Africa

The word “Africa” means the second-largest continent, bordered by the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. In plain terms, the continent south of Europe, encompassing dozens of countries and cultures.

“Africa” is pronounced AF-rih-kuh (/ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/ in IPA).

Here is “Africa” used in a sentence: “Africa is home to over 50 countries and thousands of languages.”

“Africa” is a name.

The word “Africa” comes from Latin. From Latin Africa, ultimately from Āfrī (the Latin name for inhabitants near Carthage), possibly rooted in a Berber or Phoenician word for the region.

“Africa” is a very common word in modern English.

“Africa” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the second-largest continent, bordered by the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean.

Africa is a continent, not a country — a common misunderstanding. It is the world's second largest, made up of 54 recognised independent countries, each with its own government, cultures and languages. Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa are just a few of the very different nations it contains.

Africa has 54 fully recognised sovereign countries, making it the continent with the most nations. This total is widely cited by the United Nations and the African Union. A few additional territories have disputed or partial recognition, but 54 is the standard, generally accepted figure.

Algeria, in North Africa, is the largest African country by land area, covering roughly 2.4 million square kilometres — much of it Sahara desert. By population, however, Nigeria is the largest, with well over 200 million people, far more than any other nation on the continent.

The Sahara is Africa's largest desert and the biggest hot desert on Earth, stretching across much of North Africa. Covering an area comparable to the whole United States, it spans roughly a dozen countries and separates the Mediterranean north from the greener regions further south.