03/12/2024
Yay some history: 🔥🔥 True size of "Africa" y some name speculations: Greek word “aphrikē” translates as “the land that is free from cold and horror”.
Human creatures are so nomadic, Amazing how skin color and genetics change after millions of years of leaving the motherland, temperatures, amount of sun exposure, climates, so [wa]many factors. Siisii Nii Sawa (we are da same!) "fades, shades, oo huii".. then the factors of beefurr "humans" even entered this planet... but then also factor of we arent even humans but souls .. hahaha infinity lol
Let’s explore the true size of Africa. Despite common misconceptions, the African continent is vastly underestimated by most casual map viewers due to the familiar Mercator map projection, which distorts our geographical view of the world.
Here are some eye-opening facts about Africa’s dimensions:
The land area of Africa is approximately 30.37 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles).
To put this into perspective, Africa is large enough to fit in the following countries and regions combined:
United States
China
India
Japan
Mexico
Many European
Here’s a breakdown of how these countries’ land areas compare to Africa:
United States: 9.83 million sq km (32.4% of Africa)
China: 9.60 million sq km (31.6% of Africa)
India: 3.29 million sq km (10.8% of Africa)
Mexico: 1.96 million sq km (6.5% of Africa)
Peru: 1.29 million sq km (4.2% of Africa)
France: 0.64 million sq km (2.1% of Africa)
Spain: 0.51 million sq km (1.7% of Africa)
Papua New Guinea: 0.46 million sq km (1.5% of Africa)
Sweden: 0.45 million sq km (1.5% of Africa)
Japan: 0.38 million sq km (1.3% of Africa)
Germany: 0.36 million sq km (1.2% of Africa)
Norway: 0.32 million sq km (1.1% of Africa)
Italy: 0.30 million sq km (1.0% of Africa)
New Zealand: 0.27 million sq km (0.9% of Africa)
United Kingdom: 0.24 million sq km (0.8% of Africa)
Nepal: 0.15 million sq km (0.5% of Africa)
Bangladesh: 0.15 million sq km (0.5% of Africa)
Greece: 0.13 million sq km (0.4% of Africa)
Total: These combined landmasses do not even equate to the geographical footprint of Africa, which is home to 54 countries and 1.2 billion people.
So, next time you look at a map, remember that Africa’s true size is remarkable and deserves recognition! 🌍🌟
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The origin of the name “Africa” has been a subject of dispute among historians, and several theories exist regarding its etymology. Let’s explore some of these theories:
Roman Influence:
One popular belief is that the word “Africa” came from the Romans. They supposedly named the land they discovered on the opposite side of the Mediterranean after a Berber tribe living in the Carthage area (now Tunisia). These Berbers were referred to as “Afri” by the Romans, and the region was called “Afri-terra”, meaning “the land of the Afri” .
Another theory suggests that the Latin suffix “-ica” was used to denote a landmass, similar to how Celtica (a region in modern-day France) was named after the Celtae who lived there.
Jewish and Hebrew Connections:
The 1st-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus believed that the continent was named after Afer, the grandson of Abraham and a companion of Hercules. According to this theory, Afer’s descendants invaded Libya, and the Hebrew name for the continent, Auphirah, is said to be written as Ophir in many Jewish records.
Yemenite Chieftain Africus:
Legend has it that a Yemenite chieftain named Africus invaded North Africa around the second millennium BC. He supposedly founded a settlement in his newly conquered land, which he named “Afrikyah”.
Climate and Linguistic Origins:
Some historians connect the name to the continent’s climate. The Greek word “aphrikē” translates as “the land that is free from cold and horror”.
Alternatively, it might be a variation of the Roman word “aprica”, meaning “sunny”, or the Phoenician word “afar”, meaning “dust”.
Traders from modern-day India could have introduced the name, as the Sanskrit and Hindi root word “Apara” translates geographically as a place that “comes after” or to the west.
“Afru-ika”:
Historian Ivan Van Sertima proposed that the term “Afru-ika” means “birthplace” or “Motherland”. Essentially, it signifies “turning toward the opening of the Ka, womb, or birthplace”.
In recent times, some historians have debunked claims that the Greeks, Romans, Hindus, or Arabs created the name “Africa”. They argue that the Romans and Greeks started using the name only after their first contact with African people, following the Roman conquest of North Africa and Egypt and the Greek conquest of Egypt. Regardless of its origins, Africa remains a continent of unparalleled linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversity—a place that holds both ancient civilization and contemporary challenges. 🌍
