one of the four principal divisions of the earth. earth; divided from Europe on the N. by the Mediterranean sea; from America on the W. by the Atlantic ocean; from the countries towards the south-pole, by the Great South-sea; from the island of Madagascar in the E. by the Mozambique channel; and from Asia also on the E. by the Red-sea. It is also joined to Asia by a narrow neck of land betwixt the Mediterranean and Red-sea, called the isthmus of Suez: Hence Africa is a peninsula somewhat resembling a pyramid, whose base from Tangier to the isthmus of Suez is about 2000 miles; its perpendicular, from the vertex at the cape of Good Hope to Buria, 3500 miles; and from cape Verd, to cape Guard a Fuil, it is 3500. The situation of this quarter on the globe is betwixt 35° S. and 36° N. lat. and betwixt 17° 35' W. and 53° 21' E. long. Hence it lies, for the most part, within the tropics; by which means, in many places, the heat is almost insupportable. Along the coasts, it is in general reckoned abundantly fruitful, and its produce excellent. The Romans very justly considered Africa as the patria farrum, for there is no other place breeds the number or the variety. In this quarter there are several deserts, some of them of vast extent, covered with sand, by which whole caravans have been sometimes smothered. The principal rivers are the Nile and the Niger, the first of which disemboques itself into the Mediterranean, after traversing Abyssinia, Nubia, and Egypt; and the last into the Atlantic ocean, by a western course from Upper Ethiopia. Geographers are not yet agreed about the sources of either of these rivers; according to some, their sources are not far distant from each other. There are some mountains in Africa remarkably high, particularly in Abyssinia and Barbary, in which last is the famous mount Atlas, which separates Barbary from Biledulgerid. The prevailing religions here, are Mahometanism and Paganism: Christianity only takes place among the Abyssinians and European settlements. The government in Africa is in general despotic, and the inhabitants black. In the division, geographers have gone variously to work; we shall confine ourselves to the more general, viz. Egypt, Barbary, Guinea, Congo, Cafraria, Abyssinia, Nubia, and Nigritia, with the islands that surround it; for which, see these articles.

Africa, is also a considerable sea-port town of Barbary, about seventy miles S. of Tunis.

Africa, Afrique, is likewise a small town of France, situated in the province of Gacony, and generality of Montauban.

AFRICAN company, a society of merchants, established by King Charles II. for trading to Africa; which trade is now laid open to all his majesty's subjects, paying 10 per cent. for maintaining the forts.