What Are The Continents Of The World – A Simple Guide
There are 7 continents in the world but the common question is “What Are The Continents Of The World”.
In this short guide, we answer this common question, along with many other frequently asked questions regarding the seven continents.
What Are The Continents Of The World In Alphabetical Order:
The seven continents of the world in Alphabetical order are:
- Africa
- Antarctica
- Asia
- Australia (also known as Oceania)
- Europe
- North America
- South America
Note: Europe and Asia are often classed as one continent and when this is so, it is referred to as ‘Eurasia’
What Is A Continent Of The World:
Basically, a continent is simply a mass or expanse of land, that is separated from other continents. Its separation can be from either water or other geographical objects. Therefore, the word ‘Continent’ is used to define the division of a mass of land on the Earth. It is usually a continuous mass of land, which covers a large area. However, each continent varies in size, with regards to its land mass. Along with the land mass, many continents also include islands that are associated with within the region or land area.
What Is The Largest Continent Of The World:
The largest continent in the world is Asia. Asia had a land mass of over 17,200,000 square miles which is approximately 44,500,00 kilometers squared. This land mass is from the Eastern Mediterranean sea, all the way to the Western Pacific Ocean. The continent of Asia consists of 49 countries.
What Are The Two Continents In The World With The Largest Land Areas:
As we have previously mentioned, Asia is the largest of all the 7 continents. However, the second largest continent after Asia is Africa. The landmass of Africa is approximately 11,677,273 square miles (30,244,000 square kilometers).
The Continents Of The World By Size:
Below is a list of the continents of the world by size. The continents are listed from largest continent to the smallest continent in terms of landmass. We have listed the approximate land size in both square miles and square kilometers.
| Continent | Square Miles | Square Kilometers |
| Asia | 17,212,048 | 44,579,000 |
| Africa | 11,677,273 | 30,244,000 |
| North America | 9,358,730 | 24,239,000 |
| South America | 6,878,023 | 17,814,000 |
| Antarctica | 5,482,650 | 14,200,000 |
| Europe | 3,930,519 | 10,180,000 |
| Australia (Oceania) | 3,286,115 | 8,511,000 |
As you can see from the above table, Asia is the largest continent and Australia (Oceania) is the smallest. Each one of the seven continents of the world has a large number of countries. Africa has the most countries of all the continents, with a total of no less than 54 countries.
We hope this short guide helped provide the answer to the commonly asked question, ‘What Are The Continents Of The World?’