Top 10 cities of Africa facts

Cape Town. The central area of Cape Town is called City Bowl. It is enclosed by near vertical cliffs of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) high Table Mountain, and Devil's Peak and Lion's Head on either side.

Lusaka. Until 1964, Lusaka's residents were European or Asian, as Indigenous Africans were allowed to live in the city. In 1964 Zambia gained independence amd Lusaka grew rapidly due to influx of Africans. By 1969, it became the center of anti-colonial resistance for Southern Africa. The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s major anti-apartheid organization, was headquartered in Lusaka.

Kampala. The city is highly multilingual, as many Kampala residents still define themselves by their tribal roots and speak their ancestral languages. Several tribal languages are spoken widely alongside English, Swahili, and Luganda.

Dakar is located on the western edge of Africa. It grew as an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade.

Windhoek. The city name “Windhoek” is a word in Afrikaans and translates to “windy corner”.

Addis Ababa lies at an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) – making it the fourth highest capital in the world, after Andean and Himalayan capitals.

Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, but not its largest city (it is Lagos). According to the United Nations, Abuja grew at the rate of 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city in the world. Photo: Zuma Rock, just outside the city.

Tripoli. The name Tripoli means literally "Three Cities" in Greek. The city is also known as Tripoli-of-the-West (especially in Arabic world), to distinguish it from Tripoli in Lebanon.

Rabat. In 16th-18th centuries, Rabat was a reputed corsair haven. The city served as one of the many ports in North Africa for the Barbary pirates. Photo: Tour Hassan (1195), a classic example of Almohad art.

Maputo. The city flourished in the early 20th century under the Portuguese administration. In 1974, Portugal granted independence to all Portuguese overseas territories. Over 250,000 ethnic Portuguese pulled out virtually overnight, leaving Mozambique's economy and administration unmanageable. The city's economy collapsed and never fully recovered.