back to the southern hemisphere to explore the highly suggested, South Africa! From breathtaking

waterfalls and majestic wildlife, to being home to some of the most intriguing shipwrecks

to have ever been found, we'll take a look at 10 Amazing facts about South Africa!

10. Fame of South Africa Often confused for Morgan Freeman by some

individuals, Nelson Mandela was one of South Africa’s most notable celebrities, known

for being an anti-apartheid revolutionary politician, philanthropist, and even served

as President to his home country for 5 years. Other South Africans include actress and model

Charlize Theron, Lord of the Rings author J R R Tolkien, singer/songwriter Dave Matthews,

Sharlto Copley and Neill Blomkamp. Cricket enthusiasts may recognize Dale Steyn, Joshua

Pieters, and Ab Devilliers while Siphewe Tshabalala and Bryan Habana will strike soccer and rugby

fans. He may not be as recognized, but Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu also

needs a well deserved mention. In YouTube land, be sure to check out morecaspar, Kruger

Sightings, Cobus Potgieter or Sixpackfactory.com! 9. South African Innovations

From life-saving devices to fascinating and unexpected contributions to science, South

Africa has put forth some worthwhile creations. Among them was the concept of transverse axial

scanning, a technique partially attributed to Allan McLeod Cormack, that eventually led

to the common CAT scan. Not quite as medically necessary but impressive none-the-less was

also George Pratley’s, Pratley Putty. The adhesive was used in the Apollo XI moon landing

to keep the Eagle landing craft from falling apart. Other notable creations include dolos,

or the geometric concrete blocks that protect harbor walls, thin solar cells, the speed

gun used for most ball-based sports, and a cybertracker that allowed for the tracking

of animals via a GPS-like device. 8. South African Cuisine

Get your recipe notepads ready, because it’s time to dive into some South African cuisine!

The sweeter side of local cuisine comes in the form of koeksisters, or sweet deep-fried

pastries, but before you get to dessert, you’ll need to eat your biltong, bobotie, potjiekos,

or frikkadelle. Though known for its indigenous flavors, South Africa has also adopted many

means of cooking from the many colonies that passed through, including German, French,

Italian, British, and Greek. If you find yourself traveling to Cape Town, be sure to check out

the Gold Restaurant! Before you start your traditional lentil dhal with roasted butternut,

be entertained by an interactive Djembe drumming session followed by a customary hand-washing

ceremony. 7. Tourist Attractions

Travelers to South Africa have chosen a country rich with nature and plenty to see and do.

From Kruger National Park to uShaka Marine World and West Coast Fossil Park, travelers

that want to get close to South Africa’s more natural side have two great outlets.

Beach lovers will want to flock to Cape Town while those wanting to get a look at the country’s

history will want to see the District Six Museum, the Cradle of Humankind, and the South

African National Museum of Military History. There’s nothing more fascinating than the

massive hole in Kimberley, South Africa, which was once the site of a massive diamond rush.

The 214-meter or 702-foot deep cavern hosts one of the country’s most intriguing tourist

attractions. 6. South African Wildlife

Among South Africa’s most common wildlife are what’s considered the “Big Five”

– elephants, buffalo, lions, rhinos, and leopards. Beyond these majestic, albeit common

folk is a country brimming with life, including 230 mammal species, of which 13 fall within

endangered and critically endangered. Among some of the flourishing wildlife are the cape

grysbok, cape horseshoe bat, geometric tortoise, southern adder, cape legless skink, blue crane,

mountain zebra, sei whale, and blue whale. What may be a bit surprising is the colony

of penguins located at Boulders Beach, who are celebrated each October with “Penguin

Awareness Day”. 5. Increase in Education

While parts of the world seem to be suffering from a visible decline in quality of education

– South Africa has been experiencing quite the opposite shift. In 2011, there was a near

4% increase of people age 20 or older who obtained some type of higher education, bringing

the number from 8.4% to 12.1%. To coincide with this change, the percentage of people

who had absolutely no schooling dropped considerably from 17.9% to 8.6%, which may also help to

explain the drop in illiteracy rates, which went from 31.5% in 2001 to 19.1% a decade

later. 4. South African Nature Attractions

Great sites to visit, eclectic cuisine, majestic wildlife – South Africa seems to have it

all, and that’s not even considering the impressive geography and environment that

encapsulates the impressive wonder of this Southern Hemisphere country. The Makhonjwa

Mountains along the border of Mpumalanga and Swaziland are estimated to be approximately

3.6 billion years old, making its rock some of the oldest ever recorder. South Africa

is also said to house the 2nd tallest waterfall in the world, Tugela Falls. The falls come

in at 948 meters or 3,110 feet high, falling just 30 meters or 100 feet short of Venezuela’s

Angel Falls. As if that duo weren’t enough, there’s also Blyde River Canyon, possibly

the 3rd largest in the world and largest green canyon.

3. Nuts over Mining and Minerals Diamonds aren’t the only thing that South

Africa is known for mining. In fact, it’s recognized for having one of the greatest

remaining reserves estimating a worth of around $2.5 trillion. As a world leader in mining,

South Africa accounts for 80% of manganese mining, 73% of chrome, 45% of vanadium, and

41% of the world’s gold supply. 20% of the country’s GDP comes from mining, generating

an estimated $34 billion annually. If minerals don’t tickle your fancy, maybe macadamia

nuts will do the trick – according to exports, South Africa is one of the leading exports

of the tiny morsel. In fact, in 2014, South Africa produced roughly 25% of the entire

world's supply of macadamia nuts, and the number is expected to rise year after year.

2. A Land of Shipwrecks We talked about the beautiful beaches of Cape

Town, but there’s something far more interesting about South Africa’s coast. For over 500

years, the Cape of Good Hope has been an unfortunate site to some 3,000 ships. The Sacramento,

the Grosvenor, the Waratah, and the Arniston are among the many, many notable vessels that

call the cape their final resting place. From as early as the 1500s, ships have been succumbing

to dangerous reefs and poor visibility, leading to the construction of lighthouses up and

down the coast. Many even claim to have seen the ghostly Flying Dutchman scouting the deadly

shore. 1. The Cradle of Mankind

Tracing the history of man is an extensive endeavor, but a good portion of it could be

done right in South Africa. Over 2.5 million years of human history can be traced to an

area of South Africa known as The Cradle of Humankind. It’s in this area that over 40%

of all human ancestor fossils have been discovered, including the 1947 discovery of an Australopithecus

africanus, the earliest ape-form species classified as a hominin. The caves offer a look at early

ecosystems, even long before the hominid presence, making South Africa one of the world’s most

prehistorically important countries.