#Africa

• Abomey — A historical city in southern Benin, renowned as the former political and administrative capital of the powerful West African Kingdom of Dahomey (founded in the 17th century). The locality houses the complex of the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which serves as a cultural testament to African monarchical dynasties and colonial resistance.
• Abuja — The federal capital city of Nigeria, a master-planned city built entirely in the 1980s in the geographical center of the country to replace the former capital, Lagos. Its choice was profoundly strategic, aimed at providing an ethnically and religiously neutral zone in a nation marked by deep divisions, becoming today a symbol of national unity, African administrative modernism, and a major diplomatic hub on the continent.
• Shoebill — The international popular name, of Arabic origin, for the shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), a large pelecaniform bird with a unique prehistoric appearance, endemic to the swamps of East and Central tropical Africa. Characterized by a massive, wide, bulbous bill shaped like a wooden clog, used for capturing large fish and reptiles from the mud, this solitary bird is renowned for its absolute immobility while hunting and its highly territorial behavior.
• Acanthus arboreus — A species of erect shrub or small tree in the Acanthus genus, native to the tropical regions of East and Northeast Africa (such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda). Unlike the predominantly herbaceous species of this genus, this taxon develops vigorous woody stems that can reach heights of 4 to 6 meters. It is characterized by large, deeply lobed, and heavily spiny leaves, and spectacular dense terminal flower spikes with large, bright pink or purple flowers protected by serrated green bracts.
• Acanthus montanus — A species of evergreen perennial subshrub with partially woody bases, belonging to the Acanthus genus and Acanthaceae family, native to the tropical rainforests and shaded mountainous areas of West and Central Africa. It is distinguished by its large, deeply lobed, and heavily undulated leaves, whose margins are armed with sharp, rigid spines. Its inflorescences are spectacular erect terminal spikes made of white, pale pink, or light lilac tubular flowers, valued in horticulture for its exotic and sculptural appearance.
• Adamawa — A large geographical, historical, and administrative region located in Central and West Africa, extending across the territory of Nigeria (as a federal state) and Cameroon (as an administrative region and mountainous plateau). The name originates from the Fulani leader Modibo Adama, who founded an emirate in this mountainous and fertile area during the 19th century.
• Addis Ababa — The official capital and largest city of Ethiopia, situated on a high plateau in East Africa at an altitude of over 2300 meters. It represents a major political, economic, and cultural center of the continent, hosting the headquarters of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa; its name translates from Amharic as 'New Flower'.
• Adenandra — A genus of perennial, shrubby plants native to the warm regions of South Africa, belonging to the Rutaceae family. These plants are structurally characterized by small, often aromatic leaves due to prominent oil glands, and decorative flowers with five petals shaded in white or pink, being cultivated internationally as ornamental plants due to their resilience in sandy soils.
• Adenandra fragrans — A species of small aromatic shrub native to the Cape region of South Africa, belonging to the Rutaceae family. The plant is structurally recognized for its small glandular leaves that emit an intense, pleasant, and balsamic fragrance when crushed, as well as for its decorative five-petaled white or pink flowers, often utilized in niche ornamental horticulture.
• Adiantum aethiopicum — A species of terrestrial, perennial fern in the Pteridaceae family, natively distributed across Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the Indian Ocean. This plant is structurally characterized by creeping rhizomes, slender, glossy, dark brown to black stems, and delicate, compound fronds made of small, rounded or fan-shaped pinnules, being cultivated internationally as an ornamental plant due to its aesthetic foliage.
• Ado-Ekiti — A city located in southwestern Nigeria, serving as the administrative capital of Ekiti State; a major urban center with a rich history, predominantly populated by the Yoruba ethnic group. The city is regionally recognized as an important economic and educational hub, hosting prestigious universities and being the center of trade for local agricultural products such as cocoa and yams.
• Adromischus — A genus of dwarf succulent plants in the Crassulaceae family, native to the arid zones of Southern Africa and Namibia, characterized by extremely fleshy leaves with spectacular shapes and varied textures. Its name comes from Greek, combining 'hadros' (thick, robust) and 'mischos' (stem, stalk), referring directly to the thick stem or petiole of these species, highly prized by collectors for their morphological diversity.
• Adromischus clavifolius — A species or variety of dwarf succulent plant (also known scientifically as Adromischus cristatus var. clavifolius), native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, remarkable for its unique club-shaped or wedge-shaped leaves grouped compactly. The specific epithet 'clavifolius' stems from the Latin words 'clava' (club, nail) and 'folium' (leaf), referring to the swollen profile of its silver-green leaves which often turn reddish under the sun, and a short stem covered in dense reddish aerial roots.
• Adromischus mammillaris — A rare perennial succulent plant species within the genus Adromischus, native to the arid expanses of South Africa, particularly the Little Karoo. The plant features prostrate or decumbent stems and unique, linear-lanceolate yet highly thickened, plump leaves of a light green or olive-green hue, often dotted with dark reddish-purple speckles near the apex. In modern botanical nomenclature, it is taxonomically tied as a synonym to the variable Adromischus filicaulis complex.
• Adromischus trigynus — A dwarf, compactly branched perennial succulent plant species in the Crassulaceae family, native to a wide range in South Africa (from the Great Karoo and Northern Cape to the Free State) and Namibia. It features a tuberous, much-branched base bearing dense, elliptic to orbicular leaves with distinctive acute, horny margins wrapping their upper sections. The grayish-green foliage is heavily mottled with chocolate-brown or purplish-maroon spots, earning it the common name 'Calico Hearts'. In late spring, it produces long inflorescences up to 35 cm tall with pale yellowish-green tubular flowers tinged with white or pink.
• Aduwa — A historical, international spelling variant or a rare legal toponym for the Adige River in Northern Italy (especially in old German or historical Transylvanian maps), or an African proper name (a Ghanaian feminine ethnic name symbolizing a person born on a Monday). As a fixed geographical entity in old European records, it denotes watersheds or border locations subject to large-scale commercial transits.
• Aërangis biloba — A popular species of epiphytic orchid in the genus Aerangis, native to a wide range of tropical West and Central Africa. It is structurally recognized by its obovate leaves that feature an asymmetrically split tip forming two distinct lobes (bilobed), and by pendulous spikes bearing up to twenty star-like, white flowers with pale pink hues on their short spurs, heavily fragrant at night.
• Aërangis kotschyi — A spectacular, large-sized species of epiphytic orchid in the genus Aerangis, native to East and South Africa. It is structurally renowned for its incredibly long nectar spurs, which can reach between 20 and 30 centimeters in length, featuring short stems, fleshy dark-green leaves slightly wavy along the margins, and pendulous spikes bearing snow-white flowers with ivory hues, heavily fragrant at night.
• Afar — A Cushitic ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa, inhabiting arid regions within Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, historically recognized for their nomadic lifestyle and adaptation to extreme climatic conditions. Geographically, it refers to the Afar Depression (or Afar Triangle), a highly significant geological rift region where the Earth's crust is pulling apart and where some of the world's oldest hominid fossils, including 'Lucy', were discovered.
• Aganbani — Members of an ancient community or warrior caste within traditional tribal societies of West Africa, recognized for their defensive combat tactics and strict structural organization. This group fulfilled a specific military and administrative role, ensuring the protection of rural settlements and the maintenance of social order according to ancestral local customs.