Chad Chad ( -LSB- tʃæd -RSB- تشاد ; Tchad -LSB- tʃa ( d ) -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Chad ( ; `` Republic of the Chad '' ) , is a landlocked country in Central Africa . It is bordered by Libya to the north , Sudan to the east , the Central African Republic to the south , Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest and Niger to the west . It is the fifth largest country in Africa in terms of area .   Chad has several regions : a desert zone in the north , an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanian Savanna zone in the south . Lake Chad , after which the country is named , is the largest wetland in Chad and the second-largest in Africa . The capital N'Djamena is the largest city .   Chad 's official languages are Arabic and French . Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups . The religions of Chad are Islam ( at 55 % ) , followed by Christianity ( at 40 % ) .   Beginning in the 7th millennium BC , human populations moved into the Chadian basin in great numbers . By the end of the 1st millennium BC , a series of states and empires had risen and fallen in Chad 's Sahelian strip , each focused on controlling the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region . France conquered the territory by 1920 and incorporated it as part of French Equatorial Africa . In 1960 , Chad obtained independence under the leadership of François Tombalbaye . Resentment towards his policies in the Muslim north culminated in the eruption of a long-lasting civil war in 1965 . In 1979 the rebels conquered the capital and put an end to the south 's hegemony . However , the rebel commanders fought amongst themselves until Hissène Habré defeated his rivals . He was overthrown in 1990 by his general Idriss Déby . Since 2003 the Darfur crisis in Sudan has spilt over the border and destabilised the nation , with hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees living in and around camps in eastern Chad . Unsustainable high birth rates and a lack of agriculture let the country persist in poverty .   While many political parties are active , power lies firmly in the hands of President Déby and his political party , the Patriotic Salvation Movement . Chad remains plagued by political violence and recurrent attempted coups d'état . Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world ; most inhabitants live in poverty as subsistence herders and farmers . Since 2003 crude oil has become the country 's primary source of export earnings , superseding the traditional cotton industry . Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling ( born November 12 , 1980 ) is a Canadian actor and musician . He began his career as a child star on the Disney Channel 's Mickey Mouse Club ( 1993 -- 95 ) and went on to appear in other family entertainment programs including Are You Afraid of the Dark ? ( 1995 ) and Goosebumps ( 1996 ) . His first starring film role was as a Jewish neo-Nazi in The Believer ( 2001 ) , and he went on to star in several independent films , including Murder by Numbers ( 2002 ) , The Slaughter Rule ( 2002 ) , and The United States of Leland ( 2003 ) .   Gosling came to the attention of a wider audience in 2004 with a leading role in the commercially successful romantic drama The Notebook . His performance as a drug-addicted teacher in Half Nelson ( 2006 ) was nominated for an Academy Award and his performance as a socially inept loner in Lars and the Real Girl ( 2007 ) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award . After a three-year acting hiatus , Gosling starred in the marital drama Blue Valentine ( 2010 ) , earning him a second Golden Globe nomination . Gosling co-starred in three mainstream films in 2011the romantic comedy-drama Crazy , Stupid , Love , the political drama The Ides of March , and the action thriller Driveand received two more Golden Globe nominations . Gosling 's directorial debut Lost River was released in 2014 to poor reviews . Greater success came to Gosling when he starred in two critically acclaimed filmsthe financial comedy-drama The Big Short ( 2015 ) and the musical La La Land ( 2016 ) . For the latter , he won a Golden Globe Award and received a second Oscar nomination .   Gosling 's band , Dead Man 's Bones , released their self-titled debut album and toured North America in 2009 . He is a co-owner of Tagine , a Moroccan restaurant in Beverly Hills , California . He is a supporter of PETA , Invisible Children and the Enough Project and has traveled to Chad , Uganda and eastern Congo to raise awareness about conflicts in the regions .
Spirit of Africa Spirit of Africa is the first studio album by African traditional and contemporary male voice choir Kenyan Boys Choir . As of July 2009 , one single has been released : `` Homeless '' . All tracks were recorded in the city of Nairobi , Kenya . Mozambique Mozambique ( -LSB- moʊzæmˈbiːk -RSB- or -LSB- mɔːzæmˈbiːk -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Mozambique ( Moçambique or República de Moçambique , -LSB- rɛˈpublikɐ dɨ musɐ̃ˈbikɨ -RSB- ) is a country in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east , Tanzania to the north , Malawi and Zambia to the northwest , Zimbabwe to the west , and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest . It is separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east . The capital and largest city is Maputo ( known as `` Lourenço Marques '' before independence ) .   Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD , Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west . Swahili ( and later Arab ) commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans . The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonised by Portugal from 1505 . The country was an important place where Somali merchants enslaved the local population , starting what is now known as the Somali slave trade . After over four centuries of Portuguese rule , Mozambique gained independence in 1975 , becoming the People 's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter . After only two years of independence , the country descended into an intense and protracted civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992 . In 1994 , Mozambique held its first multiparty elections and has remained a relatively stable presidential republic . However , since 2013 , following more than 20 years of peace , a renewed insurgency by RENAMO has been occurring .   Mozambique is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world . Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources . The country 's economy is based largely on agriculture , but industry is growing , mainly food and beverages , chemical manufacturing , and aluminium and petroleum production . The country 's tourism sector is also growing . South Africa is Mozambique 's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment . Belgium , Brazil , Portugal , and Spain are also among the country 's most important economic partners . Since 2001 , Mozambique 's annual average GDP growth has been among the world 's highest . However , the country ranks among the lowest in GDP per capita , human development , measures of inequality , and average life expectancy .   The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese , which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half of the population . Common native languages include Makhuwa , Sena , and Swahili . The country 's population of around 24 million is composed overwhelmingly of Bantu people . The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity , with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions . Mozambique is a member of the African Union , the Commonwealth of Nations , the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , the Latin Union , the Non-Aligned Movement , and the Southern African Development Community , and is an observer at La Francophonie . List of endangered languages in Africa An endangered language is a language that it is at risk of falling out of use , generally because it has few surviving speakers . If it loses all of its native speakers , it becomes an extinct language . UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between `` safe '' ( not endangered ) and `` extinct '' :  Vulnerable  Definitely endangered  Severely endangered  Critically endangered   Africa is the world 's second-largest and second most-populous continent . At about 30.2 million km ² ( 11.7 million sq mi ) including adjacent islands , it covers 6 % of the Earth 's total surface area and 20.4 % of the total land area . With about 922 million people ( as of 2005 ) in 61 territories , it accounts for about 14.2 % of the world 's human population . The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north , the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast , the Indian Ocean to the southeast , and the Atlantic Ocean to the west . There are 53 countries , including Madagascar and all the island groups . James Verini James Verini is a journalist living in Africa . He has written for National Geographic , The New Yorker , The New York Times Magazine , and Foreign Policy . Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is , geographically , the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara . According to the UN , it consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara . It contrasts with North Africa , whose territories are part of the League of Arab states within the Arab world . Somalia , Djibouti , Comoros and Mauritania are geographically in Sub-Saharan Africa , but are likewise Arab states and part of the Arab world .   The Sahel is the transitional zone between the Sahara and the tropical savanna ( the Sudan region ) and forest-savanna mosaic to the south .   Since probably 3500 BCE , the Saharan and Sub-Saharan regions of Africa have been separated by the extremely harsh climate of the sparsely populated Sahara , forming an effective barrier interrupted by only the Nile in Sudan , though the Nile was blocked by the river 's cataracts . The Sahara pump theory explains how flora and fauna ( including Homo sapiens ) left Africa to penetrate the Middle East and beyond . African pluvial periods are associated with a `` wet Sahara '' phase during which larger lakes and more rivers existed .   The use of the term has been criticized because it refers to the South only by cartography conventions and projects a connotation of inferiority ; a vestige of colonialism , which some say , divided Africa into European terms of homogeneity . FilmAid International FilmAid International is a non-profit humanitarian organization that uses film to educate and entertain displaced people around the world . FilmAid was founded during the Balkan crisis in 1999 by producer Caroline Baron ( Capote , Monsoon Wedding ) to assist with refugee communities in Macedonia suffering the effects of war , poverty , displacement and disaster .  Since 1999 , FilmAid has worked in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) and other global aid organizations to help bring information and training to more than two million people worldwide .  FilmAid produces and distributes community-based films on public health and safety issues such as maternal health , HIV , cholera , gender-based violence and conflict resolution .  Using inflatable screens and other ` Mobile Cinema ' units , FilmAid screenings aims to overcome language and literacy boundaries .  FilmAid currently works in Kenya , in the large refugee camps of Dadaab and Kakuma as well as informal settlements in Nairobi and Mombassa , with Burmese refugees in Thailand and also in Haiti .  FilmAid is a global federation of nonprofit , charitable organizations . Members include FilmAid International ( the founding organization ) , FilmAid Asia , FilmAid Kenya , and FilmAid U.K. Golden Mile, Durban The Golden Mile ( or , colloquially , `` The Mile '' ) is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Durban , KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa , including the promenade that runs along with it . It runs roughly from South Beach ( where the uShaka Marine World is located ) to Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World in the north and now includes a route directly to Moses Mabhida Stadium . It abuts the central business district of the city to its west .   It is one of the main tourist attractions in the Durban area . The wide stretch of golden sands , artificially separated by various piers , provides excellent opportunities for sun-worshippers and swimmers to enjoy the sub-tropical sunshine and warm waters of the Indian Ocean . Most of the Mile 's beaches are protected year-round by lifeguards and shark nets . The Mile is also a well-known surfer 's haven . The South Beach end , in particular , is well known as a safe beach for neophyte surfers . The beachfront properties are a mix of residential apartments and tourist hotels , development of which boomed in the 1970s , although remnants of Durban 's art-deco architecture are still evident . Interspersed among the beachfront properties are several popular restaurants and nightclubs .   The Golden Mile has long been a popular domestic holiday destination and during the holiday seasons ( June -- July and December -- January )  South Africans from across the country , but in particular the Gauteng region , flock to enjoy its many attractions , which include :   Blue Lagoon , a popular hangout , picnic and fishing spot  Mini Town with a miniature replica of Durban , complete with a working miniature railway and airport .  Moses Mabhida Stadium  Traditional market vendors and other hawkers with a selection of Zulu art and crafts .  An oceanway pavement along the beaches to encourage more people to enjoy walking and cycling .  Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World , a casino complex with a semi-private beach , restaurants , shops and public entertainment facilities .  uShaka Marine World aquarium , water park , dolphinarium , containing a restaurant with the largest shark tank in the world .  North Beach , Dairy Beach , the Bay of Plenty , Snake Park , Pirates and Country Club beaches are popular surfing beaches separated by the piers .  The Skate Park in front of the Bay of Plenty caters for skateboarders , roller bladers and BMX ` ers .  The Surfing Museum , a historical site cataloguing some of Durban 's surfing history . North Africa North Africa is the term given to a group of Mediterranean countries situated in the northern-most region of the African continent . The term `` North Africa '' has no single accepted definition . It is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Morocco in the west , to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the east . Others have limited it to the countries of Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia , a region known by the French during colonial times as `` Afrique du Nord '' and by the Arabs as the Maghreb ( `` West '' ) .   The most commonly accepted definition includes Morocco , Algeria , and Tunisia , as well as Libya and Egypt , It should be noted however that the term `` North Africa '' , when commonly used in North Africa and the Middle East , often refers only to the countries of the Maghreb and Libya . Egypt , due to its greater Middle Eastern associations , is typically viewed separately . The countries of North Africa share a common ethnic , cultural and linguistic identity that is unique to this region .   North west Africa has been inhabited by Berbers since the beginning of recorded history , while the eastern part of North Africa has been home to the Egyptians . Following the Muslim conquest in the seventh century C.E. , the region underwent a process of Arabization and Islamization that has defined its cultural landscape ever since .   The distinction between North Africa and much of Sub-Saharan Africa is historically and ecologically significant because of the effective barrier created by the Sahara Desert for much of modern history . From 3500 BC , following the abrupt desertification of the Sahara due to gradual changes in the Earth 's orbit , this barrier has culturally separated the North from the rest of the continent . As the seafaring civilizations of the Phoenicians , Greeks , Romans , Muslims and others facilitated communication and migration across the Mediterranean Sea , the cultures of North Africa became much more closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-Saharan Africa . The Islamic influence in the area is also significant , and North Africa is a major part of the Muslim world .   Some researchers have postulated that North Africa rather than East Africa served as the exit point for the modern humans who first trekked out of the continent in the Out of Africa migration . 2005 in Africa Goutte d'Or This article is about the `` Little Africa '' in Paris , France . For other uses , please see Little Africa .   The Goutte d'Or ( -LSB- ɡut dɔʁ -RSB- , Drop of Gold ) is a neighbourhood in Paris , located in the 18th arrondissement .   The neighbourhood has large numbers of North African and sub-Saharan residents . It is known for its open-air market , le marché Dejean '' . Prostitution in Swaziland Prostitution in Swaziland is illegal , and police continue to enforce the law , although they sometimes turn a blind eye to prostitution in clubs .   According to the U.S. Department of State , Swaziland is a source , destination , and transit country for women and children trafficked internally and transnationally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation , domestic servitude , and forced labor in agriculture . Swazi girls , particularly orphans , are trafficked internally for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic servitude in the cities of Mbabane and Manzini , as well as to South Africa and Mozambique . Some Swazi women are forced into prostitution in South Africa and Mozambique after voluntarily migrating to these countries in search of work . Chinese organized crime units acquire victims in Swaziland and traffic them to hubs in Johannesburg , where they `` distribute '' victims locally or send them on to be exploited overseas . Traffickers force Mozambican women into prostitution in Swaziland , or else transit Swaziland with their victims en route to South Africa .   The Swaziland AIDS Support Organisation has recommended that prostitution be legalized in Swaziland , in order to allow it to be regulated . Cinema of Kenya The cinema of Kenya refers to the film industry of Kenya . Although a very small industry in western comparison , Kenya has produced or been a location for film since the early 1950s when Men Against the Sun was filmed in 1952 . Although , in the United States , jungle epics that were set in the country were shot in Hollywood as early as the 1940s . Thirst Project The Thirst Project is a non-profit organization whose aim is to bring safe drinking water to communities around the world where it is not immediately available . The Thirst Project collects money and builds wells all across the continent of Africa where villages do not have immediate drinking water . Actors Drake Bell , Dylan O'Brien , and Chyler Leigh are supporters .   The Non-profit was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles , CA , by several college students who learned about the international water crisis and wanted to make a difference .   In 2012 , the Thirst Project pledged to bring clean water to the entire nation of Swaziland by 2022 , 10 years after their initial pledge . Thirst Project sent representatives to Swaziland to survey the costs of the project and determined that it would cost around $ 50 million to bring Swaziland water . While many non-profits have been making progress on solving the water crisis , no organization has focused efforts specifically in one country , with the goal of bringing an entire nation clean water . The Swaziland project will work as a case study about the positive effects of bringing clean water to a developing country , and will demonstrate benefits such as improved education and heightened development .   While most of Thirst Project 's efforts are focused in Swaziland , they are also operating in India , Uganda , Ethiopia , El Salvador , Kenya , and Colombia . List of companies of the Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo is a country located in Central Africa . It is bordered by Gabon , Cameroon , the Central African Republic , the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda . In the early 1980s , rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5 % annually , one of the highest rates in Africa . The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its petroleum earnings , contributing to a shortage of revenues . The January 12 , 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50 % resulted in inflation of 46 % in 1994 , but inflation has subsided since . Land of the Blind Land of the Blind is a 2006 British-American black comedy drama film starring Ralph Fiennes , Donald Sutherland , Tom Hollander and Lara Flynn Boyle .   Land of the Blind is a dark political satire , based on several incidents throughout history in which tyrannical rulers were overthrown by new leaders who proved to be just as bad , if not worse , and subtle references are made to several such cases . The title is taken from the saying , `` In the land of the blind , the one-eyed man is king . ''   Land of the Blind had its world premiere in competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam , and was the Opening Night Gala film at the 2006 Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London . Its U.S. premiere was in competition at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival . The film sparked intense reaction during its festival run , attacked by both left and right , each of which saw the film as a critique of its position .   Historical references in the film include Jean-Paul Marat ( from the French Revolution ) , Kim Jong-Il , Joseph Stalin , Benito Mussolini , Augusto Pinochet , Anastasio Somoza Debayle , François Duvalier , Rudolph Hess , Jean-Claude Duvalier , Lyndon B. Johnson , Julius Caesar ( from William Shakespeare 's play ) , Robert Mugabe , Ngo Dinh Diem , Idi Amin , the PIRA Maze prison protests , U.S. POWs in Vietnam , the Weathermen terrorist group , the Khmer Rouge , the 1979 Revolution in Iran , and the subsequent Cultural Revolution in that country . Slum Dwellers International Slum Dwellers International ( SDI ) or Shack Dwellers International as it is known in the African continent , is a global social movement of the urban poor started in 1996 . SDI 's President , Jockin Arputham , is quoted as saying : '' Global solidarity of the urban poor has been a long-term dream for many of us in the SDI network . This dream began to take shape in the early 1990s when shack dwellers from South Africa 's informal settlements began to visit pavement dwellers living on the streets of Mumbai . Since those days the network has grown steadily in numbers , in influence and in its impact on the everyday lives of millions of urban poor families . Practical , face-to-face learning remains the main driving force of the SDI network that now stretches from Asia , through Africa to Latin America and the Caribbean . With its women-centred savings collectives at the heart of its practice in 34 countries SDI is forging a new system of community organizing that runs in an unbroken thread from the household to the settlement , from the settlement to the city , from the city to the country and from the country to the global stage . ''   SDI affiliates range from groups of a few hundred ( at present ) in Togo to more than two million in India . Some are decades old , others have been in existence for less than a year . SDI has a presence in the following countries ; India , Kenya ( see `` Camp of Fire '' project ) , Namibia , Nepal , South Africa , Sri Lanka , Swaziland , Thailand , Zimbabwe , Uganda , Malawi , Lesotho , Tanzania , Zambia , Argentina , Brazil Bolivia , Angola , Togo , Sierra Leone , Burkina Faso , and Ghana . The headquarters and secretariat are located in Cape Town , South Africa , and from here the organization spreads its mandate . The Secretariat is located at the point of intersection between informal and the formal , between community organizations on the one hand and professionals , Government officials , developers , bankers , donors and academics on the other . Architect Africa Film Festival The Architect Africa Film Festival ( AAFF ) is a bi-annual architectural event held in South Africa by the Architects Collective of South Africa . For the duration of three weeks , the Architect Africa Film Festival travels to Johannesburg , Durban , Cape Town , Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth where up to 25 international and local films featuring the built environment are screened to the public at central cinema complexes . This becomes the core event around which many additional activities take place , including two student competitions -- the Tripod Architecture Photography Competition and the Moving Spaces Film Competition . Africa United (2005 film) Africa United is an Icelandic documentary film by director Ólaf de Fleur Jóhannesson released in 2005 . The film explores the life of Zakaria Anbari who moves to Iceland from Morocco in search of fortune . It won the Documentary of the Year at the 2005 Edda Awards . It also received nominations for Director of the Year and Script of the Year at the 2005 Edda Awards .   `' Africa United '' was filmed in Iceland , England , Morocco and Serbia .   The original musical score is by Barđi Jóhannsson . CGTN Africa CCTV Africa is the African bureau of CCTV News , the English-language news channel run by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television . It is based in Nairobi and manages bureaus across Africa . The other main bureaus are based in Lagos , Cairo and Johannesburg .   The service employs a mix of Kenyan , African and other international journalists and produces Africa 's - based programming . There are about 100 employees at CCTV Africa most of them Kenyans .   With CCTV Africa the intention is to promote a better understanding of Africa in China as well as to promote a cultural connection between the people of both places . The idea is that African news is better depicted from an African perspective . CCTV focusses on politics , economy , trade and culture . Sahara International Film Festival The Sahara International Film Festival , also known as FiSahara , is an annual event which takes place in the Sahrawi refugee camps , at the South West corner of Algeria , near the border with Western Sahara . It is the only film festival in the world taking place in a refugee camp . The first three years the festival was held alternately in the Wilaya of Smara , Wilaya of Ausserd and Wilaya of El Aaiun , but since 2007 the FiSahara had stayed in the Wilaya of Dakhla . The event is backed by the Polisario Front , but largely organised and funded by donors from Spain , the former colonial power in Western Sahara , attracting support from Spanish film celebrities as Penélope Cruz , Javier Bardem and Pedro Almodóvar . This Festival is an initiative to bring film as an entertainment and cultural form to the thousands of Sahrawis whose community has lived for more than thirty years in relative isolation in the Algerian desert , being the only film festival in the world taking place in a refugee camp .  The first festival was in large part organised by Peruvian film director Javier Corcuera .   The festival has the two-fold aim of providing cultural entertainment and educational opportunities to refugees , and of raising awareness of the plight of the Sahrawi people , who have been exiled from their native Western Sahara for more than three decades . Western Sahara , `` Africa 's last colony , '' was given to Morocco and Mauritania by the Spanish when they withdrew in 1976 . The Moroccans subsequently annexed the entire territory in 1979 , in defiance of a ruling from the International Court of Justice . A sixteen-year war ensued between the Moroccans and the native Sahrawi independence movement , the Polisario Front . Under the terms of a 1991 UN ceasefire agreement , a referendum for self-determination was promised , but has been blocked by Morocco . In the meantime an estimated 165,000 refugees continue to live in four large camps in the inhospitable Algerian desert .   Home to around 30,000 refugees , Dakhla is the most remote of the camps , located 175 km away from the nearest city , Tindouf . It has no electricity or paved roads and is dependent on outside supplies of food and water .   Musicians like Fermín Muguruza , Manu Chao , Macaco , Iván Ferreiro , El Chojin or Tomasito had also performed in concerts during the festival .   In 2010 , a twinning agreement was signed between the FiSahara and the San Sebastian Human Rights Film Festival .