Asia

There are 48 countries in Asia (see list on the right of the 10 biggest countries) that are recognised by the United Nations. Two of the Asian countries also share part of their territory on the European continent; these countries are Russia and Turkey. More than 4.6 billion people live on the continent. (2021) Asia is thus the most populous continent.

Africa

There are 54 countries in Africa - and 9 dependent territories. More than 1.3 billion people live on the African continent. This means about 15% of the world's total population live in Africa! Smallest Country: Seychelles, which is an archipelago (nation of islands) in the Indian Ocean. On the African mainland, the smallest country is The Gambia.

Europe

The European continent is located completely in the northern hemisphere and mainly in the eastern hemisphere. Europe borders onto the Arctic Ocean in the North, the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Mediterranean Sea in the South. There are 50 countries in Europe with a total of more than 748 million people living on the continent in 2021.

Australia/Oceania

Oceania is in a continental group consisting of 14 countries and includes Pacific islands and Australia. Often Australia is named as continent, but this means that the many islands and countries except Australia would then be not included. Oceania in fact is mostly ocean and spans a vast area. Australia is an island country in the Southern hemisphere and belongs to Oceania/Australia. Australia is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

North America

North America is the third largest continent in size and the fourth largest when we consider population. The North American continent houses 23 countries. The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. There are 23 countries in North America (see list of the ten biggest countries on the right) and 9 dependencies with a total of more than 590 million people living on the continent.

South America

South America is the fourth largest continent in size and the fifth largest when we consider population. The South American continent is located in the western hemisphere and mainly in the southern hemisphere. There are 12 countries in South America (see list on the right) and 3 dependencies with a total of more than 433 million people living on the continent.

Antarctica

Antarctica is the least populated continent of our planet. The word 'Antarctica' comes from the Greek term 'antarktike' meaning 'the opposite to arctic' or 'opposite to north'. Antarctica is an ice covered continent surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Almost all of the continent's land is covered by a thick layer of ice. On average the ice is 1.9 km/6,200 ft deep.