The world is a group of 7 continents and 195 countries. Check out this article to know about the geographical locations, borders and other interesting facts about the countries.
71% of the Earth is covered by water and 29% by land. This land is divided into continents. The continents were formed due to the complex geological process of plate tectonics. It begins when Earth’s surface-level lithospheric plates move and interact.
When these plates interact and exert extreme pressure, the Earth’s crust can bend and fold, resulting in the formation of continents.
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Over millions of years this process resulted in the formation of substantial landmass, which eventually gave rise to continents. There are a total of 7 continents in the world, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica.
Asia
It is the largest continent in the world in terms of both area and population. It includes 48 countries and 80% of the world’s population.
Spread over an area of 44,579,000 square km, this continent is bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Indian Ocean in the south and Europe in the west. The Ural Mountains separate it from Europe and the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea separate it from Africa.
The continent has the world’s highest mountain ranges and two most populous countries, among other excellences.
Africa
In terms of both area and population, it is the second largest continent in the world after Asia. It includes 54 countries and more than 16% of the world’s population.
The continent is spread over an area of 30,370,000 square km and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in the east, and the Atlantic and Indian Ocean in the south.
All three latitudes – the Equator, the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn pass through Africa.
North America
It is the third largest continent on Earth in terms of area and the fourth largest continent in terms of population. It consists of 23 countries and is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
This continent is spread over 24,709,000 square km and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and South America in the south.
The Isthmus of Panama, a very narrow strip, connects it to South America and the Bering Strait separates it from Asia.
South America
It is the fourth largest continent by area and the fifth most populous continent in the world. It consists of 12 nations and is mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere, while a small portion of the continent is located in the Western Hemisphere.
Spread over an area of 17,840,000, this continent is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Southern Ocean in the south and North America in the north.
The continent is home to the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of the Earth.
Antarctica
It is the fifth largest continent on Earth, with no countries and no permanent human habitation. However, there are permanent human settlements on the continent, where scientists and support staff live on a rotational basis.
Spread over an area of 14,200,000 square km. This continent is completely surrounded by the Southern Ocean.
Europe
It is the world’s sixth largest continent and the world’s third most populous continent. Europe and Asia are sometimes called Eurasia because they are physically connected, but are considered separate continents because of linguistic and cultural differences. Europe consists of 48 countries.
The continent is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Caspian Sea to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea to the south. The Ural and Caucasus Mountains are the eastern border of Europe.
Australia
Australia is the world’s smallest continent and the flattest and second driest continent after Antarctica. It is also the second least populated country after Antarctica. It includes 14 countries.
The region, spanning 8,525,989 square km, is also described as Oceania to distinguish it from the country of the same name. This place is a living laboratory. That’s because, about 60 million years ago, when the continent began to break away from Antarctica, it brought with it animals that evolved into creatures unique to the region.
Interesting facts about continents
,Asia is the birthplace of many major religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
-Africa is often called the “Cradle of Mankind”, as it is considered the birthplace of modern humans.
, It is home to the world’s third largest river, the Mississippi-Missouri River system.
,Machu Picchu in Peru is one of the most revered archaeological sites in the world.
,Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth.
,The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, designates Antarctica as a place for peaceful scientific cooperation and bans military activity.
, Europe has a dense railway network and is known for its efficient public transportation.
, Australia is home to the world’s largest monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock).
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