Map of the 7 continents and 5 oceans
In the United States and most English-speaking countries, students learn seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania (or Australia) and Antarctica. They are surrounded by five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
The continents in numbers
| Continent | Countries | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 23 | 24,691,013 km² (9,533,253 sq mi) | 598.3 million |
| South America | 12 | 17,720,479 km² (6,841,915 sq mi) | 439.6 million |
| Europe | 46 | 23,144,861 km² (8,936,281 sq mi) | 748.6 million |
| Asia | 48 | 32,060,599 km² (12,378,666 sq mi) | 4.6 billion |
| Africa | 54 | 30,354,466 km² (11,719,925 sq mi) | 1.4 billion |
| Oceania | 14 | 8,510,833 km² (3,286,051 sq mi) | 45 million |
| Antarctica | 0 | ≈ 14 million km² (5.4 million sq mi) | no permanent population |
Area and population are the sum of the countries assigned to each continent in this atlas (Russia is counted in Europe; Turkey, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan in Asia; Central America and the Caribbean in North America).
The 5 oceans
- Pacific Ocean: the largest and deepest ocean, between the Americas, Asia and Oceania; about 165 million km² (64 million sq mi).
- Atlantic Ocean: between the Americas, Europe and Africa; about 106 million km² (41 million sq mi).
- Indian Ocean: between Africa, Asia and Australia; about 70 million km² (27 million sq mi).
- Southern Ocean: surrounds Antarctica; about 21 million km² (8 million sq mi). Recognized by National Geographic as the fifth ocean in 2021.
- Arctic Ocean: the smallest and shallowest, around the North Pole; about 14 million km² (5.4 million sq mi).
How many continents are there?
It depends on where you went to school. The seven-continent model is standard in the US, the UK, India, China and Australia. Much of Latin America and Southern Europe teaches six continents, with a single America; some models join Europe and Asia into Eurasia. The Olympic rings stand for five inhabited continents.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 7 continents in order of size?
Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Oceania (Australia).
Which continent has the most countries?
Africa, with 54 countries recognized by the United Nations.
Which is the largest continent?
Asia, both by area and by population: it covers about 30% of the Earth's land and is home to almost 60% of its people.
Is Australia a continent or a country?
Both. Australia is a country, and the continent it sits on is often called Australia too. In a wider sense, the continent is called Oceania and also includes New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Map of the 7 continents · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.