Africa is the world's second-largest continent, home to 54 countries and over 1.4 billion people. It sits south of Europe, connected to Asia by a thin strip of land in Egypt, and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the east.

Africa contains an extraordinary diversity of landscapes: the vast Sahara Desert stretching across the north, tropical rainforests near the equator, sweeping grasslands called savannas where lions and elephants roam, and even snow-capped mountains near the equator like Mount Kilimanjaro. The Nile River, Earth's longest river, flows north through Africa for over 4,000 miles.

This is where human beings first evolved millions of years ago, making Africa the birthplace of humanity. Ancient African civilizations like Egypt, Kush, and Great Zimbabwe built remarkable monuments and trading empires. Today, Africa's people speak over 2,000 different languages and practice countless cultural traditions, from the Maasai herders of East Africa to the ancient musical traditions of West Africa that influenced jazz and blues.

When someone describes something as African, they're referring to this vast continent, though it's important to remember that Africa contains incredible variety. Saying “African culture” is like saying “Asian culture”: both continents are far too diverse to describe with one label.