In Find the Continents you found the seven continents by their shapes. Now let us compare them: how big they are, and how many people live on each.
Key idea
Asia is the largest continent, by area and by number of people. Africa is second in both. Australia is the smallest continent, and Antarctica has no permanent residents, only scientists and staff who come and go.
| Continent | Area (about, million km²) | Rank by area |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | 44.6 | 1 |
| Africa | 30.3 | 2 |
| North America | 24.7 | 3 |
| South America | 17.8 | 4 |
| Antarctica | 14.0 | 5 |
| Europe | 10.2 | 6 |
| Australia | 7.7 | 7 |
Why it works
A continent is a very large landmass, but geographers also count history and culture. That is why Europe is a continent even though it is joined to Asia: together they form one landmass, Eurasia. The usual dividing line runs down the Ural Mountains and the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, then along the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea. Some countries, such as Russia, Kazakhstan and Türkiye (Turkey), lie on both sides.
Worked example: Ordering by size
Put these continents in order from largest to smallest: Europe, Africa, South America.
- Africa is about 30.3 million km².
- South America is about 17.8 million km².
- Europe is about 10.2 million km².
Answer: Africa, South America, Europe.
Worked example: How many times?
About how many times bigger is Asia than Australia?
- 44.6 ÷ 7.7 is about 5.8.
- Round to a friendly number.
Answer: About 6 times bigger.
Common mistake
Thinking Europe is a separate landmass with water all around it, like Australia. Europe and Asia are joined along a long land border; the line between them is a choice people made, mostly following the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus. Some books count six continents (joining Europe and Asia, or North and South America); this course uses seven.