The Continents
The continents which make up the landmass on Earth are: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica.
Asia the largest and the most populous continent has 30% of the Earth's landmass and 60% of its population. The three large countries of Russia, China and India are part of Asia. Japan, Indonesia, North Korea, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines are some other countries in Asia. Some of the Middle East Asian countries are Qatar, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan and Kuwait.
Europe covering 6.8% of the Earth's landmass accounts for 11% of the world's population. Russia is the largest country in Europe and the Vatican City the smallest. Russia is spread over both Asia and Europe; the Ural Mountains divide its Asian and the European parts. Turkey too is considered both part of Asia and Europe. Some of the European countries are: Finland, Iceland, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Norway, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Africa the second largest continent has 20% of earth's total landmass and 15% of its population. The Equator, cutting the earth at the center, passes through the continent making it a part of both the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. The Suez Canal separates Africa from Asia, and the Mediterranean Sea separates Africa from Europe. Algeria is the largest country in Africa, and Seychelles near the east coast the smallest. South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco, Congo, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Libya are some African countries.
North America is part of the Northern and Western Hemispheres. The main countries here are the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Caribbean islands are also part of North America. Some of the other countries are: Panama, Cuba, and Costa Rica.
South America is divided from North America by the Panama Canal. Brazil is the largest country and the most populous. Some of the other countries in South America are: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Guyana.
Australia is the only continent which is also a country. The island country of New Zealand is considered a part of the continent. The small scattered islands in the Pacific Ocean are considered part of the Australia Oceania continent.
Antarctica is the world's coldest and highest continent, and covered with a great ice sheet. Antarctica has no permanent human settlements on it, though the surrounding seas of Antarctica are home to fish and mammals. Teams of scientists from various countries visit it periodically to study the wildlife and the landscape.
Last Updated on: May 31, 2022
