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However, I think many people group many of the countries together because outside of a handful of cities where there is some wealth, most of the continent faces many of the same problems. Hell, even in those cities they face those problems, they just also happen to have first world services in places like Nairobi, Cairo, Casablanca, the larger cities of South Africa, etc.
It isn't just an Ameri-Centric line of thinking either. I know plenty of Europeans who have no idea of the vast differences between your "average" Texan, New Yorker, Californian, Vermonter, or Alabamian.
However, I think many people group many of the countries together because outside of a handful of cities where there is some wealth, most of the continent faces many of the same problems. Hell, even in those cities they face those problems, they just also happen to have first world services in places like Nairobi, Cairo, Casablanca, the larger cities of South Africa, etc.
It isn't just an Ameri-Centric line of thinking either. I know plenty of Europeans who have no idea of the vast differences between your "average" Texan, New Yorker, Californian, Vermonter, or Alabamian.
By the same token, how many Americans try to argue that Europe let alone European nations are all one big homogeneous collection of shared western cultural values. But I would argue that the variance between America's diverse is far less than either Africa or Europe.
PS - One thing that Europeans do know is the historic distinction between European-Americans and those of Native or African descent.
I agree with the OP in general. However, I think the confusion comes up because the national identities themselves are a bit arbitrary. In terms of identity the country is not nearly as important as the ethnic group. And many Africans prefer to identify themselves by ethnic group over national origin. The message that comes across (even if its only implied) is that national identity is not very important. Being identified as an Igbo or Fulani is more important than being identified as Nigerian or Cameroonian.
Of course most Westerners know even less about the ethnic groups.
Africa represents a remarkable homogeneity in physiognomy (black hair, black skin and brown eyes is extremely prevalent) and all the countries there are more or less underdeveloped.
I know what I said is totally wrong, but this should be considered as the main answer from an average western guy... It gives clue about the 2 important following questions : What do they look like ? How wealthy are they ?
Hello, Africa represents a remarkable homogeneity in physiognomy (black hair, black skin and brown eyes is extremely prevalent)
Nice use of homogeneity and physiognomy but nooooooo!
That is precisely the kind of.... I don't know how to put it.... nonsense(?) that the thread was posted to refute.
When it comes to genetic diversity, no people on the planet are more genetically diverse than in Africa and this is particularly true for "Sub-Saharan" Africa.
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