continent after the historic Berlin Conference. Africa. How Africa Got Her Name First theory on how Africa received her name is from Afri the name of peoples in North Africa located near Carthage under Roman rule in modern Tunisia in the third century B.C. Second theory on how Africa was named is from the Greek word Aphrike meaning without cold. Lastly, the third theory on how Africa was named in Latin, Aprica means sunny or always hot derived from the Egyptian sun God Ra. Every African country has a short name, an official name and a standard country code as well as local long names and local short names. The short name is an unofficial name that everyone knows the count

Xhosa (Koh-Suh) folklore tradition is very important to the people of the South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Xhosa people have a deeply rooted folklore history passed down through generations. Xhosa  Folklore Story of Long Snake A girl left her father's place, and went to the village of long snake. Having arrived she remained there, but the owner was absent. The only person present was the mother of the owner. That evening, the mother of long snake gave that girl some millet, and told her to grind it. After it was ground, she made bread. When it was ready the mother of long snake said: "Carry this bread into the house." Xhosa Folklore Story of the Long Snake A short time after she went into the house, the owner arrived; she feed him bread and fermented milk. When they finished the food, they went to sleep. Then early in the morning, long snake went away, because in the daytime he lived in the open country. The girl went to the house of the parents of

In drought-prone regions of Africa where rainfall water is scarce for months or years the desert date produces fruit to feed families. Chic African Culture The African desert date is one example of Africa’s naturally drought-resistant trees across the driest parts of Africa. African desert dates are drought-tolerant  plants providing food in Africa's drought-prone countries.  In 2011, East Africa was in the midst of its the worst drought in more than 60 years, with as many as 10 million people at risk. The drought led to crop failures leading to a major food crisis.  In the first seven months of 2014, more than 87,000 people arrived in Italy by sea, mainly from Eritrea and Syria and as the refugee crisis looms more people leave their homes to escape conflict, drought, and poverty. Africa can feed Africa. The desert date tree is considered valuable in dry and drought regions because it produces fruit even during drought