Why is africa called the dark continent?

Europeans didn't call Africa the Dark Continent only because they didn't know much about it. Slavery, missionaries, racism, and savagery were factors. read more

Race does lie at the heart of this myth, but it not about skin color. The myth of the Dark Continent referred to the savagery Europeans said was endemic to Africa, and even the idea that its lands were unknown came from erasing centuries of pre-colonial history, contact, and travel across Africa. read more

Africa is a dark continent because of the history that lies within in. This history is built on European Expansion in the form of "imperialism.". It is a dark continent because of the Europeans pitting African against African in something known as the Slave Trade. read more

During the middle of the 19th century, Africa was referred to as the "Dark Continent," because little was known about the mysterious land itself. The term "Dark Continent" was most likely used for the first time by United States explorer and journalist Henry Stanley. read more