History Main / AfricaIsACountry

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Zig-zagged with ''ComicBook/{{Batwing}}'' in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison''. David Zavimbe is introduced as specifically operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but is also referred to as "the Batman of Africa", and appears to be the only ''ComicBook/{{Batman Incorporated|2010}} representative on the entire continent. By contrast, there are three members based in the UK: ComicBook/KnightAndSquire, and the Hood, while the US has almost the entire "core" Bat-Family, plus Man-of-Bats and Raven Red.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Zig-zagged with ''ComicBook/{{Batwing}} in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison''. David Zavimbe is introduced as specifically operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but is also referred to as "the Batman of Africa", and appears to be the only ''ComicBook/{{Batman Incorporated|2010}} representative on the entire continent. By contrast, there are three members based in the UK: ComicBook/KnightAndSquire, and the Hood, while the US has almost the entire "core" Bat-Family, plus Man-of-Bats and Raven Red.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: Wondy once tracked a group of Nazis hiding in Africa, and then told Steve to fly her plane to her, in "Africa" as though this was a useful descriptor of her location. He found her very shortly after arriving, though he did seem to think it was a bit ridiculous for her to think he'd just run into her. The natives are also depicted very poorly, in an unfortunate reflection of what was socially acceptable at the time it was published.
* Zig-zagged with Batwing in ''ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison''. David Zavimbe is introduced as specifically operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but is also referred to as "the Batman of Africa", and appears to be the only Batman Incorporated representative on the entire continent. By contrast, there are three members based in the UK: Knight, Squire, and the Hood, while the US has almost the entire "core" Bat-Family, plus Man-of-Bats and Raven Red.

Remember, Administrivia/TropesAreTools. Since Africa is home to so many cultures, languages and countries, some creators might want to simplify things if the continent doesn't play a large role in their work. That being said, creators should do a little extra research instead of generalizing a whole continent full of people they don't know much about.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* In the 1998 racing game ''VideoGame/{{Cruisn}} World'', most of the tracks are named after specific cities, states, or countries, except the savannah-themed track just called "Africa." What makes this particularly baffling is that there is also an Egypt track despite also being in Africa. The developers must have realized how ignorant this sounded, because when the game was ported to the Nintendo 64, "Africa" was appropriately renamed Kenya.

[[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The other wiki]] includes this trope in its list of African stereotypes. Subtrope of GlobalIgnorance. Compare InterchangeableAsianCultures and {{Mayincatec}}, where Asian and Native American cultures are treated similarly. AncientGrome and {{Scotireland}} are where European sub-cultures are mixed for the sake of ease rather than stereotypes. {{Spexico}} is where Spain and Mexico (and by extension, other Hispanic countries) are seen as one and the same. See also DarkestAfrica, where the entire continent is depicted as a dark and mysterious place, and {{Bulungi}}, a fictitious African country which incorporates many of the same stereotypes. Often linked to DevelopingNationsLackCities when Africa is just seen as rural and poor with no metropolis area.

* In the 1998 racing game ''VideoGame/{{Cruisn}} World''--sequel to 1996's ''Cruis'n USA''--most of the tracks are named after specific cities, states, or countries, except the savannah-themed track just called "Africa." What makes this particularly baffling is that there is also an Egypt track despite also being in Africa. The developers must have realized how ignorant this sounded, because when the game was ported to the Nintendo 64, "Africa" was appropriately renamed Kenya.

* In the 1998 racing game ''VideoGame/{{Cruisn}} World''--sequel to 1996's ''Cruis'n USA''--most of the tracks are named after specific cities, states, or countries, but the savannah-themed track just called "Africa." What makes this particularly baffling is that there is also Egypt as a track, despite also being in Africa. The developers must have realized how ignorant this sounded, because when the game was ported to the Nintendo 64, "Africa" was appropriately renamed Kenya.

* A 1980s boxing video game featured 8 culturally-stereotypical opponents, ranging from 'Ravioli Mafiosi' from Italy, to 'Andra Puncheredov' from the USSR, to 'Tribal Trouble' from Africa. This is especially embarassing as the game in question is Frank Bruno's Boxing, licensed by a British boxer of Jamaican and Dominican parentage.

When a work's protagonists visit the continent, they'll often refer to it just as "Africa" instead of naming any particular country. The large collection of cultures in Africa might be stereotyped and crudely amalgamated. Sometimes, the Africans shown in-universe might all be living in villages or mud-huts; other times, they're all suffering from famines and war-torn landscapes. In the worst-case scenarios, Africa [[ValuesDissonance might not even be depicted as having intelligent or innovative societies]], lacking "civilized" things such as businesses or modern technologies.

Even people of African descent can fall victim to this trope. Many members of the African diaspora are far-removed from their ancestors' cultures, and therefore may have more Western conceptions (or misconceptions) of the continent. [[note]]A common example has been the erroneous usage of Swahili, a language from Eastern Africa that has since become somewhat of the official language of pan-Africanism, despite most African-Americans being descendants of West African groups.[[/note]] In fact, the very term "African-American" became so much more prevalent than "European-American" for white Americans in part because of this trope. While European-Americans are usually well aware of which European country their ancestors came from and thus are more likely to call themselves "Irish-American", "German-American" etc, the descendants of slaves usually only know their ancestors were abducted or purchased from ''somewhere'' in Africa.

Though this has become a DiscreditedTrope, it still occasionally comes into play due to cultural ignorance and Africa's relatively small amount of representation in mass media. Longstanding racism and xenophobia from foreigners, not to mention widespread instability (or the perception thereof) across the continent, mean that much of Africa is rarely visited by Westerners, perpetuating its status as an eternally unstable "country".

Christ, there's a book about this somewhere. Right?

"Where in Africa?" you ask? Well... ''Africa''.

It's just one big country, right? [[NationalStereotypes/{{Africa}} Full of starving, black children?]]

"Where in Africa?" you might ask? Well... ''Africa''. It's just one big country, right? [[NationalStereotypes/{{Africa}} Full of starving black children?]]

Christ there's a book about this somewhere. Right?

* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'': Episode 4 revolved around a catastrophe occurring in Africa so horrible that no one survives. The show refers to specific European and Asian countries but refers to Africa as "Africa". Mud-Hut stereotypes were also present in the episode. Especially glaring since the comics and other animated series are specific about Storm's origins being Kenya.

* ''Anime/PersiaTheMagicFairy'' states that Persia was born and raised "in Africa", hence her WildChild behaviour. It does specify that she was brought up in the Serengeti plains (which is East Africa), but that can mean multiple different countries. The anime also states that Persia is more inclined to "African culture" instead of her ethnically Japanese culture.

* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'': Episode 4 revolved around a catastrophe occurring in Africa so horrible that no one survives. The show refers to specific European and Asian countries but refers to Africa as "Africa". Mud-Hut stereotypes were also present in the episode.

* At [[Ride/WaltDisneyWorld Epcot]]'s World Showcase, the treatment of Africa seems to come off like this. The only African country with a pavilion dedicated to it is UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}, a North African, Muslim nation. The rest of the continent is represented solely by a small "African-themed" snack stand called The Outpost, a [[TheArtifact remnant]] from unused plans for a cancelled "Equatorial Africa" pavilion proposal, located between the China and Germany pavilions.

* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'': In one episode, Drew Carey called Africa a great country. Creator/GregProops responds "It's also a ''continent'' if you're a geographer!" The contestants turned it into a RunningGag for the rest of the episode.

* ''Series/BoneKickers'': This attitude makes up a big part of "Warriors", despite trying (emphasis on ''trying'') to show the team's respect and sympathy for the bodies of slaves they find ([[ArtisticLicenceHistory from ten years after Britain outlawed slavery]]), they act like the continent has a single culture talking about returning the bodies to "Africa", and performing a what is supposedly traditional funeral dance without doing anything to determine if its applicable to these people (or even one of them). WebVideo/DiamandaHagan ripped them apart for this in her review.

* Subverted in season 6 of ''Series/Snowfall''. Leon originally says he wants to 'move to Africa'. He later goes to Ghana, where he learns about the history and politics of the country.

* Happens quite a lot in ''Anime/{{Daltanious}}''. According to Earl, Beralios and Meralion were brought "from Africa" to Helios at the behest of the Emperor and in an early episode, Kento offers to take Ochame to Africa so that she can see all their exotic animals. Keep in mind the anime also mentions Japan and America as countries in a similar manner.

* In the Rescue Aid Society meeting in ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuers'', a group of mice sit at desks with the names of individual countries on them. One brown mouse with an Afro hairdo has an "Africa" name plate in front of her.

* The 1950 adaptation of ''Literature/KingSolomonsMines'' was notable for being filmed on-location in Africa...in multiple countries. Scenes were shot in Kenya (east), DRC (central), Uganda (east-central) and Tanganyika (also east). Presumably the characters move from the east to the centre but it's never specified ''where'' in Africa this story is taking place. Notably the original book was quite specific; Allan Quartermain lives in South Africa (the city of Durban in fact) and their destination is in the Democratic Republic of Congo - and the fictional Kukuana people do resemble many southern African cultures.

* At [[Ride/WaltDisneyWorld Epcot]]'s World Showcase, the treatment of Africa seems to come off like this. The only African country with a pavilion dedicated to it is UsefulNotes/{{Morocco}}, a North African, Muslim nation. The rest of the continent is represented solely by a small "African-themed" snack stand called The Outpost, a[[TheArtifact remnant]] from unused plans for a cancelled "Equatorial Africa" pavilion proposal, located between the China and Germany pavilions.