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

The consequences of South Korea's failure, ultimately caused by a shock defeat by South Africa in their final match, have been huge.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

So when Africa performed so poorly in Russia, justification for giving the continent another four places appeared to be weak.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

We need an economical method of desalinating ocean water and transporting it over long distances to arid regions of the planet such as North Africa, the Middle East, Central Australia and the Western U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

For Africa it is cause for celebration, while Asia is left to reflect on failure.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

Like the lion in Africa, the jaguar is the king of the South American jungle, and the American Museum of Natural History wanted one for its collection.

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