List of countries by continent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of countries by continent

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This is a list of the countries of the world by continent, displayed with their respective national flags and capitals. This list contains:

There are countries that can be considered to belong to more than one continent, according to geographical, political, or historical criteria.

For a detailed description of how the world is divided into continents, see here.

Contents

[edit] Partition of countries according to political criteria

In this list, countries are classified according to political criteria, using the geoscheme created by the United Nations Statistics Division.[1]

[edit] Africa

Main articles: Africa and List of African countries
Sovereign states lacking general international recognition
Notes
  1. ^ The flag displayed here is that of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which controls part of the territory of Western Sahara. Most of the territory of Western Sahara is controlled by Morocco.

[edit] Asia

Main articles: Asia and List of Asian countries
Sovereign states lacking general international recognition
Notes
  1. ^ The British Indian Ocean Territory is sometimes considered as an African territory, since it was historically part of Mauritius.
  2. ^ a b Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands are sometimes considered as Oceanian territories, since they are dependent territories of Australia.

[edit] Europe

Main articles: Europe and List of European countries
Sovereign states lacking general international recognition
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e  Armenia,  Azerbaijan,  Cyprus,  Georgia, and  Turkey, classified as Asian countries by the United Nations Statistics Division, are often considered also as European countries, since their territories are either partly in Europe or in the vicinity of Europe (for the geographical boundaries between Asia and Europe, see here), and they have close political and historical ties with Europe (e.g., they are members of the Council of Europe).
  2. ^ a b c d  Abkhazia,  Nagorno-Karabakh,  Northern Cyprus, and  South Ossetia, all sovereign states lacking general international recognition, can also be considered as European countries.
  3. ^ Russia is generally considered as a European country more than an Asian country, even though most of its territory is in Asia, since most of its population and also its capital are in Europe, and it has close political and historical ties with Europe. Among the federal districts of Russia, four are in Europe (Central, Southern, Northwestern and Volga) and three are in Asia (Far Eastern, Siberian and Urals).

[edit] North America

Main articles: North America and List of North American countries

[edit] South America

Main articles: South America and List of South American countries

[edit] Oceania

Main articles: Oceania and List of Oceanian countries

Oceania is a geopolitical region, rather than a continent, consisting of many countries in the Pacific Ocean, including those in the continent of Australia and the Pacific Islands.

[edit] Antarctica

Main article: Antarctica

Antarctica is regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System, which defines it as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S. It has no government and belongs to no country; however, eight Antarctic territorial claims are maintained by seven different countries. Moreover, the following dependent territories which include sub-Antarctic islands north of 60°S can be associated with the continent of Antarctica.

Notes
  1. ^ South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is sometimes considered as a South American territory, since it is administered from the Falkland Islands.

[edit] Partition of countries according to geographical criteria

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries of the continents, see here.

In this list, countries are classified according to geographical criteria, where differences from the previous list are noted.

[edit] Boundaries of Africa

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries of Africa, see here.

[edit] Suez Canal

Considering the Suez Canal as a boundary between Africa and Asia, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

  • Egypt: Africa, west of the Suez Canal; to the east, Asia.

[edit] Continental shelf of Africa

Considering the continental shelf of Africa, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

[edit] Boundaries between Asia and Europe

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries between Asia and Europe, see here.

[edit] Sea of Marmara and Turkish Straits

Considering the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles) as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

  • Turkey: Asia, east and south of the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits; to the west and north, Europe.

[edit] Ural definitions

Considering the Ural definition that follows the watershed of the Ural Mountains, and then the Ural River until the Caspian Sea, as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

  • Kazakhstan: Asia, east of the Ural River; to the west, Europe.
  • Russia: Europe, west and north of the Ural Mountains watershed and the Ural River; to the east and south, Asia.

Considering the Ural definition that follows the watershed of the Ural Mountains, and then the Ural River until it reaches Kazakhstan's border for the first time, and then the Or River and the Emba River, as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

  • Kazakhstan: Asia, east of the Or River and the Emba River; to the west, Europe.
  • Russia: Europe, west of the Ural Mountains watershed and the Ural River (until it reaches Kazakhstan's border for the first time); to the east, Asia.

[edit] Caucasus definitions

Considering the Caucasus definition that follows the watershed of the Greater Caucasus of the Caucasus Mountains as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

  • Azerbaijan: Asia, south of the Greater Caucasus watershed; to the north, Europe (very small area).
  • Georgia: Asia, south of the Greater Caucasus watershed; to the north, Europe (very small area).
  • Russia: Europe, north of the Greater Caucasus watershed; to the south, Asia (very small area).

Considering the Caucasus definition that follows the Meso-Caucaso, marked by the Rioni River and the Kura River (from Tbilisi on), as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

  • Azerbaijan: Asia, south of the Kura River; to the north, Europe.
  • Georgia: Asia, south of the Rioni River and the Kura River (from Tbilisi on); to the north, Europe.

Considering the Caucasus definition that follows the Kuma-Manych Depression, marked by the Kuma River and the Manych River, as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

  • Russia: Europe, north of the Kuma River and the Manych River; to the south, Asia.

Though very rare, considering the Caucasus definition that follows the watershed of the Lesser Caucasus of the Caucasus Mountains as a boundary between Asia and Europe, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

  • Armenia: Europe; isolated spots in the south in Asia.
  • Azerbaijan: Europe; isolated spots in the south in Asia.
  • Georgia: Europe; isolated spots in the south in Asia.
  • Iran: Asia; isolated spots in the northwest in Europe.
  • Turkey: Asia; isolated spots in the northeast in Europe.

[edit] Continental shelfs of Asia and Europe

Considering the continental shelfs of Asia and Europe, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

[edit] Boundaries between Asia and North America

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries between Asia and North America, see here.

[edit] Continental shelfs of Asia and North America

Considering the continental shelfs of Asia and North America, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

[edit] Boundaries between Europe and North America

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries between Europe and North America, see here.

[edit] Continental shelfs of Europe and North America

Considering the continental shelfs of Europe and North America, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

[edit] Boundaries between North and South America

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries between North and South America, see here.

[edit] Panama Canal

Considering the Panama Canal as a boundary between North and South America, the following change from the UN definition occurs:

  • Panama: North America, west of the Panama Canal; to the east, South America.

[edit] Continental shelfs of North and South America

Considering the continental shelfs of North and South America, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

[edit] Boundaries of Oceania

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries of Oceania, see here.

[edit] Asia-Australasia divisions

Considering the Asia-Australasia division that follows the anthropologic Melanesian Line as a boundary between Asia and Oceania, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

Considering the Asia-Australasia division that follows the zoologic Wallace Line as a boundary between Asia and Oceania, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

Though very rare, considering the Malay Archipelago as being part of Oceania, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

[edit] Pacific Islands

Considering all Pacific Islands as being part of Oceania, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

[edit] Boundaries of Antarctica

For a detailed description of the geographical boundaries of Antarctica, see here.

[edit] Sub-Antarctic islands

Considering sub-Antarctic islands north of 60°S which are fully integrated with its country, the following changes from the UN definition occur:

[edit] See also

[edit] Geography by continent

[edit] Lists of countries

[edit] Tables of countries and territories (with area, population, population density, and capital) in each continent

[edit] References

  1. ^ Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings, United Nations Statistics Division.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_continent"