Africa

IPA/ˈafɹɪkə/
KK[ˈæfrəkɑ]IPA/ˈæfrəkɑː/

Africa — noun

1. the world's second-largest landmass, lying directly below Europe and joined to A

1.nounA2
Definition

the world's second-largest landmass, lying directly below Europe and joined to Asia at the Sinai Peninsula; it includes 54 countries such as Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the east.

Example

Tariq saved money for two years to go on a wildlife safari in Africa.

preposition pattern: in Africa

The Sahara Desert covers a huge part of northern Africa.

regional reference: northern / southern / west Africa

Common collocations
  • in Africa
  • across Africa
  • throughout Africa
  • sub-Saharan Africa
  • North Africa
  • West Africa
  • East Africa
  • Southern Africa

Grammar Patterns

in Africa

across Africa

from Africa

Usage Note

Always capitalised and used without 'the' (say 'in Africa', not 'in the Africa'). Distinguish from 'African' (the adjective: African elephants, African music) and 'Africans' (the people).

Common Mistakes

I want to visit the Africa next year.
I want to visit Africa next year.
continent names take no article in English.
She is from Africa country called Ghana.
She is from an African country called Ghana.
use the adjective 'African' before another noun.
africa is very large.
Africa is very large.
proper nouns must be capitalised.

Word family

  • African
    adjectiveA2
  • African
    nounA2
  • Africans
    nounA2
  • Afro-
    prefixC1
  • Pan-African
    adjectiveC1

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Africa's coastline
  • Africa's wildlife
  • Africa's population
  • the people of Africa
  • the map of Africa

Phrases

  • sub-Saharan Africa
  • North Africa
  • the Horn of Africa
  • the heart of Africa
  • all over Africa

Prepositions

  • in Africa
  • across Africa
  • from Africa
  • throughout Africa
  • to Africa

Etymology

Phoenician/BerberLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The English name 'Africa' came into the language through Latin, where 'Africa terra' meant 'land of the Afri' — Afri being a people who lived near ancient Carthage in what is now Tunisia. The Romans first applied the label to a small province in north-west Africa, and over time the name spread to cover the whole continent. The deeper origin of 'Afri' is debated: some scholars link it to a Phoenician word for dust, others to a Berber tribal name.