WORLD CONTINENTS AND ITS COUNTRIES ACCORDING AND RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS (UN)

ASIA AFRICA NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA

• Afghanistan • Algeria • Antigua and Barbuda • Argentina
• Armenia (transcontinental - generally • Angola • Bahamas • Bolivia
considered Asian) • Benin • Barbados • Brazil
• Azerbaijan (transcontinental - generally • Botswana • Belize • Chile
considered Asian) • Burkina Faso • Canada • Colombia
• Bahrain • Burundi • Costa Rica • Ecuador
• Bangladesh • Cabo Verde/Cape Verde • Cuba • Guyana
• Bhutan • Cameroon • Dominica • Paraguay
• British Indian Ocean Territory (UK • Central African Republic • Dominican Republic • Peru
territory) • Chad • El Salvador • Suriname
• Brunei • Comoros • Grenada • Uruguay
• Cambodia • Congo/Republic of the Congo • Guatemala • Venezuela
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• China • Haiti
• Djibouti
• Cyprus (transcontinental - generally • Honduras Territories of South
• Egypt (transcontinental - generally
considered European) • Jamaica America:
considered African)
• Egypt (transcontinental - generally • Equatorial Guinea • Mexico • Bouvet Island (Norway)
considered African) • Eritrea • Nicaragua • Falkland Islands (UK)
• Georgia (transcontinental - generally • Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) • Panama • French Guinea (France)
considered Asian) • Ethiopia • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Nueva Esparta
• Hong Kong (China - Special • Gabon • Saint Lucia (Venezuela)
Administrative Region) • Gambia, The • Saint Vincent and the • South Georgia and the
• India • Ghana Grenadines South Sandwich Islands
• Indonesia • Guinea • Trinidad and Tobago (UK)
• Iran • Guinea-Bissau • United States of America
• Iraq • Ivory Coast/Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
• Israel (U.N. member, though partially • Kenya
unrecognized) • Lesotho Territories of North America
• Japan • Liberia • Anguilla (UK)
• Jordan • Libya • Aruba (Netherlands)
• Kazakhstan (transcontinental - generally • Madagascar • Bermuda (UK)
considered Asian) • Malawi • Bonaire (Netherlands)
• Kuwait • Mali • British Virgin Islands (UK)
• Kyrgyzstan • Mauritania • Cayman Islands (UK)
• Laos • Mauritius • Clipperton Island (France)
• Morocco
• Lebanon • Mozambique • Curaçao (Netherlands)
• Macau (China - Special Administrative • Namibia • Greenland (Denmark)
Region) • Niger • Guadeloupe (France)
• Malaysia • Nigeria • Martinique (France)
• Maldives • Rwanda • Montserrat (UK)
• Mongolia • Sao Tome and Principe • Navassa Island (USA)
• Myanmar (formerly Burma) • Senegal • Puerto Rico (USA)
• Nepal • Seychelles • Saba (Netherlands)
• North Korea (Democratic People's • Sierra Leone • Saint Barthélemy (France)
Republic of Korea) • Somalia • Saint Martin (France)
• Oman • South Africa • Saint Pierre and
• Pakistan • South Sudan Miquelon (France)
• Sudan
• Palestine (limited recognition) • Sint Eustatius (Netherlands)
• Tanzania
• Philippines • Sint Maarten (Netherlands)
• Togo
• Qatar • Turks and Caicos (UK)
• Tunisia
• Russia (transcontinental - generally • US Virgin Islands (USA)
• Uganda
considered European) • Zambia
• Saudi Arabia • Zimbabwe
• Singapore
• South Korea (Republic of Korea) Territories of Africa:
• Sri Lanka • Canary Islands (Spain)
• Syria • Ceuta (Spain)
• Taiwan (limited recognition - claimed • French Southern and Antarctic Lands
by China) (France)
• Tajikistan • Madeira (Portugal)
• Thailand • Mayotte (France)
• Timor-Leste/East Timor • Melilla (Spain)
• Turkey (transcontinental - generally • Pelagie Islands (Italy)
considered European) • Plazas de Soberania (Spain)
• Turkmenistan • Reunion (France)
• United Arab Emirates • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da
• Uzbekistan Cunha (UK)
• Vietnam • Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)
• Yemen
 WORLD CONTINENTS AND ITS COUNTRIES ACCORDING AND RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED NATIONS (UN)
ANTARCTICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA
Territories of Antarctica: • Albania • Australia
• Adélie Land (France) • Andorra • Fiji
• Argentine Antarctica (Argentina) • Armenia (transcontinental - generally • Kiribati
considered Asian)
• Australian Antarctic Territory (Australia) • Marshall Islands
• Austria
• British Antarctic Territory (UK) • Azerbaijan (transcontinental - generally • Micronesia (The Federated States of)
• Chilean Antarctic Territory (Chile) considered Asian) • Nauru
• Peter I Island (Norway) • Belarus • New Zealand
• Queen Maud Land (Norway) • Belgium • Palau
• Ross Dependency (New Zealand) • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Papua New Guinea
• Bulgaria • Samoa
• Croatia
• Solomon Islands
• Cyprus (generally considered European)
• Czechia/Czech Republic • Tonga
• Denmark • Tuvalu
• Estonia • Vanuatu
• Finland
• France Territories of Oceania:
• Georgia (transcontinental - generally • American Samoa (US)
considered Asian)
• Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Australia)
• Germany
• Greece • Baker Island (US)
• Hungary • Cook Islands (New Zealand)
• Iceland • Coral Sea Islands (Australia)
• Ireland • Easter Island (Chile)
• Italy • French Polynesia (France)
• Kazakhstan (transcontinental - generally • Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)
considered Asian)
• Guam (US)
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Howland Island (US)
• Lithuania • Jarvis Island (US)
• Luxembourg • Johnston Atoll (US)
• Malta • Kingman Reef (US)
• Moldova • Midway Atoll (US)
• Monaco • New Caledonia (France)
• Montenegro • Niue (New Zealand)
• Netherlands • Norfolk Island (Australia)
• North Macedonia
• Northern Mariana Islands (US)
• Norway
• Poland • Palmyra Atoll (US)
• Portugal • Papua (Indonesia) (Not same as Papua New
• Romania Guinea)
• Russia (transcontinental - generally • Pitcairn Islands (UK)
considered European) • San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia)
• San Marino • Tokelau (New Zealand)
• Serbia
• Wake Island (US)
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Wallis and Futuna (France)
• Spain • West Papua (Indonesia)
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey (transcontinental - generally
considered European)
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• Vatican City (Holy See)

Territories of Europe:
• Åland (Finland)
• Channel Islands (UK)
• Faroe Islands (Denmark)
• Gibraltar (UK)
• Guernsey (UK - crown dependency)
• Isle of Man (UK - crown dependency)
• Jersey (UK - crown dependency)
• Kosovo (partially recognized, claimed by
Serbia)
• Northern Cyprus (not recognized, claimed by
Cyprus)
• Northern Ireland (UK)
• Svalbard (Norway)
 CONTINENTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ASIA • Asia has the second-highest number of countries of any continent, but exactly how many that is can be tricky to determine. The United
Nations recognizes 49 countries in Asia, which is the most widely accepted number. However, depending upon which territories one
recognizes and which intercontinental countries one includes, Asia could be said to have as few as 45 or as many as 53 countries.
• The most populous country in Asia (and the world) is China, which has more than 1.4 billion people. The largest country by land area is
Russia, which is 6.6 million square miles (17.125 million square kilometers)—however, because 78% of its people live in the European
part of the country, Russia is generally considered to be a European country.
• In fact, Asia is the continent with the largest number of transcontinental countries, including
Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, and (surprisingly to many) Egypt, some of which are counted as Asian and
some of which are not. Similarly, Cyprus is geographically located close to Asia's Middle East region but is widely considered a European
country.
• Finally, Asia also includes several partially recognized and/or disputed territories, such as Taiwan (claimed by China), Palestine (disputed
territory), and China's two "Special Administrative Regions," Hong Kong and Macau.

AFRICA • Africa has a total of 54 countries, the most of any continent. The most populous of these countries is Nigeria, which has more than 211
million people. The largest country by land area in Africa is Algeria, which spans over 919,595 mi² (2,381,741 km²). Africa also has one
of the world's best-known transcontinental countries, Egypt, whose northeastern corner extends into Asia.
NORTH AMERICA • North America is made up of 23 countries and nearly as many territories. The most populated of these countries is the United States,
which has a population of 329.9 million people. The largest country in North America by land area is Canada, which spans over 3.855
million square miles (9,984,670 square kilometers). Canada and the United States together occupy 79% of the continent’s total land
area.
• North America also has 22 territories, including some of the world's most compelling non-countries. For instance, Greenland is a vast
island territory many times the size of its "parent" country, Denmark, and many smaller island territories in North America are sought-
after vacation destinations, including Aruba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
SOUTH AMERICA • South America has 12 independent nations and a handful of dependent territories. The largest country in South America by population
and land area is Brazil, which has about 211 million people and spans over 3.288 million square miles (8,515,7767 square kilometers).
Brazil is also the country that contains the largest portion of the Amazon rainforest.
ANTARCTICA • There are technically no countries on the continent of Antarctica. However, seven sovereign states have territorial claims in Antarctica,
EUROPE • Europe has 51 independent U.N.-recognized states. The largest country by both population and land area is Russia with 145.93 million
people and spanning over 6.6 million square miles (17.125 million square kilometers). Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, and Turkey are considered to be transcontinental countries, meaning that they are considered to be parts of both Asia and Europe
AUSTRALIA • The largest country by population and land area is Australia, which is home to 25.63 million people and has 2.97 million square miles
(7,692,024 square kilometers) of area. Oceania also boasts a large number of territories, many of which are controlled by the United
States.
Southeast Asia is composed of eleven countries of impressive diversity in religion, culture and history: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar),
Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is also one of the most dynamic
areas of the world economically, a factor which largely accounts for its growing international significance.

▪ Southeast Asia contains 11 different countries.

▪ Approximately 674 million people live in Southeast Asia.
 ▪ Indonesia is the largest and most populous country in Southeast Asia.
▪ Brunei Darussalam is the least populous country in Southeast Asia, and the region's only absolute monarchy.
▪ Timor-Leste (East Timor) is the newest and poorest country in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia, vast region of Asia situated east of the Indian subcontinent and south of China. It consists of two dissimilar portions: a
continental projection (commonly called mainland Southeast Asia) and a string of archipelagoes to the south and east of the mainland
(insular Southeast Asia). Extending some 700 miles (1,100 km) southward from the mainland into insular Southeast Asia is the Malay
Peninsula; this peninsula structurally is part of the mainland, but it also shares many ecological and cultural affinities with the
surrounding islands and thus functions as a bridge between the two regions.
Mainland Southeast Asia is divided into the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, and the small city-
state of Singapore at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula; Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, which occupy the eastern portion of the
mainland, often are collectively called the Indochinese Peninsula. Malaysia is both mainland and insular, with a western portion on the
Malay Peninsula and an eastern part on the island of Borneo. Except for the small sultanate of Brunei (also on Borneo), the remainder
of insular Southeast Asia consists of the archipelagic nations of Indonesia and the Philippines.
Southeast Asia stretches some 4,000 miles at its greatest extent (roughly from northwest to southeast) and encompasses some 5,000,000
square miles (13,000,000 square km) of land and sea, of which about 1,736,000 square miles is land. Mount Hkakabo in northern
Myanmar on the border with China, at 19,295 feet (5,881 metres), is the highest peak of mainland Southeast Asia. Although the modern
nations of the region are sometimes thought of as being small, they are—with the exceptions of Singapore and Brunei—comparatively
large. Indonesia, for example, is more than 3,000 miles from west to east (exceeding the west-east extent of the continental United
States) and more than 1,000 miles from north to south; the area of Laos is only slightly smaller than that of the United Kingdom; and
Myanmar is considerably larger than France.
All of Southeast Asia falls within the tropical and subtropical climatic zones, and much of it receives considerable annual precipitation.
It is subject to an extensive and regular monsoonal weather system (i.e., one in which the prevailing winds reverse direction every six
months) that produces marked wet and dry periods in most of the region. Southeast Asia’s landscape is characterized by three
intermingled physical elements: mountain ranges, plains and plateaus, and water in the form of both shallow seas and extensive drainage
systems. Of these, the rivers probably have been of the greatest historical and cultural significance, for waterways have decisively shaped
forms of settlement and agriculture, determined fundamental political and economic patterns, and helped define the nature of Southeast
 Asians’ worldview and distinctive cultural syncretism. It also has been of great importance that Southeast Asia, which is the most easily
accessible tropical region in the world, lies strategically astride the sea passage between East Asia and the Middle Eastern–
Mediterranean world.
SOUTHEAST ASIA COUNTRIES INFORMATION
BRUNIE • Brunei Darussalam is the least populous country in Southeast Asia. It is based on the island of Borneo,
and is surrounded by territory belonging to Malaysia, except for its northern coast, off of which is part
of the South China Sea. The population of Brunei is an estimated 440,750. Two-thirds of the country’s
population is both Muslim and of ethnic Malay descent. Brunei is home to Southeast Asia’s
last absolute monarchy. The second part of its name, Darussalam, literally means Abode of Peace.
BURMA (MYANMAR) • Myanmar, also known as Burma, is the northernmost country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the
north and northeast by China, to the south by the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to the east by
Laos and Thailand, and to the west by India and Bangladesh. Over 54 million people call Myanmar
home. Most of them live in the Ayeyarwady Delta region.
• The people of Myanmar are very diverse. The Bamar (called Burmans when the country was a British
colony) account for about two-thirds of the country’s population, but there are 135 ethnic groups
recognized by the government and many more that do not have official status. Myanmar’s most recent
history has been defined by the Burmese people’s struggle for democracy against military rule.
Myanmar has also been beset by ethnic conflict. In the last few years, the plight of the Rohingya
Muslims of Myanmar has gained international attention as Burmese military forces have been accused
of committing war crimes and other atrocities against them.

CAMBODIA • Cambodia is located on the Indochinese Peninsula. Vietnam borders the country to the east, Laos to
the north, Thailand to the northwest, and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. Cambodia’s
population is an estimated 17 million. In ancient times, Cambodia was inhabited by people of several
cultures. These people built many cities, including the famous Angkor Wat.
• Modern Cambodia has unfortunately been the scene of violence and unspeakable atrocities. In 1975, a
communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge took power in a coup. They forced city-dwellers to
locate to the countryside and become agricultural laborers. They also tortured and killed hundreds of
thousands of Cambodia’s educated, middle-class citizens. When the Khmer Rouge was finally
overthrown by Vietnamese forces in 1979, at least 1.7 million Cambodians had been killed.
INDONESIA • Indonesia is the largest and most populous country in Southeast Asia. It is located
between Australia and the Philippines, and stretches from the western border of Papua New Guinea,
to the island of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. More than 275 million people call Indonesia home. The
country is made up of 17,508 islands and has a total land area of 1,811,570 km2.
• Indonesia also has the distinction of being the most populous Muslim country in the world. It is a
multicultural and multilingual country. In fact, more than 300 languages are spoken in Indonesia. In
addition to their local languages, most Indonesians also speak Bahasa Indonesia, which is a national
language of sorts and is used as a Lingua franca. Formerly a Dutch colony, Indonesia has been
independent since 1945. Between the 1960s and 1990s, the country enjoyed steady, sometimes rapid,
economic growth. In 1999, Indonesia held its first democratic elections in more than 40 years, and has
managed to maintain its democratic credentials since then.

LAOS • Laos is the only country in Southeast Asia that is landlocked. Vietnam borders it to the east, China to
the north, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west and southwest. The country has a population
of about 7.3 million. Culturally and linguistically, Laos is closely related to Thailand, as they share
similar languages. The country has historically been dominated by its bigger, more powerful neighbors.
In the late 19th century, Laos became a colony of France. After gaining independence in 1949, Laos
was plagued with internal power struggles and involvement in the Vietnam War. A communist regime
took power in 1975, and has ruled the country since.
MALAYSIA • Malaysia consists of the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of the island
of Borneo, which the country shares with Indonesia and Brunei. The population of the country is
approximately 32 million. Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy, consisting of 13 states and
three federal territories.
• The Malays and other closely related ethnic groups comprise the majority of the country’s population,
but there are also large Chinese and Indian communities. Islam is the country’s official religion.
Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia’s economic success stories. It has a strong manufacturing sector and
exports a significant amount of electrical appliances, parts, and components. The World Bank estimates
that by 2024, the country will achieve high-income economic status.

PHILIPPINES • The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ocean, north of Indonesia and south of the island of Taiwan. Like
Indonesia, the Philippines is country comprised of many islands; 7,640 islands, to be exact. The
Philippines has a population of more than 110 million people, nearly a quarter of whom live in the
 greater metropolitan area of Manila, the country’s capital, located on Luzon, the country’s largest
island.
• There are many different ethnicities in the Philippines, the largest of which are the Tagalog, Cebuano,
and Ilocano. There are also many languages spoken in the country, though Tagalog is used as the
national dialect. English is also widely spoken. Most of the people of the Philippines practice Roman
Catholicism, though there is also a sizeable Muslim population on the southernmost island of
Mindanao. The Philippines has seen steady economic growth in the last ten years. Between 2010 and
2019, the country’s economy grew at an average of 6.4% per year.

SINGAPORE • Singapore is an island city-state of approximately 5.8 million people who are from a wide variety of
ethnic and racial backgrounds. It is separated from Malaysia by the Johor Straits. Arguably, no other
country signifies the rapid economic growth of Southeast Asia more than Singapore. Formerly a
constituent state of Malaysia, Singapore became an independent state in 1965. At that time, it was very
much a low-income country. In a matter of decades, however, the country became an economic
powerhouse. It has managed an annual growth rate of 7.7% since independence. Today, Singapore is
ranked the best country on the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, and is also rated as one of the
world’s most competitive economies.
TIMOR-LESTE • Timor-Leste is a small country of about 1.3 million people based on part of the island of Timor. The
other part of the island is controlled by Indonesia. Timor-Leste is the newest and poorest country of
Southeast Asia. The country officially gained independence in 2002, after a long, often violent struggle
against Indonesian rule. This struggle left much of the country’s infrastructure ruined. Thus, the East
Timorese have been in a kind of rebuilding mode ever since. According to the World Bank, some
progress has been made in reducing poverty. Timor-Leste also remains a largely peaceful democracy.
THAILAND • The Kingdom of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is located on the Indochinese Peninsula. Its
neighbors are Myanmar (Burma) to the west, Laos to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia,
on the Malay Peninsula, to the south. Thailand’s coastal area borders the Gulf of Thailand. The
population of Thailand is over 69 million. The people of Thailand practice a unique form of
Buddhism known as Theravada Buddhism. The family is paramount in Thailand, as is being polite and
respectful.
• The history of modern Thailand begins in 1782, with the founding of the Chakri Dynasty, which rules
Thailand to this day. Thailand adopted its first constitution in 1932, eventually emerging as a
parliamentary democracy, though there have also been periods of military rule in the country. In the
last 20 years, Thailand has had to deal with much political and economic uncertainty. The most recent
 political development has been growing dissatisfaction with the monarchy, which has always been
regarded as a sacred institution in Thailand.

VIETNAM • Vietnam is a country on the Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered to the north by China, to the east
and south by the South China Sea, and to the west by Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam is a country of
approximately 98 million people. After declaring independence from France in 1945, Vietnam was
divided into two states, North Vietnam and South Vietnam, in 1954. North Vietnam was a communist
state, while South Vietnam was capitalist. For the next two decades, the two countries would be at war
with each other.
• In 1975, the Vietnam War officially ended when the South Vietnamese surrendered and North
Vietnamese troops captured the South Vietnamese capital, Saigon, which was subsequently
renamed Ho Chi Minh City, after the founder of the Vietnamese communist movement. As a result,
Vietnam was reunited. In the 1980s, Vietnam’s communist government instituted economic reforms,
which moved the country away from communism and towards a more capitalist economic model. The
result was rapid growth over the next 30 years. Between 2002 and 2018, for example, Vietnam’s GDP
per capita increased by 2.7 times, reaching a level of US$ 2,700 by 2019.