Question

why had European called Africa a dark continent

Answer 1

Africa was known as dark continent in 19 th century bcos because little was known about the mysterious land itself. 

HOPE it helps u dear.

Answer 2

The term dark Continent seems to have been the concept that is very old and is related to the sixteenth century. This term denotes unexplored, very little known or uninhabited region of the world. This term specially applied to Africa continent. The Europeans considered Africa as the very different from the rest of the world and ignorant also. The black Africans were denounced by the whole world because of not embracing world religions. They were also regarded as isolated from the world because of human and animal sacrifices, superstitions, blood rituals, witchcraft, ancestral worshiping etc. They were also involved in polygamy. The infrastructure was poorly built and still the situation is more or less the same.
The Africans lived a very primitive and undeveloped life. They were not much aware of the growth.In reality, Europeans were were not aware of this mysterious land.