What are continents?

A continent is a large, continuous area of land that is composed of a kind of rock called “continental crust.” Continental crust is largely granite. For the most part, the continents are separated by oceans. However, if you look at a map you will see that some of the continents are actually touching one another. This is because a continent is more than a geographically distinct land mass made of a certain kind of rock; it is also an area of land whose inhabitants make up cultural groups who have things in common with each other. For example, though Europe, Asia, and Africa share borders, they are comprised of people with three very distinct cultural identities. A continent usually includes the islands that are associated with it.

Asia is the largest and most populated continent. There are 50 countries in Asia, and 60% of the people on Earth live there. The next largest continent is Africa. There are 54 countries in Africa. Africa is the hottest continent. The world’s largest desert, the Sahara, takes up 25% of its total area. Europe, though comprised of 51 countries, is the next to smallest continent.

The coldest continent is Antarctica. Antarctica is completely covered with ice. The only people on the continent are scientists working at research stations. The smallest continent is Australia. There are 14 countries in Australia. It is the next to least populated continent, home to only .3% of the people who live on earth.