In the early sixteenth century the famous medieval traveller and scholar Leo Africanus (al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazan), who had travelled across most of North Africa giving detailed accounts of all that he saw there, suggested that the name ‘Africa’ was derived from the Greek word ‘a-phrike’, meaning ‘without cold’, …
What does the name Africa mean?
Some believe that the word “Africa” is a derivation of the Greek word “aphrikē,” which translates as “the land that is free from cold and horror.” Alternatively, it could be a variation of the Roman word “aprica,” meaning sunny; or the Phoenician word “afar,” meaning dust.
What is Africa’s original name?
According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous.
Does Africa mean sunny place?
Answer 3: (a) The name ‘Africa’ has its origins in an ancient area of Tunisia called Ifriqiya which roughly translates to ‘sunny place’.
What does Africa mean in Latin?
Afri (singular Afer) was a Latin name for the inhabitants of Africa, referring in its widest sense to all the lands south of the Mediterranean (Ancient Libya). Latin speakers at first used afer as an adjective, meaning “of Africa”. As a substantive, it denoted a native of Africa; i.e., an African.
What is Africa famous for?
Africa is known for Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Nile river, and game reserves such as the Maasai Mara and Serengeti. Africa is also famous for its diverse ethnic groups, Egyptian Pyramids, the Sahara Desert, Mining, and for being the second driest, and the poorest continent in the world.
What are 5 facts about Africa?
- AFRICA IS THE SECOND LARGEST CONTINENT ON EARTH. …
- BETWEEN 1500-2000 LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN AFRICA. …
- AFRICA IS THE SOURCE OF THE WORLD’S LONGEST RIVER. …
- AFRICA IS HOME TO THE WORLD’S OLDEST UNIVERSITY. …
- THE RICHEST MAN EVER IS AFRICAN. …
- THE WORLD’S LARGEST HOTTEST DESERT IS IN AFRICA.
What did South Africa used to be called?
Name. The name “South Africa” is derived from the country’s geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation, the country was named the Union of South Africa in English and Unie van Zuid-Afrika in Dutch, reflecting its origin from the unification of four formerly separate British colonies.
Is Africa the oldest continent?
Africa is considered by most paleoanthropologists to be the oldest inhabited territory on Earth, with the human species originating from the continent. During the mid-20th century, anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago (BP=before present).
Who discovered Africa first?
Portuguese explorer Prince Henry, known as the Navigator, was the first European to methodically explore Africa and the oceanic route to the Indies.
What is the coldest country in Africa?
The tiny Kingdom of Lesotho is an exceptionally mountainous country, with the highest low point of any nation on Earth. It’s also the coldest country on the continent, with a record low of -4.7°F/ -20.4°C measured in Letseng-le-Draai in 1967.
Why is Africa hot?
Africa mainly lies within the intertropical zone between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. … Because of this geographical situation, Africa is a hot continent as the solar radiation intensity is always high.
How old is Africa?
The oldest formed about 3.4 billion years ago, the second some 3 to 2.9 billion years ago, and the third some 2.7 to 2.6 billion years ago. Some of the oldest traces of life are preserved as unicellular algae in Precambrian cherts of the Barberton greenstone belt in the Transvaal region of South Africa.
Why is Africa called the mother continent?
Africa is sometimes nicknamed the “Mother Continent” due to its being the oldest inhabited continent on Earth. Humans and human ancestors have lived in Africa for more than 5 million years.
Why is Africa called the Dark Continent?
Europeans had known quite a lot about Africa for at least 2,000 years, but because of powerful imperial impulses, European leaders began purposefully ignoring earlier sources of information. … They called Africa the Dark Continent, because of the mysteries and the savagery they expected to find in the interior.
What is the African Bible called?
Collectively, they are called the Ancient African Bible (i.e. Spiritual Literature), itself the parent of all of the world’s Bibles.