WORLD CONTINENTS and REGIONS

Africa

Africa, the planet's 2nd

largest continent and the second
most-populous continent (after
Asia) includes (54) individual
countries, and Western Sahara, a
member state of the African Union
whose statehood is disputed by
Morocco. Note that South Sudan is
the continent's newest country.

It also contains the Nile

River system, the world's longest,
and the massive Sahara
Desert, the world's largest. Africa
is surrounded by
the Mediterranean Sea to the
north, both the Suez Canal and
the Red Sea along the Sinai
Peninsula to the northeast,
the Indian Ocean to the east and
southeast, and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west.

African Origin of Modern

Humans

As for Africa, scientists have formerly concluded that it is the birthplace of mankind, as large
numbers of human-like fossils (discovered nowhere else) were found on the continent, some dating
back 3.5 million years.
About 1.75 million years ago, early man spread throughout parts of Africa. They became
aggressive hunters, lived in caves and used fire and their ability to create stone tools just to survive.
The Neanderthals arose some 200,000 years ago and inhabited regions in northern Africa and
across parts of southern Europe. There is also clear evidence that they had control of fire, lived in
caves, as well as open-air structures of stone and vegetation.
One of the most important developments of primitive man was the creation of stone tools. By
5000 BC farming was somewhat common in the northern areas of Africa, as people were growing
crops and herding livestock. During that time the Sahara Desert was a fertile area.

 Namesake: The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name
Africa terra "land of the Afri" for the northern part of the continent. Afri may possibly also refer to
a tribe that inhabited North Africa.

 Major Languages: By most estimates, well over a thousand languages are spoken in Africa. Most
are of African origin, though some are of European or Asian origin. Africa is the most multilingual
continent in the world, and it is not rare for individuals to fluently speak not only multiple African
languages, but one or more European ones as well.

Interesting Facts about Africa

Two of Africa's most interesting geographical features are the Nile River System and Sahara
Desert; both impressive in so many ways.
 1. Nile River System: The Nile is a north-flowing river considered the longest river in the world
at 6,650 km (4,130 mi) long. It is shared by and benefits eleven countries. The White Nile and
Blue Nile are its major tributaries. The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region
of central Africa, flowing north from Tanzania to South Sudan. The Blue Nile is the source of
most of the water and both rivers join near Khartoum, Sudan The northern section of the river
flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt. The Nile ends in a large delta
that empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Sahara Desert: It's the world's hottest desert, the third largest desert after Antarctica and
the Arctic, and almost as large as China. Covering almost one-third of the continent, the
Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world at approximately 3,500,000 sq. miles (9,065,000
sq. km) in total size. Topography includes areas of rock-strewn plains, rolling sand dunes and
numerous sand seas. It ranges in elevation from 100 ft. below sea level, to peaks in the
Ahaggar and Tibesti Mountains, that exceed 11,000 ft. (3,350m). Regional deserts include the
Libyan, Nubian and the Western desert of Egypt, just to the west of the Nile. Almost
completely without rainfall, a few underground rivers flow from the Atlas Mountains, helping to
irrigate isolated oases. In the east, the waters of the Nile help fertilize smaller parts of the
landscape.

Arctic

The Arctic is a region of the

planet, north of the Arctic Circle, and
includes the Arctic Ocean, Greenland,
Baffin Island, other smaller northern
islands, and the far northern parts of
Europe, Russia (Siberia), Alaska and
Canada.
The Arctic Circle, incidentally, is an
imaginary line located at 66º, 30'N
latitude, and as a guide defines the
southernmost part of the Arctic. The
climate within the Circle is very cold and
much of the area is always covered with
ice.
In the mid-winter months, the sun
never rises and temperatures can easily
reach lows of - 50º F in the higher
latitudes. In the summer months (further
south), 24 hours of sunlight a day melts
the seas and topsoil, and is the main
cause of icebergs breaking off from the
frozen north and floating south, causing
havoc in the shipping lanes of the north Atlantic.
The primary residents of the Arctic include the Eskimos (Inuits), Saami and Russians, with an
overall population (of all peoples) exceeding 2 million. The indigenous Eskimos have lived in the area
for over 9,000 years, and many have now given up much of their traditional hunting and fishing to
work in the oil fields and the varied support villages.
The first explorers of the Arctic were Vikings. Norwegians visited the northern regions in the
9th century, and Erik the Red (Icelander) established a settlement in Greenland in 982. In 1909, after
numerous attempts by regional explorers, Robert E. Peary reached the North Pole.
 ASIA

Asia is the largest

and most populous
continent in the world,
sharing borders with
Europe and Africa to its
West, Oceania to its
South, and North America
to its East. Its North helps
form part of the Arctic
alongside North America
and Europe. Though most
of its continental borders
are clearly defined, there
are gray areas. Europe
and Asia are technically
located on the same
overall landmass, and
combined the two are
referred to as Eurasia. As
a result of its porous land
border, some countries on
Asia’s western border
have been at times referred to as part of Europe’s East. Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are
sometimes referred to as Asian and other times as European. Russia and Turkey tend to be cut into
regions. Russia is generally split along the Ural Mountains, with its western half called “European Russia”
and its East as simply “Russia.” The land between Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, and its direct borders
with Bulgaria and Greece is at times referred to as a part of Europe called “Thrace,” while the rest of its
territory is called “Anatolia” and is part of Asia.
Asia’s total size is roughly 17,212,048 square miles (44,579,000 square kilometers), or 30% of
the planet’s total landmass. The largest countries of Asia include Russia (6.6 million square miles or
17.1 million square kilometers), China (3.7 million square miles or 9.6 million square kilometers), India
(1.3 million square miles or 3.3 million square kilometers), and Kazakhstan (1.05 million square miles
or 2.7 million square kilometers). Asia’s smallest countries are Maldives (120 square miles or 300 square
kilometers), Singapore (278 square miles or 719 square kilometers), Bahrain (295 square miles or 765
square kilometers), and Brunei (2,226 square miles or 5,765 square kilometers). If Hong Kong and
Macau are recognized as separate countries, then Macau (12.1 square miles or 31.3 square kilometers)
is the smallest country in Asia and Hong Kong (1,064 square miles or 2,755 square kilometers) is the
fourth-smallest.

 Namesake: Reported by many sources, the word "Asia" first originated from the Ancient Greek
word Ασία, and used in 440 BC.
 Major Languages: The four major ones are Mandarin, Hindi, Russian and Arabic. As for the
rest... that's an almost impossible question to answer as most Asian countries have more than one
language that is natively spoken. For instance, more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia,
more than 800 languages spoken in India, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines.
 Population Density: 87 km² (225 mi²)
 Largest Country (by population): People's Republic of China
 Smallest Country (by population): Maldives

Additional Asia Geography Notes

Burma: Military authorities have promoted the name Myanmar since 1989 as the conventional name for
their state. That decision was not (and is not) approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and is not
accepted by the U.S. government. However, Myanmar is widely accepted by numerous countries, and
by the United Nations.

European Russia: The Russian landmass west of the Ural Mountains is commonly referred to
as European Russia in most educational atlases, and by the vast majority of geography experts. It is
not a separate country, but rather called that because of its political, cultural and geographical blendings
with Europe. For reference purposes it is shown above to the west of the dashed-line, however, the
entire country (as a whole) is still considered part of the continent of Asia.

Middle East: still a part of the continent of Asia.

Opinions vary as to what countries make up the modern definition of Asia and the Middle East.
Historically, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been long associated with the Middle East, but in recent
years, some sources now consider them to be more closely aligned with Europe based on their modern
economic and political trends. We have moved in that direction, and the same can be said for the island
country of Cyprus.
Taiwan is still considered by China to be its 23rd province, and not an independent country.
Very few other country governments accept China's claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
Turkey is officially, politically and geographically considered part of both Asia and Europe. The
small northwestern portion of Turkey named (Thrace) is a recognized part of Europe, while the largest
part (Anatolia) is located in the Middle East, a part of Asia.

CARIBBEAN
The Caribbean, long
referred to as the West
Indies, includes more than
7,000 islands; of those, 13 are
independent island countries, and
some are dependencies or
overseas territories of other
nations.
In addition, that large
number includes islets (very
small rocky islands); cay's (small,
low islands composed largely of
coral or sand) and a few inhabited
reefs.
In geographical terms the
Caribbean area includes the
Caribbean Sea and all of the
islands located to the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico, east of Central America and Mexico, and to the
north of South America. Some of its counted cay's, islands, islets and inhabited reefs front the handful
of countries that border the region.
The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos are not considered a part of the Caribbean, however, we
show them here because of their cultural, geographical and political associations with the Greater Antilles
and other Caribbean Islands.
At the beginning of the 15th century the population of the Caribbean was estimated to be nearly
900,000 indigenous people immediately before European contact.
Then in 1492, Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer began his exploration of the Caribbean,
becoming the first European to venture into the area.
After reportedly landing in the eastern Bahamas, Columbus named these islands the Indies,
because he thought he had finally reached Asia (and the East Indies).
Numerous explorers followed in his path, then tens of thousands of settlers arrived from the
Americas, China, European countries and India. Included in that mix were religious outcasts and a small
army of pirates.
 Across the Caribbean, slaves from Africa were imported in great numbers to work the sugar and
tobacco plantations.
By then the indigenous populations of the islands were in severe decline as exposure to disease
and brutal genocide wiped out much of their number.
Great military powers continually fought for control of the islands, and finally, a blended mix of
African and European cultures and languages transformed this large group of islands and its peoples
into one of the premier tourist destinations on the planet.
Long called the West Indies, the overall area is now commonly referred to as the Caribbean,
a name that became popular after World War II.
Over the last few decades legions of travelers have journeyed to the Caribbean to enjoy the
amenities. They frequently arrive in cruise ships that sail in and out, from ports in Florida and Puerto
Rico.

Central America

Central America, a part of North America, is a tropical isthmus that connects North America to
South America. It includes (7) countries and many small offshore islands.
Overall, the land is
fertile and rugged, and
dominated through its heart by
a string of volcanic mountain
ranges that are punctuated by
a few active and dangerous
volcanos.
Positioned in the
planet's northern and
western hemispheres the
Central America isthmus is
bordered in the northwest by the
country of Mexico, and in the
southeast by the country of
Colombia. In addition, it's
bordered by the Caribbean Sea,
Pacific Ocean, and numerous
bays, gulfs and inlets.
Regarding landforms,
here we locate and identify the
major Central America volcanos,
as the isthmus is geologically
active, with volcanic eruptions
and subsequent earthquakes
occurring on a somewhat
frequent basis. In fact, in
modern times, these landforms
(volcanos) have devastated
many cities and killed hundreds
of people in Central America.
Central America has many volcanic mountain ranges; the longest are the Sierra Madre de
Chiapas in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras; the Cordillera Isabelia in Nicaragua, and the Cordillera
de Talamanca running through Costa Rica and Panama.
 Europe

Europe is the planet's 6th

largest continent AND includes 47
countries and assorted
dependencies, islands and
territories. Europe's recognized
surface area covers about
9,938,000 sq km (3,837,083 sq mi)
or 2% of the Earth's surface, and
about 6.8% of its land area.
In exacting geographic
definitions, Europe is really not a
continent, but part of the
peninsula of Eurasia which
includes all of Europe and Asia.
However, it's still widely referred
to as an individual continent.
The European continent,
bordered by numerous bodies of
water, is separated from Asia by
Russia'sUral Mountains and by the
Caspian and Black Seas. It is
separated from Africa by
the Mediterranean Sea.

 The Vatican is Europe's smallest country

 Germany is Europe's largest country by population
 The Vatican is Europe's smallest country by population
 Europe's highest point is Mt. Elbrus in Russia
 Europe's lowest point is the Caspian Sea bordering Russia
(If European Russian is excluded, the highest and lowest stats shown below apply to continental
western Europe)
 Europe's highest point is Mt. Blanc in France and Italy
 Europe's lowest point is Lemmefjord in Denmark
 Namesake: The name "Europe" comes from Greek mythology. The continent was actually named
after Europa, a Phoenician princess that Zeus abducted after he assumed the form of an
impressive white bull.
 Major Languages: Languages vary greatly across the entire European continent. The 'Romance
Languages' of French, Italian and Spanish are the most prevalent. English and Germanic languages
are used in many places. Slavic languages are spoken in Eastern Europe, and to the north,
Scandinavian and Baltic languages are ubiquitous from Iceland east to European Russia.

The Russian landmass west of the Ural Mountains is commonly referred to as European Russia
in most educational atlases, and by the vast majority of geography experts. It is not a separate
country, but rather called that because of its longterm political, cultural and geographical blending
with the bordering European countries. For reference purposes it is shown above, however, the entire
country (as a whole) is still considered part of the continent of Asia.
European Russia comprising roughly 3,960,000 sq. km (1,528,560 sq. miles) and spans across
approximately 40% of Europe. Its Eastern border is defined by the Ural Mountains and in the South it
is defined by the border with Kazakhstan. Note that nearly 77% of the entire Russian population
(about 110,000,000 people out of an approximate total Russian population of 141,000,000) lives in
European Russia.
 Middle East

The Middle East is a

geographical and cultural region
located primarily in western
Asia, but also in parts of
northern Africa and
southeastern Europe. The
western border of the Middle
East is defined by the
Mediterranean Sea,
where Israel, Lebanon, and
Syria rest opposite
from Greece and Italy in
Europe. Egypt in Africa also
borders the Mediterranean and
is sometimes considered as part
of the Middle East,

while Turkey and Cyprus literally connect Europe to Asia and oscillate between being called European
and Middle Eastern. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan border Iran to the east, but Pakistan’s shared history
with India causes it to sometimes be seen as part of South Asia instead of the Middle East. Some of the
countries bordering Iran and Afghanistan’s north, such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, are
sometimes included within the northern borders of the Middle East, but are other times seen as their
own Central Asian region alongside Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

 The majority of the Middle East region is characterized by a warm desert climate.
 the Middle East also has several seas, gulfs, and rivers. It shares the Mediterranean Sea with Africa
and Europe and the Black and Caspian Seas with Eastern Europe. The famous Suez Canal and Gulf
of Suez run between Egypt’s African territory and its Sinai region bordering Israel in Asia, while the
equally renowned Nile River flows from the Mediterranean Sea through Egypt and well into the
African continent. The Dead Sea borders Israel to the West and Jordan to the East and is among the
saltiest lakes in the world and is also lowest point on the Earth’s land surface, while the Red Sea is
shared by both the Western Middle East and parts of Eastern Africa. The massive Tigris and
Euphrates rivers begin in the mountains of eastern Turkey, flowing through Syria and Iraq out into
the Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf, along with the Gulfs of Arden and Oman, connect the central and
southern regions of the Middle East to the Arabian Sea and ultimately the Indian Ocean.
 The Middle East is often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization”. This part of the world, and
particularly the Mesopotamia region around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is home to many of
humanity’s earliest accomplishments. The Middle East is also the origin point for many of the
religions and belief systems which help define modern civilizations today. The region was home to
the ancient Kingdom of Israel and thus fostered the Jewish religion. Jesus is believed to have been
born in Nazareth, which is located in what is now the northern region of Israel, and indeed early
Christianity traces its origins back to the Middle East. The region is also the birthplace of Islam, as
the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (now the capital of Saudi Arabia) in around AD 570.
Several other belief systems also trace their origins to the Middle East, such as the pantheon of
 Ancient Egyptian gods, the deities of Ancient Sumer, and the Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism of
Ancient and Classical Persia.
 Arabic is the most common language in the Middle East. Persian is the second-most spoken language
in the Middle East, and it has specific dialects in the region. The most common form of Persian is
Farsi, which is the sole official language of Iran and is spoken by the vast majority of the population
there. The Tajiki dialect of Persian is the official language of Tajikistan, with Russian recognized as
a regional language, and Dari is the Persian dialect spoken primarily in Afghanistan. Afghanistan
actually has two official languages: Dari and Pashto, a Central Asian language related to (but
separate from) Persian. Turkish is the third-most popular language in the Middle East. It is the sole
official language of Turkey and one of the two official languages of Cyprus, alongside Greek.
Several Middle Eastern nations also have their own languages specific to their country. Urdu
is one of the two Hindustani languages (alongside Hindu) and is the national language of Pakistan,
though English is also an official language. Uzbek, a Central Asian Turkic language, is the official
language of Uzbekistan, with Russian and Karakalpak (also a Turkic language) recognized as
regional languages. Turkmen, another Turkic language from Central Asia, is the sole official language
of Turkmenistan, though Russian has some limited recognition. Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian
are the sole official languages for their respective countries. Israel is the only country in the world
to have Hebrew as a national language, but there are actually two official languages in the country:
Hebrew and Arabic. Aside from official and national languages, there are also a wide variety of
minority languages which are a product of the diverse cultures, patterns of migration, and economic
activities of the Middle East. These spoken languages include (but are not limited to) Berber,
Circassian, English, French, Gagauz, Hindi, Romani, Russian, Somali, and several Modern Aramaic
dialects.

North America
Anthropologists believe that North
America's initial inhabitants arrived around
40,000 years ago by traversing the Bering
Strait. Some experts feel that by using
primitive boats, early man also migrated
down the Pacific coast to South
America; that debate continues.
There is scientific evidence
connecting indigenous Americans to Asian
peoples, specifically from the
eastern Siberian populations. Indigenous
peoples of the Americas have been linked to
North Asian populations by linguistic dialects
and blood types.
After the last glacial period ended
some 12,500 years back, a wide variety of
prehistoric cultures developed across the
continent, north to south. The development
of stone tools was one of the factors
instrumental in that successful expansion.

Two of North America's most

interesting geographical features are the
Great Plains and the Mississippi River System; both impressive in so many ways.
1. Great Plains: The Great Plains of North America slope east from the Rockies and extend to
the edge of the Canadian Shield and the western edges of the Appalachians. The land is
generally smooth with large treeless areas and shallow river valleys. Minor hills and mountains
are found in the Ozark Plateau of Missouri, and in the Boston Mountains and Ouachita
Mountains of northwestern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Sandhills and buttes cover parts
of the north central U.S. in Nebraska.
2. Mississippi River System: It is the major river of North America and the United States at
(2,339 miles) (3,765 km) in length. It flows from northwestern Minnesota south to the Gulf of
 Mexico, just below the city of New Orleans. It is a significant transportation artery and when
combined with its major tributaries (the Missouri and Ohio rivers) it becomes the third largest
river system in the world at (3,877 miles) (6,236 km) in length.

Geography Facts
 Percent of Earth's Land: 16.5%
 Highest Point: Mt McKinley in Alaska, 20,322ft (6,194m) (see map)
 Lowest Point: Death Valley in California, -282 ft (-86m) below sea level (see map)
 Geographic Center: The United States Geographical Survey states that the geographic center of
North America is "6 miles west of Balta, Pierce County, North Dakota" at approximately 48° 10´ N
100° 10´ W. (see map)
 Horizontal Width: From San Francisco, California, east to New York City, NY: 2,582 miles (4,156
km) (see map)
 Vertical Length: From Barrow, Alaska, directly southeast to Panama City, Panama: 5,347 miles
(8,605 km) (see map)

North America Countries

This list does not include the island dependencies and overseas territories in the Caribbean.
Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados
Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba
Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada
Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico
Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States

South America

South America, the planet's

4th largest continent, includes (12)
independent countries and (3) major
territories; the Falkland Islands,
Galapagos Islands and French
Guiana. It is the fifth most populous
continent falling below Asia, Africa,
Europe and North America.
The continent contains the
world's highest waterfall, Angel
Falls in Venezuela; the largest river
(by volume), the Amazon River;
the longest mountain range,
the Andes, and the second driest
place on earth (only Antartica is
drier) , the Atacama Desert in
Chile.
In addition, it includes the largest
rainforest, the Amazon Rainforest;
the highest capital city, La Paz,
Bolivia; the highest commercially
navigable lake in the world, Lake
Titicaca; and, excluding research
stations in Antarctica, the world's
southernmost permanently inhabited
community, Puerto Toro, Chile.
 Australia & Oceania
Oceania, the
planet's smallest continent, is
without doubt one of the most
diverse and fascinating areas on
the planet. A large percentage of
geography experts now consider
the long-established continent of
Australia to be more accurately
defined as Australia/Oceania.
Collectively it then
combines all of Australia, New
Zealand, Papua New Guinea, as well
as the thousands of coral atolls and
volcanic islands of the South Pacific
Ocean, including the Melanesia and
Polynesia groups.
Oceania also includes
Micronesia, a widely scattered
group of islands that run along the
northern and southern edges of the
Equator.
 Namesake: The name
"Oceania" (Océanie) was coined in 1812 by geographer Conrad Malte-Brun. It is from a French
word derived from the Greek word (ōkeanós), or ocean.
 Major Languages: Major languages include the Aboriginal Australian languages from the Pama–
Nyungan and Trans–New Guinea families, and approximately forty Polynesian languages. Colonial
languages include English in Australia and New Zealand, and in many other territories, while
French is spoken in New Caledonia and French Polynesia. There are also mixtures of colonial
languages with indigenous languages, such as Tok Pisin, Bislama, Chavacano, Norfuk and Pitkern.
Also, as in other parts of planet, immigrants brought their own languages, such as Chinese, Greek
and Italian.
 Hawaii is politically a part of North America, but geographically not part of any continent.
 Largest Countries (by size): Australia (7,686,850 sq km), Papua New
Guinea (468,840), New Zealand (268,680 sq km)
 Smallest Countries (by size): Nauru (21 sq km), Tuvalu (26 sq km), Marshall
Islands (73,600 sq km)