1. Zambia’s emeralds are highly regarded
Emeralds are part of the beryl family of precious stones. Zambia is now one of the three largest producers of the beautiful deep green gemstone, together with Colombia and Brazil. Although emeralds were discovered...
1. Their flag has a gun on it
The flag of Mozambique has an image of an AK-47 on it, symbolising the country’s fight for independence, and was adopted in 1983. Other images on the flag include a star, a...
1. Angola was colonised for nearly 500 years
Portuguese explorers first reached Angola in 1484. Luanda, which is today the capital of Angola, was established in 1575. Angola was a major source for slaves, destined for the Americas. About a...
1. Mining is an important sector
In 2014 mining accounted for about four percent of the Tanzanian economy, with the value of mining having doubled since 2009. Minerals were also an important export, accounting for nearly a quarter of the...
1. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of diamonds
In 2017, Sierra Leone produced nearly 450 000 carats of diamonds, making it the world’s eighth-biggest producer. Other minerals mined in Sierra Leone include gold, rutile, iron ore, and...
The world is changing fast. Things that would have seen inconceivable ten years ago are now commonplace, from global politics to technology. To someone from 2008 an average smartphone would seem like something out of a science fiction movie,...
1. There has been mining there for thousands of years
Archaeologists believe that the Gokomere people (who are the ancestors of today’s Shona people, among others) were smelting iron in what is today Zimbabwe as long ago as the 1st...
1. It gets its name from an ancient African empire
Mali derives its name from the Mali Empire, which stretched east from the Atlantic Ocean, to what is today southern Mali, including parts of present-day Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea....
by Gavin Keeton
This article first appeared in the January 2018 edition of Africa in Fact, Issue 44. Africa in Fact is the journal of Good Governance Africa. It is published here with permission.
In July 2016, the United Nations Conference...
Lights, camera, action! Hollywood movies cover characters who work in many different industries, and believe it or not, mining is also one of them. Mining movies don’t always feature a lot of explosions, car chases or dragons, but they...
