For a long time, the origin of the name ‘Africa’ has been a subject of much debate as historians have not been able to come to an agreement on how the continent got its name.
Africa is the second largest and most populated continent after Asia. The continent spans over 11.7 million square miles and is home to over 1.2 billion people. It boasts of an unmatched linguistic, ethnic and cultural variety. The population of Africa accounts for 16% of the world’s population yet, many people do not know what the continent was called in ancient times or what the origin of the continent’s name is
The kemetic or Alkebulan history of Africa suggests that the ancient name of the continent was Alkebulan. The word ‘Alkebu-lan’ is the oldest and only name of indigenous origin. ‘Alkebulan’ means ‘the garden of Eden’ or ‘mother of mankind’. It was used by the Moors, Nubians, Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthaginians) and Ethiopians.
The word ‘Africa’ emerged in the late 17thcentury. Initially, it was only used to refer to the northern part of the continent. Around that time, the continent had been colonized, and Europeans ruled over its people as slaves. Some say they influenced the change of name from Alkebulan to its present-day name.
Another view is that the word came from the Romans, who named the land they found on the opposite side of the Mediterranean, after a Berber tribe living in the Carthage area (now known as Tunisia). Some historians say that the word ‘Africa’ might have stemmed from the Latin word Afri, which was used to refer to the Berber tribe Aourigha.
According to Athaliah Jason, a history teacher in Angola, ‘The history of Africa is long and complex and has often been under-appreciated. Romans called the region “Afri-terra”, meaning “the land of the Afri” – the Latin suffix “ica” used to denote a landmass. There is another hypothesis that suggests that a Jewish historian named Flavius Josephus wrote the that the continent was named after the grandson of Abraham and a companion of Hercules.’
Another theory suggests that Africa was named after a Yemenite named Africus, who invaded North Africa around the second millennium BC. Legend has it that upon finding settlement in his newly conquered land, he named it ‘Afrikyah’.
Jonas Mulenga, an author and lecturer of science in the University of Botswana had this to say: ‘There are many hypotheses around the origin of the name Africa, and unfortunately none have been confirmed as accurate to date. One that stood out to me is the one that came about from the Romans and Greeks, that they named it Africa after initial interactions with African people and being of the view that it is a “birth-place” or “motherland”.’
There have also been some schools of thought that have argued that the continent of Africa was also called by many other names. These names include Ortigia; Coryphe; Libya; the Land of Ham, Ham meaning ‘dark skins’; dark or Black continent; Kingdom in the Sky; and the Land of Cush or Kesh, referring to the Cush*tes who were ancient Egyptians.
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 seven million years prior. The earliest hom*o sapiens or modern human remains found in Ethiopia, South-Africa and Morocco date to circa 233,000, 259,000 and 300,000 years ago, respectively. Africa is also considered by anthropologists to be the most genetically diverse continent as a result of being the longest inhabited.
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The origin of the name “Africa” is greatly disputed by scholars. Most believe it stems from words used by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. Important words include the Egyptian word Afru-ika, meaning “Motherland”; the Greek word aphrike, meaning “without cold”; and the Latin word aprica, meaning “sunny.”
Where does Africa get its name from? ›
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 was Africa called before it was called Africa? ›
The ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. Alkebu-lan “mother of mankind” or “garden of Eden”.” Alkebulan is the oldest and the only word of indigenous origin. It was used by the Moors, Nubians, Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthagenians), and Ethiopians.
What was Africa called in the Bible? ›
Although debates still exist among scholars as to whether Cush, as a geographical location, refers to Africa or Mesopotamia, I am of the opinion that where Cush is used in the entire Old Testament, it refers to nowhere but Africa and persons of African ancestry (Adamo 1986; 2005:14).
What does Africa mean in Hebrew? ›
One of the theories as to the origin of the name of the continent Africa is from the Phoenician afar, which is identical to the Hebrew עפר. It will often be translated as "dust", but can also refer to "earth" or "soil".
Was the Garden of Eden in Africa? ›
A study provides a window into the first 100,000 years of the history of modern humans. The real Garden Of Eden has been traced to the African nation of Botswana, according to a major study of DNA. Scientists believe our ancestral homeland is south of the Zambezi River in the country's north.
What did the Romans call Africa? ›
The Romans referred to the region as Africa terra (land of the Afri), based on the stem Afr- with the adjective suffix -ic, giving Africus, Africa, Africum in the nominative singular of the three Latin genders.
Why was Africa called dark? ›
Africa was originally dubbed the “Dark Continent” by Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who saw Africa as mysterious. Its landscapes and cultures were largely unknown to many outsiders until the late nineteenth century.
What is the old name of the country Africa? ›
| Region | Former Name | Current Name |
| Africa | Abyssinia | Ethiopia |
| Africa | Afars and Issas Territory | Djibouti |
| Africa | Basutoland | Kingdom of Lesotho |
| Africa | Bechuanaland | Republic of Botswana |
90 more rowsBefore Flora Shaw suggested the name Nigeria, other proposed names included Royal Niger Company Territories, Central Sudan, Niger Empire, Niger Sudan, and Hausa Territories.
| Elijah |
|---|
| Born | possibly Tishbe |
| Died | c. 849 BC near Jericho |
| Venerated in | Judaism Christianity Islam Druze faith |
| Feast | 20 July (Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) |
3 more rowsAt one time was Israel supposed to be located in Africa and if so would that have been a good idea given the turmoil of the years since the inception of the state? Israel was never “supposed” to be in Africa.
Does the Bible take place in Africa? ›
In the ancestral stories in Genesis of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob and his family, Egypt is a part of the setting, with these biblical characters moving in and out of Africa. But Africans are also characters in the Bible.
What was Africa's true name? ›
In Kemetic History of Afrika, Dr cheikh Anah Diop writes, “The ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. Alkebu-lan “mother of mankind” or “garden of Eden”.” Alkebulan is the oldest and the only word of indigenous origin. It was used by the Moors, Nubians, Numidians, Khart-Haddans (Carthagenians), and Ethiopians.
What does Africa literally mean? ›
suggests "Africa comes from the Latin aprica, meaning "sunny". Massey, in 1881, stated that Africa is derived from the Egyptian af-rui-ka, meaning "to turn toward the opening of the Ka." The Ka is the energetic double of every person and the "opening of the Ka" refers to a womb or birthplace.
What does Jesus mean in Africa? ›
They know him as the Great Ancestor, powerful Leader or Chief and Healer. Küster also describes the use of these titles as ways in which African Christians understand Christ (1999:59–66). These are some of the names among the many others that are used by African Christians to refer to Jesus Christ.
Was Africa called Libya? ›
Ancient scholars used the term Libya to refer to the whole of North Africa or, at times, only the inland part of that region. The coastal areas were also sometimes called Africa by ancient scribes; that is why the continent is today called Africa.
Why is Africa called South Africa? ›
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 British colonies.
What country in Africa changed its name? ›
Eswatini (/ˌɛswɑːˈtiːni/ ESS-wah-TEE-nee; Swazi: eSwatini [ɛswáˈtʼiːni]), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and also known by its former official name Swaziland (/ˈswɑːzilænd/ SWAH-zee-land) and formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa.
