África Occidental
/afɾika oɡθidental/from spelling rulesfeminine
In Spanish, west africa is translated as África Occidental.
The phrase refers to the specific geographical region of Africa.
Meaning: region of Africa (name)
Which one should you use?
Both África Occidental and África del Oeste are used to refer to the region. África Occidental uses an adjective to name the area, while África del Oeste literally translates to 'Africa of the West'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase África Occidental, the adjective Occidental follows the noun África. Note that while the word occidental is not capitalized when used as a general adjective for direction, it is capitalized here because it is part of the proper name África Occidental.
How do you pronounce it?
/afɾika oɡθidental/
Did you know?
- The word occidental comes from the Latin occidēns, which means 'setting' or 'declining', referring specifically to the setting sun.
- In Spanish, the opposite of África Occidental is África Oriental. While 'Oriental' in English often refers specifically to East Asia, in this geographical context it simply means 'Eastern'.
- The term Occidental is used in Spanish to describe not just a direction, but the entire cultural concept of 'The West'. While English uses 'Western' for both, Occidental often specifically evokes the socio-political identity of Western civilization.
Examples in context
- En mi próximo viaje, quiero explorar África Occidental y descubrir su rica cultura.On my next trip, I want to explore West Africa and discover its rich culture.
- Varios países de África Occidental son conocidos por su producción de cacao.Several countries in West Africa are known for their cocoa production.
- Muchos países de África Occidental exportan cacao.Many countries in West Africa export cocoa.
- El clima de África Occidental es muy húmedo.The climate of West Africa is very humid.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing a geography documentary.
- Javier¿Viste el documental sobre África Occidental?Did you see the documentary about West Africa?
- MaríaSí, aprendí mucho sobre esa región.Yes, I learned a lot about that region.
- JavierLa cultura de África Occidental es fascinante.The culture of West Africa is fascinating.
- MaríaEs cierto, Javier, es muy rica.That's true, Javier, it is very rich.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “west africa” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries occidental, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
