Africa is the world’s second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. With over 1.3 billion people, it accounts for approximately 16% of the world’s human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
But what was Africa originally called before it was named ‘Africa’? This is a question that has fascinated historians and scholars for centuries. Africa is home to some of the oldest civilizations and human inhabitation sites in the world, with fossil evidence dating back millions of years. However, recorded history in Africa largely begins with the pharaonic civilization of Ancient Egypt around 3100 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans knew Africa as multiple lands they traded with or conquered, but did not have a name for the continent as a whole. So when was the name ‘Africa’ first used and what did it mean?
Etymology of ‘Africa’
The word ‘Africa’ has its origins in ancient Greek and Latin. The Greeks referred to Africa as ‘Libya’ while the Romans used the name ‘Africa terra’ meaning ‘Land of the Afri’. The origin of the name Afri is less clear, but is believed to be from a Berber tribe inhabiting parts of ancient Carthage (modern day Tunisia). Other theories suggest the name comes from the Phoenician word ‘afar’ meaning ‘dust’, or the Akkadian word ‘pharika’ meaning ‘grain’. Regardless of the exact etymology, ‘Africa’ as applied to the whole continent was popularized by the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Early History and Names for Africa
The earliest recorded use of the name ‘Africa’ to refer to the whole continent comes from Roman author Pliny the Elder. In his famous Natural History encyclopedia written around 70 AD, he writes:
“Africa, from the Afri people who dwell along the coast, was originally called Libya…this name later was limited to the territory between Cyrenaica and Egypt, along the sea… Then the name Africa prevailed, since the Africans had become well known through the Romans’ contact with Carthage.”
So while Pliny understood Africa had other names prior, he states the Romans popularized ‘Africa’ following the Punic Wars with Carthage in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. However, even to the ancient Greeks and Romans, Africa was seen as distinct lands identified with different local tribes or city-states.
Pre-Greek and Roman Names for Parts of Africa
- Kush – Ancient Nubian civilization in modern day Sudan
- Punt – Ancient kingdom located in coastal region of Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia
- Ta Seti – Ancient Nubian counterpart kingdom to Kush
- Yam – West African kingdom based in modern Nigeria
- Carthage – Phoenician colony located in modern Tunisia
- Aksum – Ethiopian kingdom in Horn of Africa region
- Meroe – Upper region of ancient Nubia
These are some of the notable ancient names for parts of Africa prior to the widespread use of the name ‘Africa’ for the continent as a whole by the Greeks and Romans. Many other local tribal names were likely used as well.
Africa Called ‘Ethiopia’ by Ancient Greeks
The ancient Greeks had their own name for Africa south of their colony of Cyrene in Libya – Ethiopia. The term ‘Ethiopia’ comes from the Greek meaning ‘of burned face’, likely a reference to the darker skin tones of inland Africans as opposed to lighter north African regions closer to the Mediterranean. Homer and other Greek writers use Ethiopia to refer to all of sub-Saharan Africa in their texts.
“…Jupiter followed today by all the gods to Ethiopia for a twelve-day feast, then back to Olympus…” – Homer, Iliad
Over time ‘Ethiopia’ became more associated with the region around Nubia and modern day Ethiopia, while Africa became the common name for the whole continent.
Earliest Recorded Exploration of Africa by Europeans
While the Greeks and Romans wrote about and traded with parts of North Africa, the first recorded exploration deep into sub-Saharan Africa comes from the 9th century Moorish writer Al-Yaqubi. In his Book of Countries, he describes an expedition in 872 AD by sailors from Lisbon down the coast of Africa, reaching as far as modern day Nigeria before turning back. These may represent the first European encounters with sub-Saharan Africans. Al-Yaqubi refers to the continent by the name ‘Al-Faranja’, derived from the Arabic word for territory.
The Middle Ages – Africa and European Mapmakers
During the European Middle Ages, Africa increasingly appears on maps and portolan charts, often referred to as ‘Ethiopia’ south of the Sahara. Famous cartographers and mapmakers such as the Arabs al-Idrisi and Ibn Said, and the Jewish mapmaker Abraham Cresques began portraying the basic contours of Africa on their maps centuries before European maritime exploration. The shape of Africa becomes well-defined, if the interior largely remains unexplored territory with few details beyond the coasts. ‘Africa’ begins appearing more commonly on maps, alongside ‘Ethiopia’ during the later medieval period.
The Age of Exploration
By the 15th and 16th centuries CE during the Age of Exploration, Africa appears on European maps clearly defined and referred to commonly as ‘Africa’. This includes the 1507 map by Martin Waldseemuller where ‘Africa’ is now applied to the entire southern landmass. The exploration of Africa by the Portuguese begins in earnest during this time, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and charting sub-Saharan Africa’s coasts. ‘Africa’ becomes the undisputed name used in maps and accounts of the continent by the mid 16th century and onwards.
Conclusion
While Africa was host to advanced ancient civilizations for thousands of years, the name ‘Africa’ originated with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Local tribal names were more common prior, as well as Greek and Roman terms like ‘Libya’ and ‘Ethiopia’ to refer to parts of northern and sub-Saharan Africa respectively. It was not until the European Age of Exploration from the 15th century onwards that ‘Africa’ became the universally accepted name for the continent as a whole. This followed increased maritime contact and mapping by Europeans, popularizing the name Africa used since antiquity.