Tag Archives: Africa

Chefchaouen

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Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a calming blue.

  • Chefchaouen, also known as ‘Chaouen’, or ‘Xauen’ in Spanish, is a city located in the north of Morocco, North Africa, in the Rif mountains, and it sits approximately 660 m (2165 feet) above sea level.
  • The name ‘Chefchaouen’, meaning ‘watch the horns’ comes from the term ‘chaoua’ meaning ‘goat’s horns’ in one of the tribal languages, in reference to the appearance of the mountains situated over the town, while the term ‘chef’ is translated as ‘looks at’.
  • Chefchaouen is a popular tourist site, with around 200 hotels actively used to cater for visitors that come to experience the natural beauty, and history.
  • In 2004, Chefchaouen had a population of 35,709, which is around 7,000 people less than the census of a decade prior.
  • Chefchaouen is famous for its many buildings and objects, that have either been totally or partially painted the colour blue.
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A Street of Chefchaouen
Image courtesy of Mark Fischer/Flickr
  • Chefchaouen was originally built as a fortress in 1471, used against the Portuguese in their invasion, and the city has been a safe-haven for Jewish refugees at least twice in its history.
  • Chefchaouen is notable for selling an extensive variety of textiles, handcrafts and goat cheese, while the drug cannabis is widely grown in the area.
  • The blue painted buildings of Chefchaouen are a tradition that is believed to have begun in the 1930s, or possibly centuries earlier, started by Jewish refugees, serving as a reminder of God and a reflection of the sky.
  • Chefchaouen was under Spanish command from the 1920s to 1956, and it had been attacked by Spain prior to this occasion.
  • The blue buildings of Chefchaouen are typically repainted every two years to maintain the colour.
Bibliography:
Chefchaouen, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, the Blue City of Morocco, 2012, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/08/chefchaouen-blue-city-of-morocco.html
Neubauer I, Chefchaouen: The electric beauty of Morocco’s incredible blue city, 2015, CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/03/travel/morocco-blue-city-chefchaouen/
To Visit the Medina of Chefchaouen, n.d, Chaouen.info, http://www.chaouen.info/in-medina.html

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Puss Moth

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Puss Moth

Puss moths are an example of grey-scale beauty.

  • Puss moths are a species of moth of a medium size, native to Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.
  • The scientific name of a puss moth is Cerura vinula and it is from the family Notodontidae, a family of moths known as ‘prominents’.
  • Puss moths have wings that are predominantly a white, grey or cream colour, that are patterned with black coloured marble styled markings, and the body is similar in colouring.
  • The wingspan of a puss moth is roughly 5 to 8 centimetres (2 to 3 inches) in length, though they may be larger, while the length of the caterpillar is approximately 8 centimetres (3 inches).
  • Puss moth caterpillars are primarily green in colour when mature (black when juvenile) and have small white spots, and their head is surrounded by a red coloured ring that is decorated with two black spots so that it appears to be a face.
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Puss Moth
Image courtesy of Ben Sale/Flickr
  • Puss moth caterpillars strike a defence pose when feeling threatened, which involves intimidation with its pretend ‘face’ and the two red tipped projections on its rear.
  • As a method of protection, puss moth caterpillars may excrete formic acid which is sprayed out when they are further threatened, a feature that makes it one of the more dangerous caterpillars in the United Kingdom.
  • The diet of puss moth caterpillars mainly consists of vegetation from poplars and willow trees, and once hatched, they have an average lifespan of three to five months.
  • Puss moths have a soft furry texture that is comparable to the fur of a cat, which is the reason for the moth’s common name, and they are said to be threatened in some areas due to continuous woodland destruction and pollution.
  • Puss moth caterpillars construct hard waterproof cocoons that are considered one the strongest among moth species, and once the metamorphosis process has concluded, the moth releases a liquid to soften the cocoon so that it can be liberated.
Bibliography:
Cerura Vinula, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerura_vinula
Puss Moth, 2013, Buglife, https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/puss-moth
Puss Moth, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/puss-moth/

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Cape of Good Hope

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Cape of Good Hope

You better have a lot of hope when travelling the seas of the Cape of Good Hope.

  • The Cape of Good Hope is a narrow, rocky piece of land that juts out into the South Atlantic Ocean, found in South Africa’s Cape Peninsula.
  • The Cape of Good Hope is part of the Table Mountain National Park, and contrary to popular belief, is not actually the southernmost point of Africa, as that title goes to Cape Agulhas.
  • ‘The Cape of Good Hope’ is also known simply as ‘The Cape’ and is known in Afrikaans as ‘Kaap die Goeie Hoop’.
  • The Cape of Good Hope is regarded as particularly important by many sailors, as it is used as a reference point when sailing to Australia or East Asia.
  • Bartolomeu Dias, an explorer from Portugal, was the first known person from Europe to discover the Cape of Good Hope, doing so in 1488, and named it ‘Cape of Storms’.
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Cape of Good Hope
Image courtesy of Iryna Kuchma/Flickr
  • The Da Gama and the Dias Crosses are situated on the Cape of Good Hope as beacons, and when the two are aligned they point towards a major water vehicle hazard known as ‘Whittle Rock’.
  • Despite the bad weather that Bartolomeu Dias experienced at the Cape of Good Hope, John II of Portugal, the king who commissioned the initial expedition, renamed it as such to portray a more positive perspective on sailing to India.
  • There are around 250 bird species, including penguins, that are found in the Cape of Good Hope vicinity, while other animals from zebras, deer, reptiles, antelopes, otters and rodents are also found in the area.
  • Approximately 1100 native plant species populate the Cape of Good Hope, and includes large quantities of shrubby vegetation known as ‘fynbos’, like proteas, cone bushes and tree pincushions.
  • By legend, the Cape of Good Hope is the haunted location of the ghostly ship The Flying Dutchman, which is said to be cursed so that it can never reach land.
Bibliography:
Cape of Good Hope, 2015, Pano, http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=cape-good-hope-rsa
Cape of Good Hope, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_of_Good_Hope

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Pangolin

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Pangolin

Pangolins are overshadowed by anteaters, hence why they are known so little.

  • Pangolins are a family of scaled mammals, native to parts of Asia or Africa, depending on the genus, in tropical areas.
  • ‘Pangolins’ are also known as ‘scaly anteaters’ and ‘trenggilings’, and in 2014 they were said to be the most trafficked animal in the world.
  • The scientific family name of pangolins is Manidae, from the Pholidota order, and they belong to three genera – Manis, Phataginus and Smutsia, and include eight species.
  • Pangolins range in size, depending on the species, and they generally grow to lengths between 30 to 140 centimetres (1 to 4.6 feet) and weigh between 1.6 to 33 kilograms (3.5 to 73 pounds).
  • The armoured scales of pangolin are made of keratin and range in colours from yellow, olive and light and dark browns.
Pangolin, Animal, Mammal, Scaly Anteater, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Brown, ScurryPangolin
Image courtesy of Dabid Brossard/Flickr
  • Termites and ants make up the primary diet of pangolins, although other insects and their larvae are also consumed.
  • Pangolins have a significantly long tongue that is up to 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) in width and 40 centimetres (16 inches) in length, to reach the far corners of insect mounds.
  • Pangolins are threatened by poaching or hunting for their meat and scales, and habitat loss, all of which have led to populations becoming vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered, and while the animal is kept in captivity, often in rehabilitation centres, they commonly die from dietary and stress related issues.
  • Hiding and sleeping in burrows or trees during daylight, pangolins are mostly nocturnal animals and they usually live alone.
  • The term ‘pangolin’ comes from the Malay term ‘peng-guling,’, which literally means ‘roller’, referring to the animal’s common defence tactic of curling up in a ball.
Bibliography:
Pangolin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin
Pangolin, 2015, World Wildlife Fund, https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/pangolin
Pangolin, n.d, African Wildlife Fund, http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/pangolin
What is a Pangolin?, 2015, Save Pangolins, http://savepangolins.org/what-is-a-pangolin/

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Table Mountain

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Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a masterpiece of the giants.

  • Table Mountain is a mountainous landform with a particularly flat top, found near South Africa’s Cape Town.
  • From sea level, Table Mountain is 1084.6 metres (3,558 feet) in height, and at the top it is 3 kilometres (2 miles) across at its widest point.
  • The first record of a person climbing Table Mountain was in 1503, and the climber was António de Saldanha, a navigator from Portugal and modern day Spain.
  • Table Mountain is notably topped with orographic clouds regularly, that create a surreal table cloth like covering over the mountain; a local legend attributes this to a smoking duel between the Devil and a pirate.
  • At least 1500 species of plant populate Table Mountain, most of which are endemic to the area and referred to as ‘fynbos’, or shrubby vegetation, some of which is endangered.
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Table Mountain
Image courtesy of warrenski/Flickr
  • Animals found on Table Mountain include rock hyraxes, snakes, amphibians, mongooses, lizards and porcupines, as well as the mountain’s rare ‘ghost frogs’ that are critically endangered.
  • There are two main ways Table Mountain can be accessed, by hiking and by a cableway; the latter built from 1926 to 1929 after years of ideas and planning.
  • Sandstone makes up most of the rock structure of Table Mountain, and it also features unusual sandstone cave complexes.
  • Table Mountain is very popular among tourists, and as of 2015, at least 24 million people had used the cableway since it was built.
  • Table Mountain was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011, and it is part of the Table Mountain National Park.
Bibliography:
Table Mountain, 2014, SA Venues, http://www.sa-venues.com/attractionswc/table-mountain.htm
Table Mountain, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Mountain

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Bongo

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Bongo

You may get arrested if you hit these bongos.

  • Bongos are an antelope native to the forest habitats of tropical areas in Central and West Africa, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 19 years.
  • The scientific name of a bongo is Tragelaphus eurycerus, and it is from the family Bovidae, the family of bovids, or ruminant mammals with cloven hooves.
  • As the largest forest antelope, the height of a bongo can reach 1.1 to 1.3 metres (3.6 to 4.3 feet) excluding the head, and it can weigh between 150 to 405 kilograms (331 to 893 pounds).
  • The fur of a bongo is mostly coloured a chestnut or red/orange brown colour, with black on its tail, legs and face, and it is patterned with approximately a dozen white or cream coloured stripes across its back.
  • Bongos have horns that have a curved, twisted shape that range from 75 to 100 centimetres (30 to 39 inches) in length, and they are found on both genders.
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A Bongo
Image courtesy of William Andrus/Flickr
  • The diet of bongos consists primarily of leaves and other vegetation including bark; fruit; and grass, and they also need to consume salt.
  • Poachers kill bongos for meat, horns and skin, which has led to a decrease in the animal’s population, and habitat loss has also contributed to the decline, and as such they are listed as near threatened.
  • Female bongos generally live in herds, while the males typically live alone, and the females usually produce a single calf per litter, which is born hidden in undergrowth, where it is kept protectively for a week or so, after which they join the herd.
  • Some native African communities fear touching bongos, let alone eating them, thinking contact would cause health problems, such as spasms, in humans.
  • Bongos are mostly nocturnal, and they shine their horns by cooling themselves down in mud and then scraping away the mud by rubbing their horns against trees.
Bibliography:
Bongo, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bongo/
Bongo, n.d, African Wildlife Foundation, https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/bongo
Bongo (antelope), 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongo_(antelope)

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