Chapter 8. The Continents at a Glance
The most common model recognizes seven continents. Figures below are approximate [10].
| Continent | Area (million km²) | Notes |
| Asia | about 44.6 | Largest and most populous; includes the Himalayas and Siberia |
| Africa | about 30.4 | Sahara, Nile, Congo Basin, Great Rift Valley |
| North America | about 24.7 | Rockies, Great Lakes, Mississippi basin |
| South America | about 17.8 | Andes, Amazon basin |
| Antarctica | about 14.2 | Ice-covered, no permanent population |
| Europe | about 10.2 | Many peninsulas, Alps, long coastline |
| Oceania (Australia and Pacific) | about 8.5 | Australia, New Zealand, thousands of islands |
Some regions use five- or six-continent models, and the Europe–Asia boundary is a convention, not a sea.
Largest countries by area: Russia, Canada, the United States and China are consistently listed among the largest. Most populous: India and China, each with about 1.4 billion people [11][17].
Review: On a blank world map, label all seven continents and five oceans.