More You Know: The Seven Continents

Posted on 09/18/2021 by Pisaries Creator

When I researched how many countries are in each continent, I grew more tired of compiling a list only a handful would read. Therefore, I said screw it and focused on a few things stats from each continent. I understand each of these continents can be broken down like Eastern and Western Europe, Central and South America, South and East Asia, Middle and Northern Africa, etc. I encourage everyone to look at the world map and learn more about it because no one knows where every country resides unless you’re an expert in geography.

Asia has the largest land size and population. Africa is the second largest for land size and population. Europe is the third largest for population but sixth in land size. North and South America are fourth and fifth for population but third and fourth in land size. Australia is the seventh largest for land size but sixth for population. Antarctica is the fifth largest in land size and last for population for obvious reasons. The consensus seems to be 54 countries in Africa, 48 countries in Asia, 44 countries in Europe, 23 countries in North America, and 12 countries in South America. There is less consensus about Australia/Oceania and again nobody lives in Antarctica for very long.

Asia has around 4.6 billion people living there. This isn’t really a surprise since China and India have many cities with millions of people. Besides China being one of the richest countries, the Middle Eastern are rich in minerals and oil reserves. Due to the billions of people living there, Asia has the largest number of languages spoken. Asia makes up about 60% of the total population.

Africa has around 1.3 billion people living there. The largest cities are in Nigeria, Congo, and Egypt. The Nile river, the longest in the world, is in northern Africa and is around 6,650 kilometers or 4,130 miles. All living humans have common ancestry as the first humans originated from this continent and branched out. Africa makes up about 17% of the total population.

Europe has around 750 million people living there. There is a difference between the rich and poor as the western countries are considered richer than the eastern countries. Some of the smallest countries is in Europe such as San Marino, Liechtenstein, Vatican City, Monaco, and Malta. Europe makes up about 10% of the total population.

North America has around 580 million people living there. English is the language most spoken as a first or second language. The largest cities are New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Christianity is the predominant religion practiced due to the large numbers of Catholics and Protestants. North America makes up about 8% of the total population.

South America has around 430 million people living there. The oldest civilization is in Central America with the Mayans. South America has the largest mountain range, highest waterfalls, and driest place in the world with the Andes, Angel Falls, and Atacama Desert. South America makes up about 5.6% of the total population.

Australia/Oceania has around 43 million people living there. The most notable regions/countries are New Zealand, Vanuatu, Australasia, Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. The largest cities are Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane. It is the smallest in size of all the continents and also has islands. Australia/Oceania make up about .5% of the total population.

Antarctica has zero people living there permanently because no one would want to live there all the time. It is covered with ice and makes up around 60% of the water for humans to drink. This isn’t surprising since most of the ice is located there. Antarctica makes up 0% of the total population.

The world has around 8.7 billion people. The projections are 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.8 billion by 2100. I will probably still be alive by 2050 and hopefully in retirement. I give myself the latest of 2070 before I die. While this FYI/MYK puts things in perspective, I really hope it’s not during another pandemic. Then again, history often repeats a version of itself. I’ll leave my future possibilities and lives for another day.