For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
Asia (
i// or
//) is the world's largest and most populous
continent, located primarily in the
eastern and
northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area (or 30% of its land area) and with approximately 4.3 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current
human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.
[9]
- Notes
- The Russian Federation is classified as a European country by the United Nations Statistics Division. Russia is historically the successor of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, a medieval state of northeastern Europe. The Russian conquest of Northern Asia begins in the late 16th century. Today, most of the territory of Russia is in Asia, but most of its population lives in the European part.
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
Europe (
i// ewr-ษp or
// yur-ษp[13]) is, by convention, one of the world's seven
continents. Comprising the westernmost
peninsula of
Eurasia, Europe is generally
divided from Asia by the
watershed divides of the
Ural and
Caucasus Mountains, the
Ural River, the
Caspian and
Black Seas, and the
waterways connecting the
Black and
Aegean Seas.
[14] Europe is bordered by the
Arctic Ocean to the north, the
Atlantic Ocean to the west, the
Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea and connected waterways to the southeast. Yet the borders of Europe—a concept dating back to
classical antiquity—are somewhat arbitrary, as the primarily
physiographic term "continent" can incorporate
cultural and political elements.
Europe is the world's
second-smallest continent by surface area, covering about 10,180,000 square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2% of the Earth's surface and about 6.8% of its land area. Of Europe's approximately 50 states,
Russia is by far the largest by both area and population, taking up 40% of the continent (although the country has territory in both Europe and Asia), while the
Vatican City is the smallest. Europe is the third-most populous continent after
Asia and
Africa, with a
population of 733 million or about 11% of the
world's population.
[15]
Europe, in particular
Ancient Greece, is the birthplace of
Western culture.
[16] It played a predominant role in global affairs from the 15th century onwards, especially after the beginning of
colonialism. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times
the Americas,
most of Africa,
Oceania, and large portions of Asia. In 1900, Europe's share of the world's population was 25%.
[17] Both
World Wars were largely focused upon Europe, greatly contributing to a decline in
Western Europeandominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the
United States and
Soviet Union took prominence.
[18] During the
Cold War, Europe was divided along the
Iron Curtain between
NATO in the west and the
Warsaw Pact in the east.
European integration led to the formation of the
Council of Europe and the
European Union in Western Europe, both of which have been expanding eastward since the
revolutions of 1989 and the
fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
- Notes
North America[edit]
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in North America with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 4.8% of the planet's surface or about 16.5% of its land area. As of July 2008, its population was estimated at nearly 529 million people across
23 independent states. North America is the third-largest continent in area, following
Asia and
Africa, and the
fourth in population after Asia, Africa, and
Europe.
South America[edit]
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in South America with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
It is bordered on the west by the
Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the
Atlantic Ocean;
North America and the
Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. It is formed by twelve sovereign states -
Argentina,
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Chile,
Colombia,
Ecuador,
Guyana,
Paraguay,
Peru,
Suriname,
Uruguay, and
Venezuela - the
French Guiana, which is an overseas region of
France, and the
Falkland Islands, a
British Overseas Territory. In addition to this, the
ABC islands of the
Netherlands may also be considered part of South America, as well as
Trinidad and Tobago. The South American states that border the Caribbean Sea – Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana – are also known as
Caribbean South America.
South America has an
area of 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi). Its
population as of 2005 has been estimated at more than 371,090,000. South America
ranks fourth in area (after
Asia,
Africa, and
North America) and fifth in population (after
Asia,
Africa,
Europe, and
North America).
The word America was coined in 1507 by
cartographers Martin Waldseemรผller and
Matthias Ringmann, after
Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the lands newly discovered by Europeans were not
India, but a
New World unknown to Europeans.
Oceania[edit]
For a table of sovereign states and dependent territories in Oceania with geographical data such as area, population, and population density, see here.
Antarctica[edit]
Antarctica
 |
Area | 14,000,000 km2(5,400,000 sq mi)[32] |
Demonym | Antarctican |
Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average
elevation of all the continents.
[35]Antarctica is considered a
desert, with annual
precipitation of only 200 mm (8 inches) along the coast and far less inland.
[36] The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89 °C (−129 °F). There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent. Only cold-adapted organisms survive there, including many types of
algae,
animals (for example
mites,
nematodes,
penguins,
seals and
tardigrades),
bacteria,
fungi,
plants, and
protista. Vegetation where it occurs is
tundra.
Although myths and speculation about a
Terra Australis ("Southern Land") date back to antiquity, the first confirmed sighting of the continent is commonly accepted to have occurred in 1820 by the
Russian expedition of
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and
Mikhail Lazarev on
Vostok and
Mirny. The continent, however, remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th century because of its hostile environment, lack of resources, and isolation. The
Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 countries; to date, 49 countries have signed the treaty. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal, supports scientific research, and protects the continent's
ecozone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.
Moreover, the following dependent territories are situated in the wider
Antarctic Region: