Africa is such a vast beautiful continent with so much beauty and heritage. Although most countries did not get to name themselves, natives and their neighbours have devised ways to connect their nations to their roots.
Below are a select few countries, the nick names given to them and what the said names present.
Kenya - The pride of Africa
The name is simply self-explanatory! From the wide range of Olympic records set and broken by Kenyan athletes to the dominant pastoral culture of the Maasai and Samburu, the vast Savanah highlands, the beautiful flora, and fauna.
Literally, some people think Kenya is the only place with game parks and drives.
Also have you seen the amazing sunsets either in the Mara or coastal region?
Rwanda - Land of a Thousand Hills
Rwanda is popularly referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills because of its volcanic mountain ranges and countless rolling hills
The little country has such scenic green rolling landscapes composed of volcanic mountains, hills, valleys, and green vast tea plantations.
Their mountains make for a scenic gorilla sighting trek as they're home to the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world.
Uganda- The Pearl of Africa
Interestingly enough, Uganda's nickname comes from Winston Churchill and not the people.
The nation got its name from a publication Winston published in 1908 titled, 'My African Journey.'
He marvelled over the country's birds, color, and overall vegetation capturing the land's magnificent beauty as well as the meek nature of its people.
Madagascar - The Great Red Island
Image: Courtesy
Madagascar is an island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa. The country gets its name from the rich red colour that encompasses its soil.
The central plateau and the eastern coast of Madagascar are mainly composed of gneiss, granite, quartz, and other crystalline rock formations.
The gneiss decomposes into red murram, laterite, and deeper and more fertile red earth, giving Madagascar its colloquial name
South Africa - Rainbow Nation
South Africa is popularly referred to as the Rainbow Nation due to its multicultural diversity.
The term is believed to have been coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after the country's first fully democratic election back in 1994.
Upon taking power, while in his first month in office, the late President Nelson Mandela further gave the name breathe when he proclaimed;
"Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world."
Somali - The Horn of Africa
There isn't much science to this, the country just happens to look like a horn on the map.
The Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.
Located on the easternmost part of the African mainland, it is the fourth largest peninsula in the world. It is composed of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibout
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