It seems almost everyone grossly underestimates the relative size the African continent in comparison to the rest of the world. Few folks understand you can put the continental United States into Africa three times and still have some space to spare. In fact, 12 of the worlds major nations will fit over the continent of Africa.

This was really made clear in 2014 during the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa. Suddenly there was a panic to avoid Africa when the actual health impact of Ebola on 99% of the continent was zero. (Take a look at the 2014 No Ebola Map. Sadly, this panic did have significant economic impact that was unnecessary.

I would also encourage you to look at a graphic prepared by Creative Commons which helps you understand Africa in relation to the rest of the world. Visit True Size of Africa. If you click on the map, the page zooms in for clearer details.