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Why is Africa called Africa?

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There are a bunch of theories to the origin of Africa's name. After the Romans defeated Carthage (current day Tunisia), they called their new province Africa after the native tribe there, Afri. read more

After the Romans defeated Carthage (current day Tunisia), they called their new province Africa after the native tribe there, Afri. There is also an alternate theory that it came from a Phoenician word afar, meaning dust together with the Latin suffix -ica, sometimes used to refer to land, thus the land of dust - given its hot, desert-like climate. read more

Over the years, people have given lots of reasons for why Africa was called the Dark Continent. Many people think it's racist but can't say why, and the common belief that the phrase just referred to Europe's lack of knowledge about Africa makes it seem out-dated, but otherwise benign. read more

Henry Morton Stanley used the term “Dark Continent” to build a mysterious allure around his travels in an effort to sell more books. However, the phrase entered European vernacular as a way to paint Africa as a wild, savage, untamed land. read more

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