Africa Factbook

Mound building termites of East, Central, and Southern Africa can serve as an oasis in the African desert to plants by replenishing the soil. Giant African Termite Mounds About Giant African Termite Mounds Queen termites can live up to decades under ideal climate conditions. Giant mound-building termites are a group of termite species that live in mounds and look like whitish brown grains of rice with big heads and hedge-trimmers for mouthparts. According to the New York Times “Researchers at Princeton University and their colleagues recently reported in the journal Science that termite mounds may serve as oases in the desert, allowing the plants that surround them to persist on a fraction of the annual rainfall otherwise required and to bounce back after a withering drought. ”By poking holes or macropores, as they dig through the ground, termites allow rain to soak deep into the soil rather than

Life Can Be Unfair African Proverbs Bad things happen to good people African Proverbs teach how to cope. Life can be unfair African proverbs teach us we can accept things and get on with the business of living happily even though life is unfair. Sometimes life is just unfair African Proverbs Life Can Be Unfair African Proverbs A story is narrated by whoever tells it first. A rose sometimes falls to the lot of a monkey. If the wind blows, it enters at every crevice.   A monkey is only sick when the trees slide. God does not pay weekly but pays at the end. As you began the dance, you may pay the piper.   Where the bee sucks honey, the spider sucks poison. Water from far does not quench thirsty. A child can be punished because of his father’s faults.   The one you eat with is the one who digs your grave. The past can never be changed. A monkey does not see its ass.   A greedy man has his eyes on his wife’s pot. Empty fingers are not licked. A snake

Survive a Disaster with Survival Dry Biltong Meat One item a prepper’s food pantry must have to survive a catastrophe is South African biltong. Preppers best-tasting survival food recipe, survive a disaster with survival dry biltong meat. Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture 1-19-2016 Biltong is traditional dried meat from Southern Africa however, biltong is not beef jerky. Biltong is substantially softer and thicker than jerky because it is air-dried whole for around 20 days and then cut into the desired amount. The basic traditional drying method of meat is called sun drying, done by direct solar radiation and natural air circulation.  Ingredients and Directions In a clean area free from critters, dirt, sand, and litter, meat pieces are cut into thin .5 or 1 cm thick strips, dipped in a 14% table salt solution, and suspended in the open air or spread on drying trays made of wire mesh. The salt helps to limit microbi

Lake Retba natural pink lake in Senegal East Africa is at its height of rosy pinkness during the dry season between November and June. Lake Retba Senegal Pink Lake Not many living organisms are able to survive in Senegal's pink Lake Retba because of its high salt content. In Africa, there is a natural lake the color of strawberries, Lake Retba or Le Lac Rose lies in Senegal one hour from its capital city Dakar . The lake is named for its pink waters caused by an edible, salt-loving micro-algae dunaliella salina. Lake Retba or Lac Rose as it is known by locals is separated only by some narrow dunes from the Atlantic Ocean and, as expected its salt content is very high. Its salinity content compares to that of the Dead Sea and during the dry season it exceeds it. The lake is only 3 square kilometers big (about 1,1 square miles) and there is no major town developed along its shores. The natural strawberry pink lake of East Africa’s Senegal is a world famous tourist

Cassava also known as arrowroot, yucca, manioc, and tapioca is a nutrient-rich root vegetable.  Cassava is the third most important source of calories in tropical Africa, after rice and maize. The cassava plant is a staple crop in Africa, different parts of the plant such as the root; leaves are used in herbal remedies. Families depend on cassava as a vital link for both food and income. Cassava Leaf Stew Served with Rice Ingredients 2 cassava roots peeled and chopped 2 handfuls cassava leaves 2 medium onions chopped 2 medium tomatoes diced 5 cups water or vegetable broth Salt and pepper to taste Directions Add all ingredients into a large pot and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with rice.