Africa explained to kids

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.3 million km² (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.3 billion people as of 2018, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. Africa's average population density is the highest of any continent, at over 55 people per km² (142 per square mile). The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. Africa's documented history begins with the first recorded Egyptian dynasties around 3100 BCE. African nations cooperate through the establishment of the African Union, which is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Africa is the world's poorest and most underdeveloped continent, with an estimated per capita income of less than US $200 per year in many countries. Africa is home to about 16% of the world's population, but contains over 30% of the world's disease burden. The continent also has the world's youngest population, with a median age of just 19.7 years.