So, an expedition has discovered the "true" source of the River Nile eh? This makes the Nile 107 km longer than its official length, starting not in Lake Victoria as originally thought but in the Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda.

That's cleared that up then!

I apologise; I'm being facetious. It is actually a huge discovery - I guess I'm just a tad jealous that someone has gotten a team together and headed off, Indiana Jones stylee, to deepest Africa in the hope of finding something amazing - and they did!

Now geography was never my strong point at school. My teacher could have been a whole lot nicer (Mr Hardy, you know who you are), but regardless of school results, I must admit to being fascinated with the layout of our planet as a whole. In particular, the geography and sheer size of Africa - it is enormous!

With this in mind, I thought I would find out just how big, pass this information on to you so you can wow your friends with your infinite knowledge of other continents.

Ready?

I'm going to write it out in full as I think it looks more impressive. It covers 11 million, two hundred and five thousand, one hundred and forty six square miles and you can fit China, the United States, India, Europe Argentina and New Zealand inside it, still leaving just over 137,000 square miles spare.

See? I told you it was big!

Africa often comes up in our household, particularly at meal times. We have explained to Joseph (our 3 year old), that there are people in the world that do not have any food to eat. This he comprehends although he struggles to understand how there are people who do not have any fresh water to drink, especially when he watches me get it from any tap in the house. Although he eats ALL foods (except pizza cheese - see yesterdays post), he does occasionally leave some on his lunch plate. After a short pause, he asks "do the children in Africa have food?" to which we inevitably reply no, they don't. He usually then finishes everything, bless him.

Annabel has a way to go before understanding any of this of course, and is happy just to extend an arm out over the side of her highchair and watch our blank expressions as she lets whatever it is that she happens to be eating at that moment drop to the floor with a thud or a splat. She particularly enjoys yelling until we pick it up for her so she can drop it all over again, chuckling to herself.

Oh Missy, just you wait until you're old enough to learn about Africa!

I do find it very sad though, that over 20 years after me watching the video footage to the Band Aid single, my children are now, in 2006, watching carbon copy scenes coming out of the television screen.

Watching these scenes now as a parent, it is almost unbearable to watch.

Keep going Bono - you are THE man!