Africa is the world’s second largest and second most-populous continent, being behind Asia in both categories. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth’s total surface area and 20% of its land area.

The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — “land of the Afri” (plural, or “Afer” singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia.