Africa is the second-largest and second-most-populous continent on Earth. It covers 20.4% of Earth's land area and 6% of the total surface area of Earth, and it has the youngest population of all continents, with the median age being 19.7 years compared to 30.4 in the rest of the world. Africa is the continent where humanity originated, specifically in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the continent's recent history has seen years of civil warfare and unrest, with decolonization from the European powers leaving most of the people of Africa in poverty due to the exploitation of their lands' resources.