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'''Africa''' is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent. At about 30.3 million km² (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20.4 % of its total land area.<ref name=Sayre>Sayre, April Pulley (1999), ''Africa'', Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 0-7613-1367-2.</ref> With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. | '''Africa''' is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent. At about 30.3 million km² (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20.4 % of its total land area.<ref name=Sayre>Sayre, April Pulley (1999), ''Africa'', Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 0-7613-1367-2.</ref> With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. | ||
Africa's population is the youngest amongst all the continents;<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/17/5-ways-the-world-will-look-dramatically-different-in-2100/ Washington Post]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/njideka-u-harry/african-youth-innovation-_b_3904408.html|work=Huffington Post|first=Njideka U.|last=Harry|title=African Youth, Innovation and the Changing Society|date=11 September 2013}}</ref> the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/cpd2012/Agenda%20item%204/UN%20system%20statements/ECA_Item4.pdf|title=item,4 of the provisional agenda - General debate on national experience in population matters: adolescents and youth|work=UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA|author=ABDOULIE JANNEH|date=April 2012|accessdate=15 December 2015}}</ref> | Africa's population is the youngest amongst all the continents;<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/17/5-ways-the-world-will-look-dramatically-different-in-2100/ Washington Post]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/njideka-u-harry/african-youth-innovation-_b_3904408.html|work=Huffington Post|first=Njideka U.|last=Harry|title=African Youth, Innovation and the Changing Society|date=11 September 2013}}</ref> the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/cpd2012/Agenda%20item%204/UN%20system%20statements/ECA_Item4.pdf|title=item,4 of the provisional agenda - General debate on national experience in population matters: adolescents and youth|work=UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA|author=ABDOULIE JANNEH|date=April 2012|accessdate=15 December 2015}}</ref> [[Algeria]] is Africa's largest country by area, and [[Nigeria]] by population. Africa, particularly central Eastern Africa, is widely accepted as the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago, including ''Sahelanthropus tchadensis'', ''Australopithecus africanus'', ''A. afarensis'', ''Homo erectus'', ''Homo habilis'' and ''Homo ergaster'' – with the earliest ''Homo sapiens'' (modern human) found in [[Ethiopia]] being dated to circa 200,000 years ago.<ref>[http://web.utah.edu/unews/releases/05/feb/homosapiens.html Homo sapiens: University of Utah News Release: 16 February 2005] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024234234/http://web.utah.edu/unews/releases/05/feb/homosapiens.html |date=24 October 2007 }}</ref> Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visualgeography.com/continents/africa.html|title=Africa. General info|author=Visual Geography|accessdate=24 November 2007}}</ref> | ||
Africa hosts a large diversity of ethnicities, cultures and languages. In the late 19th century European countries colonized most of Africa. Africa also varies greatly with regard to environments, economics, historical ties and government systems. However, most present states in Africa originate from a process of decolonization in the 20th century. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist|30em}} | {{Reflist|30em}} | ||
