Final answer:
In African countries, the common practice of one man marrying multiple women is known as polygyny, a form of polygamy. Polyandry, the inverse, is much rarer globally. Polygyny often indicates social status and results in extensive kinship connections.
Step-by-step explanation:
In African countries, it is more common to find the practice of polygyny, which means the marriage of one man to two or more women. The general term for marriages involving multiple spouses is polygamy. Polygyny is a practice observed in many societies worldwide, especially in northern Africa and east Asia, and it is often a reflection of social status and cultural traditions. In societies where polygyny is practiced, there is sometimes a hierarchy among wives and the family can benefit from greater labor force and wide kinship connections.
Polygamy is the state of being committed or married to more than one person at a time. While polyandry, the marriage of one woman to multiple men, does exist, it is far less common than polygyny and represents only about 1 percent of the world's cultures. In regions like the Central African Republic and Cameroon, polygamy is accepted and is sometimes formalized by law, with certain countries allowing up to three or four wives.