Africa

American  

[af-ri-kuh] / ˈæf rɪ kə /

noun

1. a continent south of Europe and between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. About 11,700,000 square miles (30,303,000 square kilometers).

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Africa British  

/ ˈæfrɪkə /

noun

1. the second largest of the continents, on the Mediterranean in the north, the Atlantic in the west, and the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean in the east. The Sahara desert divides the continent unequally into North Africa (an early centre of civilization, in close contact with Europe and W Asia, now inhabited chiefly by Arabs) and Africa south of the Sahara (relatively isolated from the rest of the world until the 19th century and inhabited chiefly by Negroid peoples). It was colonized mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries by Europeans and now comprises independent nations. The largest lake is Lake Victoria and the chief rivers are the Nile, Niger, Congo, and Zambezi. Pop: 887 964 000 (2005 est). Area: about 30 300 000 sq km (11 700 000 sq miles)

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Africa Cultural  

1. The second-largest continent, after Asia; located south of Europe and bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the Indian Ocean.

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Discover More

Africa south of the Sahara is sometimes called sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa has been the home of great civilizations, particularly in Egypt (see also Egypt), along the Mediterranean Sea. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European nations colonized much of the continent (see colonialism). In the twentieth century, the colonies became independent countries.

Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit especially hard by HIV/AIDS, drastically decreasing the life expectancy of much of the population.

Etymology

Origin of Africa

See African ( def. )

Example Sentences

From the shores of West Africa to Gadsden’s Wharf, where so many first set foot on American soil in chains, they forced this nation to confront its greatest constitutional betrayal.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

Alcoa has agreed to buy South32’s bauxite, alumina and aluminum assets across Australia, Brazil and South Africa in a cash-and-stock deal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

Thiaw has been in charge of Senegal since December 2024 and was at the heart of the controversy which resulted in his side being stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

He is among hundreds of Nigerians still waiting to be evacuated from South Africa.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

After his trip to Africa, Roosevelt decided he wanted to run for president in the 1912 election.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple