Continent it is a large portion of land surrounded by the ocean(s). Millions of years ago there was only one continent - Pangea. Over the years the portions of land (tectonic plates) have been separating.
From the division of this terrestrial space arise the six continents of the world:
- America
- Europe
- Africa
- Asia
- Oceania
- Antarctica (or Antarctica)
America, in turn, is divided into three: North America, Central America and South America, which are thus called subcontinents.
Main features of the continents
Asia
The expanse of Asia is so vast that nearly a third of the planet's land area is part of this continent that contains 11 time zones.
THE Asia it also stands out in terms of population, where inhabitants represent almost 50% of the world's population.
Interestingly, the country with the fewest inhabitants in the world is located in Asia: Mongolia.
America
At AmericaofNorth is located the largest island in the world - Greenland, as well as the second largest country on the planet - Canada.
At America
Central the Mayan civilization originated - a society that stood out for the advances shown in art, architecture, mathematics, as well as medicine.At AmericaofSouth, in turn, is located the Amazon Forest, the region with the greatest biodiversity in the world.
Learn more about each of them at:
- North America
- Central America
- South America
Africa
THE Africa it is the poorest continent in the world. There are six African Countries of Portuguese Official Language (PALOP):
- Angola
- Cape Green
- Guinea Bissau
- Equatorial Guinea
- Mozambique
- Sao Tome and Principe
Antarctica
THE Antarctica, or South Pole, is the coldest and driest place on the planet.
Note that the North Pole is not a continent as there is no land on it. It is completely covered in ice, while at the South Pole the ice sheet accounts for 90% of its territory.
The fact of not having countries, as well as the absence of population makes Antarctica not considered a continent for some authors.
Europe
THE Europe it is the cradle of our culture. On this continent, The European Union (EU) is the world's largest economic bloc, of which only 28 European countries (a total of 50 countries) are part.
Oceania
Australia is the largest country in the Oceania, occupying 90% of its entire length. Oceania is known as the "Best New World", having in mind its discovery dating back to 1770.
transcontinentality
There are countries that are located on two continents and, therefore, they are called “Transcontinental Nations”. This is the case, for example, in Russia (Asia and Europe), Turkey (Asia and Europe), Egypt (Africa and Asia).
There is also a city called the bicontinental - Istanbul, Turkey. It is the only city in the world split between two continents (Asia and Europe).
longer continents
| 1.º | Asia | 45 million km2 |
| 2.º | America | 42 million km2 (North America - 23 million km2; Central America - 523 thousand Km2; South America - 18 million km2) |
| 3.º | Africa | 30 million km2 |
| 4.º | Antarctica | 14 million km2 (This number increases about twice in winter, given the freezing of the waters) |
| 5.º | Europe | 10 million km2 |
| 6.º | Oceania | 8 million km2 |
most populous continents
| 1.º | Asia | 4.5 billion inhabitants |
| 2.º | Africa | 1.2 billion inhabitants |
| 3.º | America | 1 billion inhabitants |
| 4.º | Europe | 740 million inhabitants |
| 5.º | Oceania | 37 million inhabitants |
Note: In Antarctica there is no permanent human population.
Most populous countries and their respective capitals
Asia
Asia has a total of 50 countries, of which the 10 most populous are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| China | Beijing | 1.338.612.000 |
| India | New Delhi | 1.210.193.000 |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | 237.512.000 |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | 170.600.000 |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | 154.037.000 |
| Japan | Tokyo | 127.433.000 |
| Philippines | Manila | 96.061.000 |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | 91.519.000 |
| Will | tehran | 75.149.000 |
| Thailand | Bangkok | 67.448.000 |
See the full list of countries at: Asian countries.
America
America has a total of 36 countries. Let's look at the division by subcontinents:
THE North America has 4 countries:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Washington | 318.900.000 |
| Mexico | Mexico City | 122.300.000 |
| Greenland | Nuuk | 56.483.000 |
| Canada | Ottawa | 35.160.000 |
THE Central America it has 20 countries, of which the 5 most populous are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | Guatemala City | 15.470.000 |
| Cuba | Havana | 11.270.000 |
| Honduras | Tegucigalpa | 8.098.000 |
| El Salvador | San Salvador | 6.340.000 |
| Nicaragua | Managua | 6.080.000 |
THE South America it has 13 countries, of which the 5 most populous are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Brasilia | 200.400.000 |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | 41.450.000 |
| Colombia | Bogota | 48.320.000 |
| Venezuela | Caracas | 30.410.000 |
| Peru | lime | 30.380.000 |
Check out the full list of countries in America in the texts:
- North American countries
- Central American countries
- South American countries
Africa
Africa has a total of 54 countries, of which the 10 most populous are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Abuja | 173.600.000 |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 94.100.000 |
| Egypt | Cairo | 82.060.000 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | kinshasa | 67.510.000 |
| South Africa | Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judiciary), Cape Town (Legislative) | 52.980.000 |
| Tanzania | dodoma | 49.250.000 |
| Kenya | Nairobi | 44.350.000 |
| Algeria | algiers | 39.210.000 |
| Sudan | cartoon | 37.960.000 |
| Uganda | kampala | 37.580.000 |
Check out the list of African countries at: African countries.
Europe
Europe has a total of 50 countries, of which the 10 most populous are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Moscow | 143.500.000 |
| Germany | Berlin | 80.620.000 |
| Turkey | Ankara | 74.930.000 |
| France | Paris | 66.030.000 |
| UK | London | 64.100.000 |
| Italy | Pomegranate | 59.830.000 |
| Spain | Madrid | 47.270.000 |
| Ukraine | Kiev | 45.490.000 |
| Poland | Warsaw | 38.530.000 |
| Romania | Bucharest | 19.960.000 |
The list of European countries can be found at: European countries.
Oceania
Oceania has a total of 14 countries and more than 10,000 islands. The 5 most populous countries are:
| countries | capitals | Approximate population |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Canberra | 23.130.000 |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | 7.321.000 |
| New Zealand | Wellington | 4.471.000 |
| fiji | Suva | 883.483.000 |
| Solomon Islands | honor | 561.231.000 |
Check out the other countries at: Oceania countries.
Antarctica
There are no countries in Antarctica. This continent is a World Heritage Site and the signatories of the Antarctic Treaty have the right to carry out investigations there.
There are 12 initial countries, a number that has been extended and comprises the following nations:
| South Africa | Chile | Finland | Netherlands | Turkey |
| Germany | China | France | Peru | Ukraine |
| Argentina | North Korea | India | Poland | Uruguay |
| Australia | South Korea | Italy | Portugal | |
| Belgium | Ecuador | Japan | UK | |
| Brazil | Spain | Norway | Russia | |
| Bulgaria | U.S | New Zealand | Sweden |
Oceans that Bathe the Continents
See below the oceans that bathe each continent:
| continents | oceans |
|---|---|
| Asia | Arctic, Pacific and Indian Glacier |
| America | Pacific, Arctic Glacier and Atlantic |
| Africa | Atlantic and Indian |
| Antarctica | Pacific, Atlantic and Indian |
| Europe | Atlantic |
| Oceania | Pacific and Indian |
Know more about:
- continents
- Seas and Oceans of the World
