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Africa straddles the equator. About half of the continent is in the north and half is in the south.
It has about 20 percent of the total land surface on Earth. That makes it the second-largest continent after Asia. The name Africa may come from aprica, the Latin word for “sunny,” or aphrike, the Greek word for “without cold,” or afar, the Phoenician word for “dust.” Each describes something of the climate and weather conditions of the continent. While the origin of its name may be uncertain, Africa’s eight geographic areas are not.
