KanjiJLPT N1
Africa

Africa, flatter, fawn upon, corner, nook, recess

Mnemonic

A village elder sits under a baobab tree, sipping from a soda can he found half-buried in the red dirt. The can's label shows a bright map of africa — his homeland. He holds it up to the sunlight, tracing the outline of the continent with his weathered thumb.
Additional thoughts
Picture a remote village with red earth and a massive baobab tree. The soda can is foreign and out of place, making it memorable. The elder connects this discarded object to his identity — the Africa outline on the label is vivid and unmistakable.
Quick recall
A village elder finds a soda can labeled with a map of africa.

Details

The keyword for 阿 is africa. This kanji is primarily used as a phonetic character, most notably appearing in the Japanese abbreviation for Africa (阿弗利加). It carries connotations of flattery, familiarity, or a hill/mound in classical Chinese, but in modern Japanese it is most commonly encountered as a phonetic element in the transliteration of foreign names and places. Its association with Africa comes from its use as the first character in the ateji rendering of the continent's name.
On'yomi
あ、お
Kun'yomi
おもね.る、くま