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List of countries by continents facts for kids

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This article lists countries and their capitals, grouped by continent. There are different ways to divide the world into continents. The most common way uses seven continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America, and Antarctica.

Sometimes, continents are combined. For example, Europe and Asia can be seen as one big continent called Eurasia. Or, North and South America can be joined to form The Americas. If you combine both of these, you get a five-continent system. There's even a four-continent system where Africa joins Eurasia, making Afro-Eurasia.

Antarctica is unique because it has no permanent population. Because of this, it's sometimes left out of continent lists. The most common system used depends on the country you are in.

It's tricky to say exactly how many countries there are in the world. The simplest answer is the 193 countries that are members of the United Nations. However, some other places act like independent countries, even if they aren't officially recognized by everyone. This list mainly includes countries that are UN members, following the seven-continent system.

Exploring Africa: Countries and Capitals

Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, both in size and population. It covers about 30.3 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles). This is about 6% of Earth's total surface and 20% of its land. Around 1.3 billion people live here, which is about 16% of the world's population. Africa is surrounded by large bodies of water. It has 54 fully recognized independent countries. Many scientists believe the first humans evolved in Africa.

  1. Algeria - Algiers
  2. Angola - Luanda
  3. Benin - Porto Novo, Cotonou
  4. Botswana - Gaborone
  5. Burkina Faso - Ouagadougou
  6. Burundi - Gitega
  7. Cameroon - Yaoundé
  8. Cape Verde - Praia
  9. Central African Republic - Bangui
  10. Chad - N'Djamena
  11. Comoros - Moroni
  12. Republic of the Congo - Brazzaville
  13. Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kinshasa
  14. Côte d'Ivoire - Yamoussoukro
  15. Djibouti - Djibouti
  16. Egypt - Cairo
  17. Equatorial Guinea - Malabo
  18. Eritrea - Asmara
  19. Ethiopia - Addis Ababa
  20. Gabon - Libreville
  21. The Gambia - Banjul
  22. Ghana - Accra
  23. Guinea - Conakry
  24. Guinea-Bissau - Bissau
  25. Kenya - Nairobi
  26. Lesotho - Maseru
  27. Liberia - Monrovia
  28. Libya - Tripoli
  29. Madagascar - Antananarivo
  30. Malawi - Lilongwe
  31. Mali - Bamako
  32. Mauritania - Nouakchott
  33. Mauritius - Port Louis
  34. Morocco - Rabat
  35. Mozambique - Maputo
  36. Namibia - Windhoek
  37. Niger - Niamey
  38. Nigeria - Abuja
  39. Rwanda - Kigali
  40. São Tomé and Príncipe - São Tomé
  41. Senegal - Dakar
  42. Seychelles - Victoria, Seychelles
  43. Sierra Leone - Freetown
  44. Somalia - Mogadishu
  45. South Africa - Pretoria
  46. South Sudan - Juba
  47. Sudan - Khartoum
  48. Eswatini - Mbabane
  49. Tanzania - Dodoma
  50. Togo - Lomé
  51. Tunisia - Tunis
  52. Uganda - Kampala
  53. Western Sahara - El Aaiún (status is debated)
  54. Zambia - Lusaka
  55. Zimbabwe - Harare

Antarctica: The Icy Continent

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the South Pole and is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle. The Southern Ocean surrounds it. Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent, covering 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles). This makes it nearly twice the size of Australia.

About 98% of Antarctica is covered by a thick layer of ice. However, there are also large ice shelves where ice floats on water. Beneath the ice, there are important geographical features. For example, the huge Lake Vostok has been hidden under ice for at least 15 million years. There is also a massive rift valley and a huge mountain range, both currently covered by ice.

Asia: The Largest Continent

Asia is the largest and most populated continent. It is one of the seven continents. According to the United Nations, Asia has 48 countries. It also includes many regions that act like countries, even if their status is debated.

  1. Afghanistan - Kabul
  2. Armenia - Yerevan
  3. Azerbaijan - Baku
  4. Bahrain - Manama
  5. Bangladesh - Dhaka
  6. Bhutan - Thimphu
  7. Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan
  8. Cambodia - Phnom Penh
  9. China - Beijing
  10. East Timor - Dili
  11. Georgia - Tbilisi
  12. India - New Delhi
  13. Indonesia - Jakarta
  14. Iran - Tehran
  15. Iraq - Baghdad
  16. Israel - Tel Aviv
  17. Japan - Tokyo
  18. Jordan - Amman
  19. Kazakhstan - Nur-Sultan
  20. Kuwait - Kuwait City
  21. Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek
  22. Laos - Vientiane
  23. Lebanon - Beirut
  24. Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
  25. Maldives - Malé
  26. Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar
  27. Myanmar - Naypyidaw
  28. Nepal - Kathmandu
  29. North Korea - Pyongyang
  30. Oman - Muscat
  31. Pakistan - Islamabad
  32. Philippines - Manila
  33. Palestine - Jerusalem
  34. Qatar - Doha
  35. Russia - Moscow (Part of Russia is in Asia, but politically it's often seen as part of Europe.)
  36. Saudi Arabia - Riyadh
  37. Singapore - Singapore
  38. South Korea - Seoul
  39. Sri Lanka - Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte (administrative), Colombo (commercial)
  40. Syria - Damascus
  41. Tajikistan - Dushanbe
  42. Thailand - Bangkok
  43. Turkey - Ankara
  44. Turkmenistan - Aşgabat
  45. Taiwan - Taipei (Taiwan is not a UN member due to a dispute with China.)
  46. United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi
  47. Uzbekistan - Tashkent
  48. Vietnam - Hanoi
  49. Yemen - Sana'a

There isn't a clear official border between Europe and Asia. However, the United Nations considers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey to be part of Asia.

Europe: A Continent of History and Culture

Europe is the second-smallest continent in size, but it is the third most populated. It is one of the seven continents. In some other systems, it is combined with Asia to form Eurasia. Below is a list of 45 countries that are fully located within Europe.

  1. Albania - Tirana
  2. Andorra - Andorra la Vella
  3. Austria - Vienna
  4. Belarus - Minsk
  5. Belgium - Brussels
  6. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo
  7. Bulgaria - Sofia
  8. Croatia - Zagreb
  9. Cyprus - Nicosia
  10. Czech Republic - Prague
  11. Denmark - Copenhagen
  12. Estonia - Tallinn
  13. Finland - Helsinki
  14. France - Paris
  15. Germany - Berlin
  16. Greece - Athens
  17. Hungary - Budapest
  18. Iceland - Reykjavík (Iceland sits on the border of the European and North American tectonic plates.)
  19. Republic of Ireland - Dublin
  20. Italy - Rome
  21. Kosovo - Pristina (Kosovo is a territory with de facto independence, but its status is disputed.)
  22. Latvia - Riga
  23. Liechtenstein - Vaduz
  24. Lithuania - Vilnius
  25. Luxembourg - Luxembourg City
  26. North Macedonia - Skopje
  27. Malta - Valletta
  28. Moldova - Chișinău
  29. Monaco - Monte Carlo Quarter
  30. Montenegro - Podgorica
  31. Netherlands - Amsterdam (Capital), The Hague (Government)
  32. Norway - Oslo
  33. Poland - Warsaw
  34. Portugal - Lisbon
  35. Romania - Bucharest
  36. Russia - Moscow (The United Nations considers Russia to be part of Europe.)
  37. San Marino - San Marino
  38. Serbia - Belgrade
  39. Slovakia - Bratislava
  40. Slovenia - Ljubljana
  41. Spain - Madrid
  42. Sweden - Stockholm
  43. Switzerland - Bern
  44. Ukraine - Kyiv
  45. United Kingdom - London
  46. Vatican City - Vatican City (Vatican City is an observer state at the UN, not a full member.)

North America: From Canada to the Caribbean

North America is the third-largest continent and the fourth most populated. It is one of the seven continents. It includes 23 countries and many dependent territories.

  1. Antigua and Barbuda - St. John's
  2. Anguilla - The Valley (territory of U.K.)
  3. Aruba - Oranjestad (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  4. The Bahamas - Nassau
  5. Barbados - Bridgetown
  6. Belize - Belmopan
  7. Bermuda - Hamilton (territory of U.K.)
  8. Bonaire - part of the Netherlands
  9. British Virgin Islands - Road Town (territory of U.K.)
  10. Canada - Ottawa
  11. Cayman Islands - George Town (territory of U.K.)
  12. Clipperton Island - (territory of France)
  13. Costa Rica - San José
  14. Cuba - Havana
  15. Curaçao - Willemstad (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  16. Dominica - Roseau
  17. Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo
  18. El Salvador - San Salvador
  19. Greenland - Nuuk (territory of Denmark)
  20. Grenada - St George's
  21. Guadeloupe - (territory of France)
  22. Guatemala - Guatemala
  23. Haiti - Port-au-Prince
  24. Honduras - Tegucigalpa
  25. Jamaica - Kingston
  26. Martinique - Fort-de-France Bay (territory of France)
  27. Mexico - Mexico City
  28. Montserrat - Plymouth, Brades, Little Bay (territory of U.K.)
  29. Navassa Island - Washington, D.C. (territory of U.S.)
  30. Nicaragua - Managua
  31. Panama - Panama City
  32. Puerto Rico - San Juan (territory of U.S.)
  33. Saba - The Bottom (territory of Netherlands)
  34. Saint Barthelemy - Gustavia (territory of France)
  35. Saint Kitts and Nevis - Basseterre
  36. Saint Lucia - Castries
  37. Saint Martin - Marigot (territory of France)
  38. Saint Pierre and Miquelon - Saint-Pierre (territory of France)
  39. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Kingstown
  40. Sint Eustatius - Oranjestad (territory of Netherlands)
  41. Sint Maarten - Philipsburg (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  42. Trinidad and Tobago - Port of Spain
  43. Turks and Caicos - Cockburn Town (British Overseas Territory)
  44. United States of America - Washington, District of Columbia
  45. US Virgin Islands - Charlotte Amalie (territory of U.S.)

South America: A Continent of Diversity

South America is the fourth-largest continent and the fifth most populated. It is one of the seven continents. In other systems, it is part of The Americas. It includes 12 countries and 3 dependent territories.

  1. Argentina - Buenos Aires
  2. Bolivia - Sucre
  3. Brazil - Brasília
  4. Chile - Santiago
  5. Colombia - Bogotá
  6. Ecuador - Quito
  7. Falkland Islands - Stanley (territory of U.K.)
  8. French Guiana - Cayenne (territory of France)
  9. Guyana - Georgetown
  10. Paraguay - Asunción
  11. Peru - Lima
  12. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands - (territory of U.K.)
  13. Suriname - Paramaribo
  14. Uruguay - Montevideo
  15. Venezuela - Caracas

Oceania: Islands of the Pacific

The region of Australia and the nations of the Pacific Ocean are often called Oceania. This is the term used by the United Nations. The term Pacific Islands usually does not include New Zealand or Australia. The native Māori people of New Zealand are Polynesian.

Historically, the region was sometimes called Australasia. This name is based more on natural features like geology and geography rather than politics. It includes Australia, New Zealand, and all of New Guinea, plus islands that are geologically connected.

Here are the 14 countries in Oceania, according to the UN:

  1. Australia - Canberra
  2. Federated States of Micronesia - Palikir
  3. Fiji - Suva
  4. Kiribati - South Tarawa
  5. Marshall Islands - Majuro
  6. Nauru - no capital; biggest city is Yaren
  7. New Zealand - Wellington
  8. Palau - Melekeok
  9. Papua New Guinea - Port Moresby
  10. Samoa - Apia
  11. Solomon Islands - Honiara
  12. Tonga - Nuku'alofa
  13. Tuvalu - Funafuti
  14. Vanuatu - Port Vila

Australasia is not a political region. It's a natural area of islands defined by its geology, geography, botany (plants), and zoology (animals). It is also an ecozone.

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