why do so many people think that africa is a country?

Question

When its a continent containing many countries.

Answer 1

Because you should never underestimate the stupidity of the general public.

Answer 2

Thank you for verbalising a question I often ask myself! I find it absolutely incredible how many people seem to think it. I wonder if the fact that South Africa is called that, it makes people think that the whole apartheid thing and the coming to power of the ANC was something happening in some regional authority or something? - After all, perhaps if you're really ignorant, turn away whenever a map of the world is nearby and are only interested in your two weeks holiday in Torremelinos (spelling?)or Ibiza you hear 'South Africa' and think of it in terms of the division between North and South in England falling at Watford Gap? I wonder if these people even know that when they venture further afield - to Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt - that they're actually in Africa? Its a scary world we live in where people don't know anything about the geography of the world past their own front door. Makes you wonder whether the internet, communications and campaigns really do reach anyone and bring value to their lives. - I mean if people don't pick up on the fact that Africa is a continent when we have news about problems in individual African countries, or the Make Poverty History campaign and all what will it take for them to ever understand?

Answer 3

Because people do not realize that. When you say 'Africa' they assume that it is a country. I mean, Australia is considered BOTH, but, we are talking about one of the largest continents out there.
I guess people do not realize on how big of a continent Africa is or they never really paid attention in geography.

Answer 4

Because there don't know any thing about it, Africa its a continent containing many greatest and super power countries like Nigeria.

Answer 5

I agree... africa is a continent with loads of countries in it

Answer 6

Because of the commonality between the countries within, and the fact that it is referred to as parts of Africa are referred to as African more often than Asian countries are refered to as Asian.

You might talk about the east, the middle east, eastern europe, western europe or the west.

This is because of the percieved socialogical differences between these areas. These probably do exist between african countries, but as far as the media reports, there are many common factors, leaving us ignorant to any distinction. There for we don't distinguish.

Answer 7

General ignorance...but consider this: What if Africa WERE a country built of many states and united in its purpose and direction. Hm?

Answer 8

Very true. Should blacks in the US be calling themselves African-Americans?

Shouldn't it be -Americans and not -Americans?

Though I think once someone is living here, they should a legal citizen and then they should just be an American.

Answer 9

none of the people where i come from think tht africa is a country, maybe the people you know are referring to south africa, yes thts a country.

Answer 10

People are ignorant and think that Africa has no standing in the world. When they think Africa, they think lions roaming the streets and that Africans ride elephants and giraffes to school.

Answer 11

Same reasons US Citizens are refered to as Americans, as if there wasn't South America. We're just too stoopid.