International Education Week 

International Education Week celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This week, we focus on bridging the cultural and linguistic divide, exploring histories other than our own, and educating ourselves on the many attributes of each nation. Here are some fun facts from different regions around the world!

Africa is home to 54 countries and one territory. The most common spoken language is Arabic, followed by English, Swahili, and French. There are 1.1 billion people in Africa! That is 15% of the earth’s population. The longest river and the largest waterfalls can be found here, and one of the world’s oldest universities, the university of Timbuktu founded in 982 c.e.

With 48 different cultures spanning from Russia to Jordan, India to Korea, Asia is extremely diverse. Asia holds 60% of the earth’s population with over 4 billion people. There are over 2000 different languages/dialects spoken in Asia, with Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, and Hindi being the most common. Asia is home to the tallest mountain and the largest lake, and is the birthplace of medicine!

Australia is the only country-continent on earth, but holds just .40% of the earth’s population. English is the most common language followed closely by Cantonese, Vietnamese, Greek, and Italian. Home to the Great Barrier Reef and the Outback, Australia was the 2nd country to give women the right to vote back in 1902. Way to go Australia!

Europe is home to 50 countries and holds 743 million people. That’s 12% of the earth’s population! Europe is the home to several great historical periods including the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as well as the Dark Ages and Roman Era. There are 24 official languages in Europe!

North America is home to the largest freshwater lake as well as the lowest point on land. There are 23 countries in North America, and English and Spanish as the most commonly spoken languages. With 579 million people, North America holds 8% of the earth’s population!

South America is home to 40% of all plant and animal life on earth, as well as the longest mountain range and largest rain forest. With 12 countries and 422.5 million people, South America holds 6% of the earth’s population and the most common languages are Portuguese and Spanish.

Interested in sharing YOUR corner of the world with an international exchange student? Learn more about becoming a host family at: http://aspectfoundation.org/host-families.