Why is Africa called the Black Continent? Find out the 4 reasons here

Illustration - Map of the African continent called the Dark Continent (Photo: Pixabay/Wikilmages)

YOGYAKARTA - Why is the African continent called the dark continent (dark continent)? The answer to this question generally leads to the ignorance of Europeans about the African continent in the 19th century. However, the answer turned out to be not right.

This is because Europeans have known the African continent for 2,000 years, as quoted from the Historical Africa Cultural Senter page.

Why is Africa called the black continent?

Summarized from various sources, the following are the various reasons why the African continent is called the Black Continent:

The Narrative of Discovery by the European Nations

The term Black Continent was first popularized by a British explorer named Henry M. Stanley. He used titles such as Through the Dark Continent and In Darkest Africa as a strategy to attract readers. The title seems to describe Africa as an unknown territory, although Stanley himself admitted that he had studied about 130 books about Africa before his expedition.

During the Enlightenment, Europeans began to implement new standards and technologies in mapping. Because they were less confident in the accuracy of certain geographical locations, they removed lakes, mountains, and cities in Africa from widely circulated maps.

European explorers such as Burton, Livingstone, Speke, and Stanley later conducted expeditions to the deleted areas with the help of local African guides. Although these places have long been known by the local population, European explorers are considered to be the "discoverers" of mountains, rivers, and kingdoms in Africa based on new European standards.

In fact, long before the arrival of the Europeans, African kingdoms had been trading with the Middle East and Asia for about two millennia. Europe's early image of Africa also drew heavily on maps and travel notes from Muslim traders and explorers, such as Ibn Battuta.

For the record, Ibn Battuta traveled across the Sahara Desert and the northern and eastern coastal regions of Africa in the 14th century. In fact, European maps before the era of major expeditions already contained quite detailed information about Africa, although direct European knowledge was still limited to the coastal areas until the 19th century.

Perceptions about Africa's Climate and Environment

The European nation's expedition did produce new knowledge about Africa. However, the exploration also gave birth to various stereotypes that strengthened the term the Dark Continent.

Africa is considered a Black Continent because European colonizers believed that its climate could damage the mental and physical condition of humans. Its forests are considered uninhabitable, filled with wild animals, and its rivers are considered dangerous because of the many crocodiles.

The combination of limited facts and the myths that developed made Africa portrayed as a dangerous region, full of diseases, and having a high death rate. This view is further strengthened through the works of European writers such as Joseph Conrad and W. Somerset Maugham who describe Africa as an area with a harsh and unfriendly climate.

Views on Work Ethic and Religious Mission

The term Black Continent is also related to negative perceptions of African people's behavior. Since the late 18th century, the British have judged African people to be lazy, involved in the slave trade, and reluctant to convert.

After British abolitionists succeeded in abolishing the practice of slavery on African plantations, a new problem arose. Many Africans refused to work again because the wages offered were very low.

On the other hand, European missionaries also failed in their attempts to spread the religion for decades. This failure was then interpreted as a sign that African people have hearts that are "locked in darkness".

Stereotypes about African Culture and Women

Africa was also labeled as the Dark Continent due to the biased views of European explorers and academics on the local culture. One of them was expressed by geographer Lucy Jarosz, who described Africa as an ancient and wild region, like a reptile.

In this view, African women were considered in need of being "educated" and "civilized" by European men through science, religion, civilization, trade, and colonialism. This view reflects the colonial mindset that places European culture as the main benchmark for civilization.

That is the explanation of why the African continent is called the Black Continent. Hopefully it can add to the reader's insight. to get updates on other featured news, keep reading VOI.id.