A satellite composite image of AfricaWorld map showing Africa (geographically).Africa in the Blue marble picture, with Antarctica to the south, and the Sahara and Arabian peninsula at the top of the globe.Map of Africa 1890
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Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,300,000 km² (11,700,000 square miles) including its adjacent islands, it covers 5.9 percent of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.3 percent of the total land area. more...

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With more than 840,000,000 people as of 2005 in 61 territories, it accounts for more than 12 percent of the world's human population.

Etymology

The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — "land of the Afri" (plural, or "Afer" singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia.

The Afri were a tribe — possibly Berber — who dwelt in North Africa in the Carthage area. The origin of Afer may be connected with Phoenician `afar, dust (also found in most other Semitic languages). Some other etymologies that have been postulated for the ancient name 'Africa' that are much more debatable include:

  • the Latin word aprica, meaning "sunny";
  • the Greek word aphrike, meaning "without cold" (see also List of traditional Greek place names). The historian Leo Africanus (1495-1554) attributed the origin to the Greek word phrike (φρίκη, meaning "cold and horror"), combined with the negating prefix a-, so meaning a land free of cold and horror. However, the change of sound from ph to f in Greek is datable to about the 10th century, so this is unlikely to be the origin.

Ancient Africa lay to the west of Egypt, while "Asia" was used to refer to Anatolia and lands to the east. Originally Egypt and the Levant had an indeterminate position between these locations, though as part of the Persian empire they were sometimes absorbed in the loose concept of "Asia". A definite line was drawn between the two continents by the geographer Ptolemy (85 - 165 AD), indicating Alexandria along the Prime Meridian and made the isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea the boundary between Asia and Africa. As Europeans came to understand the real extent of the continent, the idea of Africa expanded with their knowledge.

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Mozambique 1 Escudo 1957 Toned Uncirc Portugal Coin $9.99 South Africa 1893 1 shilling $0.99
Angola km 81 - 5 escudos 1972 $0.99 Congo 2003 Killer Whale 10 Fr Colour Silver Coin,Proof $69.00
Katanga 1 Franc 1961 banana coin $0.99 20 1978 Krugerrand Mini Gold Coins Lot Of 20*Plus Gold* $6.95
Congo 2005 Pomfret 10 Francs Colour Silver Coin,Proof $69.00 1 Egypt One-Pound Coin~Egyptian King Tut Gold Mask! Unc $0.01
Morocco Rial Ah1329 Pa 1908 Silver Vf+ $37.99 South Africa km 59 - 5 cents 1964 $0.99
West African States 100 Franks Coin 1969 Xf $0.99 Malawi 2003 Silver Proof Crown 'Eland Antelope' $14.93
1912 Morocco 5 Mazunas - Uncirculated? Scarce Wow! $0.99 Congo 2005 Snapper 10 Francs Colour Silver Coin,Proof $69.00
Egypt 20 Piastres Silver Crown 1937 Ch Bu Scarce Farouk $24.99 Portuguese Guinea 5 Centavos 1933 Guine! $0.99
Congo 2003 Dolphin 10 Francs Colour Silver Coin,Proof $69.00 One Coin King Tut From Egypt $0.50
Lot (2 Coins) Botswana 2007 1 Pula (Km24) Au/Unc *Zebra $0.99 1962 St. Thomas & Prince 20 Centavos -~ Unc $9.50
Tunisia, Abdul Mejid, 2 Kharub, Ah 1272-1855Ad, Xf $40.00 Ghana 1 Pesewa Coin 1975 Unc $0.99
Tanzania km 4 - 1 shilingi 1990 $0.99 Morocco 20 Francs Ah 1347,Silver Very Nice Condition $19.00
Mozambique 4 Diff 1954-74 Coin Collection Lot W Old $0.80 Cape Verde 50 Centavos 1930 Cabo Verde Portugal $0.99
1982 Gold Krugerrand Pcgs Pr69 1/10 oz Very Rare $0.99 Congo 2003 Hawksbill 10 Francs Colour Silver Coin,Proof $69.00
Portuguese Angola Ii Macutas 1927 (10 Centavos) $0.99 1964 South Africa Silver Proof Set 7 Pcs & Case $1.00
1961 South Africa 20 Cents Silver - Ultra Gem Monster! $0.99 1975 Tanzania 20 Senti Ostrich Almost Uncirculated+ $1.50
South Africa Mahatma Gandhi 1 Rand 2008 Bu silver $49.00 Angola km 77 - 2 1/2 escudos 1969 $0.99
Uganda km 28 - 2 shillings 1987 $0.99 Congo 2005 Angel Fish 10 Francs Color Silver Coin,Proof $69.00
Nigeria km 13.2 - 50 kobo 1993 $0.99 Mozambique 1 Escudo Coins 1957 $0.99
1984 St. Helena 50 Pence ~ Proof $19.50 Zambia km 10a - 2 ngwee 1983 $0.99
Tunisia, 8 Kharub, Ah1281-1864,aXf $18.00 Portugal Angola Iiii Macutas 1928 (20 Centavos) $0.99
Tunisia, 2 Kharub, Ah1289-1872, F+ $4.00 Trade Dollar 1997 2-Coin Hong Kong Returns to China Set $25.58
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See also...
Egypt, Africa, Coins: World
Other, Africa, Coins: World
South Africa, Africa, Coins: World

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