Melania Trump recently wrapped up her first solo trip as the First Lady of the U.S, which saw her visit Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. Her tour was seen by many as an attempt to improve her image and somehow improve African's negative perception about the Trump administration. Here, we delve a bit deeper into the countries she visited:
Kenya
Kenya is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the continent. It's warm and humid coastline, abundant flora and fauna, temperate savannah grasslands and incredibly diverse wildlife make for an attractive tourist destination. In 2015, the country was voted as the world’s leading safari destination at the World Travel Awards. Some of its most renowned safari destinations are the Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Park. On the downside, Kenya is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and has been rebuked over the years for its intolerance to homosexual acts.
Interesting fact: Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical freshwater lake.
Egypt
With a heritage tracking back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE, Egypt has amoung the longest histories of any country in the world. Often regarded as the cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt is said to have been home to "some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government". Today, Egypt has a developed energy market based on coal, oil, natural gas and hydro power. Its tourism sector is booming, attracting over 13 million visitors a year and employing over 13% of Egypt's workforce.
Interesting fact: The Egyptians invented the 365-days a year calendar.
Ghana
Ghana, which was the final leg of Trump's tour, has one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent, with its democratic political system making it a regional powerhouse. It has a history of leading the continent with regards to technological advancements: In 1992 Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to launch a cellular mobile network and it was one of the first countries in Africa to be connected to the internet.
Interesting fact: Ghana was ranked as Africa's most peaceful country by the Global Peace Index.
Malawi
Formerly known as Nyasaland, the Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name of the Nyanja people that inhabit the area. The country is also nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa". Although it is among the world's least-developed countries, Malawi has a fast-growing education sector that's dedicated to research and development.
Interesting fact: Lake Malawi takes up about a third of Malawi's area.