Afrikkaa

Afrikkaa is the Finnish grammatical form used when referring to Africa as an object in a sentence; the nominative form is Afrikka. In a global context, Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent, spanning a wide range of geographies and cultures.

Geography and environment: Africa encompasses deserts, savannas, rainforests, and coastal zones, from the Sahara in the north to the Congo Basin and tropical belts in central Africa, and to southern Africa’s savannas and highlands. The continent contains diverse ecosystems and abundant natural resources, including minerals, oil, and arable land.

Population and languages: Africa is home to roughly 1.4 billion people, representing a vast mosaic of ethnic groups and languages. Major language families include Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Khoisan. Common lingua francas include Swahili, Arabic, French, English, Portuguese, and Amharic, with hundreds of languages spoken across regions.

History: Africa has a long recorded history with ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Aksum, and various empires in West and Central Africa. The era of European colonization in the 19th and 20th centuries reshaped borders and societies, while many countries achieved independence in the mid-to-late 20th century and have since developed diverse political and economic systems.

Politics and economy: Africa comprises 54 recognized sovereign states and several dependencies. The African Union coordinates regional cooperation, peacekeeping, and development efforts. Economies range from resource-based sectors to agriculture, manufacturing, and services, with rapid urbanization and ongoing infrastructure development.

Culture and challenges: The continent holds rich cultural traditions, religions, music, and art. Development challenges include poverty, disease, conflict, and climate vulnerability, but Africa also shows considerable growth potential and ongoing social and economic transformations.