Africa Factbook

Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria is one of the most polluted places on earth and the center of the largest oil spill on earth. Nigeria's oil industry has been a major source of environmental damage. Shell is to pay 15.9 million USD to Nigerian farmers over oil damage where oil pollution continues to damage the health and livelihoods of many in the area. Nigeria’s crude oil and natural gas exports earned $55 billion in 2018. Land soaked in oil, oil companies are accused of negligence in the Niger Delta that has deep oil and gas reserves. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, there are hundreds of oil fields in the Niger Delta, one of the largest in the world. After suffering the effects of major pollution for decades, people have turned to the courts for justice.  Since 2008, the Netherlands branch of Milieudefensie also known as Friends of the Earth along with four Nigerian farmers have been fighting the oil spill case against Shell. In 2021 a Dutch court in the Hague rul

The three largest slave castles in Ghana were Cape Coast Slave Castle, Fort St. Jago and Elmina Castle.  Ghana was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade for centuries. Ghana slave castles are an important reminder of the horrors of slavery and the importance of never forgetting the past. Between 1482 and 1786 in Ghana, European-style coastal forts and slave castles were built to house millions of newly captured African slaves, gold, wood, and textiles arriving in North America to work plantations in English colonies.  Cape Coast Slave Castle in Ghana Because of the Atlantic slave trade and the profound effect on the history of West Africa numerous forts were built perched on Ghana's Atlantic Coast.  Ghana was called the Gold Coast at the time of the slave trade, the importation of slaves into the United States was outlawed in 1807.  The Castles and Forts of Ghana shaped not only Ghana’s history but that of the world over four centuries as the focus of first the gold trade

The traditional South African healer culturally still plays an important role in 70 percent of patient's in South Africa especially through the use of  Traditional Surgeons. Traditional Healers Explained Men and women take up the Traditional Healers profession after a long training period. The Traditional Healer may act as a therapist for issues of health, luck, love, dreams, sexual problems, or business ventures. Some of these Traditional Healers inherit, or are taught the knowledge possessed by their family members.  They all carry on their persons charms of numerous kinds to have power over the demons of disease. Some Traditional Healers use good magic as a cure because they believe that illnesses including psychological issues have supernatural origins. South Africa's Traditional Health Practitioners Act, 2007 established accredited Traditional Healing institutions, certifies Traditional Healers.  A true healer cannot take part in any action that can harm or negatively infl

New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole is New Year Day comfort food. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year Day is a stable New Year is tradition. The tradition spread after the American Civil War. Black-eyed peas, dried significantly expand in volume when cooked and symbolize expanding good look throughout the year.  During General William Tecumseh Sherman march, the United States Union Army devastated the Confederate Army food supplies but left dried black-eyed peas and hog meat.  The Confederate soldiers thus felt lucky to have these supplies. There is evidence that people ate black-eyed peas for luck as early as 500 A.D. as a part of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. New Years Day Black-Eyed Pea Casserole Ingredients 1 tablespoon melted butter. 3 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed. 1 cup cooked white rice. 2/3 cup dried breadcrumbs. 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. 2 large chicken eggs. 4 large shallots, finely chopped. 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

Hippopotamus teeth are traded legally and illegally. Hippopotamus are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa but that does not stop the legal and illegal black market trade in hippopotamus teeth.  One hippo tooth can fetch up to $600. Hong Kong is the largest market for hippo teeth where an increased demand for ivory from hippos hippo teeth are often used for jewelry, piano keys, chess pieces, furniture inlays, hunting trophies and other art items. Hippopotamus teeth Trading Hippopotamus Teeth For Cash You may think of ivory from elephant tusks but hippo teeth are made of ivory also. Hippopotamus teeth are used as ivory after the thick, hard enamel layer is removed. Elephant teeth are up to 6 feet long while hippo teeth are up to 2 feet long.  Hippo teeth tusks are used like elephant ivory for carved decorations. Hippos also have the largest teeth of all land animals. Additionally, other parts of both animals such as feet and skulls are valued as statement or souvenir items.  Hipp

Magical Frog of Lake Jipe  Magical Frog of Lake Jipe Folklore Magical Frog of Lake Jipe African Folklore A long, long time ago there was magical frog who lived in Lake Jipe. There was also a large village named Mwere south  of Nghonji in Kenya where 10,000 families lived.  One day, a terrible rain storm occurred during which the magical frog entered one of the houses; the mother on seeing it told one of her children to throw it out, and this having been done, the magical frog then went to another home where the same thing occurred, and so on at the third. But at the fourth house the mother, however, said, “Oh, it is doing no harm, let it stay.”  Thereupon the magical frog seeing the mothers kindness said to her, “You have given me shelter and so listen to my words take your children and flee from this village without delay for it will disappear.”  She had the sense to obey this warning from the magical frog and had only gone a short distance when the whole village sank below the water.