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The Afri (singular, Afer) were a people located on the shores of the southern Mediterranean Sea near the city of Carthage. The first record of their existence was made during the Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.) between ancient Rome and Carthage. The name may be connected with Phoenician `afar, dust (also found in other Semitic languages).
The most common etymology for the continent of Africa is traced to this group. The Romans referred to the region as Africa terra (land of the Afri), combining "Afri" with the suffix "-ca" to form an adjective. Following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War, Rome set up the province of Africa.
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