Transcontinental country

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A transcontinental country is a country belonging to more than one continent. The definitions used may vary according to which criteria are used (whether purely geographical or, on the other hand, political, economic or cultural criteria). An example is Russia, which has its historical core as well as most of its population (75%), economic activity and political institutions (such as its capital city) in Europe, yet geographically most of the territory (75%) is actually in Asia. By most definitions, Russia straddles in Eurasia.

Contents 1 Definitions of the continents 1.1 Islands 1.2 Europe and Asia 1.2.1 Lesser accepted Europe and Asia divisions 1.2.2 Culturally European states 1.2.3 Politically European states 1.3 Africa 1.4 Africa and Europe 1.5 Africa and South America 1.6 Americas 1.7 Europe and North America 1.8 Asia and North America 1.9 Asia and Oceania 1.9.1 Oceania 1.9.2 Australia 1.10 Antarctica 2 List of geographically transcontinental states 2.1 Methodology of calculation 2.2 Countries in both Asia and Europe 2.2.1 Azerbaijan 2.2.2 Georgia 2.2.3 Kazakhstan 2.2.4 Russia 2.2.5 Turkey 2.2.6 Armenia 2.2.7 Greece 2.3 Countries in both Asia and Africa 2.3.1 Egypt 2.3.2 Yemen 2.4 Countries in both Asia and Oceania 2.4.1 East Timor 2.4.2 Indonesia 2.5 Countries in both North America and South America 2.5.1 Aruba 2.5.2 Trinidad and Tobago 2.5.3 Colombia 2.5.4 Netherlands Antilles 2.5.5 Panama 2.6 Countries in both Africa and Europe 2.6.1 Italy 2.6.2 Portugal 2.6.3 Spain 2.6.4 Malta 3 List of transcontinental empires in history 4 See also 5 External link

[edit] Definitions of the continents

[edit] Islands

Continents are called this because they are continuous bodies of land. Thus, an island is not strictly part of any continent, but many islands can be associated with one by geographical proximity (or also by historical convention, political ties or similar "human" criteria). For example, Sumatra, Singapore and Hainan are not literally "in" Asia; nevertheless they are closer to Asia than to any other continent, and also are most closely associated with Asia, so this article will consider them Asiatic islands, and Indonesia and Greece transcontinental countries (likewise for other continents and their adjacent islands). Alternate associations would be defensible in some cases.

Using this definition, the following countries could all be considered transcontinental by virtue of the fact that an integral part of their national territory consists of islands that are situated within the continental shelf of another continent or are otherwise geographically closer to a continent on the mainland of which they have no territory (mainland continent shown below in bold text):

• Australia (Oceania, Asia, and Antarctica)
• Colombia (South America and North America)
• Denmark (Europe and North America (if one includes Greenland))
• France (Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, Africa, and Antarctica)
• Greece (Europe and Asia)
• Iceland (Europe or North America, depending on defining criteria)
• Italy (Europe and Africa)
• Netherlands (if one includes the overseas Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, the Netherlands are split between 3 different continents: Europe, South America and North America)
• Norway (Europe and Antarctica (if one includes Bouvet Island))
• Portugal (Europe and Africa)
• South Africa (Africa and Antarctica (if the Prince Edward Islands are counted as Antarctic islands))
• United Kingdom (if one includes the British overseas territories, the UK still covers ALL continents: the British Isles minus the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar in Europe; Ascension Island, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island in Africa; Bermuda, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Montserrat in North America; the Falkland Islands in South America; the Pitcairn Islands in Oceania; British Indian Ocean Territory in Asia; and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in Antarctica.)
• United States (North America, Oceania, and Asia)
• Venezuela (South America and North America (if one includes Aves Island))
• Yemen (Asia and Africa)

Four countries also include both continental territory and islands in mid-Pacific Ocean; see Oceania, below. At least four countries also include both continental territory and Antarctic island territories recognized by international law; see Antarctica, below.

[edit] Europe and Asia

The nature and boundaries of Europe are as much sociopolitical questions as geographical. Many geologists and geographers agree that Europe and Asia share many common geographical features and they are sometimes referred to as the single continent Eurasia. Europe is nevertheless a distinct geographical entity, mostly a super-peninsula of the mainland of Asia.

The eastern boundary of Europe has been variously defined since antiquity. Herodotus regarded Europe as extending all the way to the Eastern Ocean, and being as long as (and much larger than) Africa and Asia together. The modern world is in consensus that Europe ends at the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea and the Ural Mountains, but the boundaries between these latter two features are uncertain; that leading from the Urals to the Black Sea, for example, has been drawn by different authorities as at the Don, the Kuma-Manych Depression, the Caucasus, the Russian frontier or the Phasis.

Numerous sources (e.g. the National Geographic Society) state that the Europe-Asia boundary follows the watershed of the Ural Mountains from near Kara, Russia on the Kara Sea to the source of the Ural River, then follows that river to the Caspian Sea. The border then follows the watershed of the Caucasus Mountains from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea.

By this definition, the Ural Mountains are on the border of Europe and Asia, likewise for the Greater Caucasus (although Mount Elbrus, which would be the highest point in Europe, is north of the watershed divide, and as such would be entirely in Europe by this definition). The Lesser Caucasus is located entirely in Asia. Russia and Kazakhstan have both European (western) and Asian (eastern) parts (and Russia even had a North American part, before Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867). The Turkish city Istanbul lies in both Europe and Asia, effectively making it a transcontinental city. Georgia and Azerbaijan both have most of their territory in Asia, although each has small parts of its northern territory in Europe.

Due to Kazakhstan's Central Asian culture and political orientation, it is very rarely regarded as a European country, despite its sizable territory in Europe. Three nations of the South Caucasus, however – Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia – have a stronger sociopolitical claim to be European. Of these three, only Georgia and Azerbaijan are generally regarded as having portions of territory in Europe, but Armenia may be regarded as European for cultural and historical reasons. All three, however, are typically excluded from lists of European states.

Russia's Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya extend northward from the northern end of the Ural Mountains and are a continuation of the chain into the Arctic Ocean. They separate the European Barents Sea and the Asian Kara Sea, and may be considered part of Europe or Asia. The maps on this page show them with Europe, as they are used in the calculations. The Russian Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land farther north is also associated with Europe.

[edit] Lesser accepted Europe and Asia divisions

• Emba River definition This definition defines the border between the source of the Ural and the Caspian sea, as follows: After the Ural River reaches Kazakhstan's border, some consider the Eurasian division to follow the Ural's tributary, the Or River, to its source, and then overland to the source of Emba River, and down the Emba to the Caspian Sea. This definition leaves a greater part of Kazakhstan in Europe.
• Meso-Caucasus definition This definition defines the border between the Caspian and Black seas, as follows: The border goes between the Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus, and is marked by Rioni and lower Kura rivers, although this border is ill-defined between the two rivers. This definition leaves a greater part of Georgia and Azerbaijan in Europe.
• Kuma-Manych Depression definition This definition defines the border between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea as the Kuma-Manych Depression, marked by the rivers of the same name, which are connected by a canal. This definition places Georgia and Azerbaijan entirely in Asia.
• Lesser Caucasus definition Though very rare, this definition defines the border between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea as the watershed of the Lesser Caucasus. This definition places Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia almost entirely in Europe, and Turkey and Iran almost entirely in Asia; however, some isolated spots of these five countries can be placed on the other continent.
• Russian Waterways definition A lesser known and rare definition, it considers the net of Western Russia waterways, connected by many canals, to be the Eurasian division. This definition is based on the idea of circumnavigation of a continent, which would be possible through these waterways. It considers as the border, beginning at the White Sea, to be: The Northern Dvina River, then the Sukhona River and Northern Dvina Canal. From there the border follows the Volga's tributary, the Sheksna River, reaching the Rybinsk Reservoir and finally the Volga River, following it until the Volga-Don Canal, which it follows into the Don River, finally following the Don until it terminates in the Black Sea. This would place considerably more of Russia and the entire Caucasus region in Asia, as well as place Ukraine on the continental border at the Strait of Kerch.
• Political Russian division The division of Russia, considering the Russian Federal Subjects, is the following:
  • On Europe's border, from north to south: Nenetsia Autonomous Okrug, Komi Republic, Perm Krai, Bashkortostan Republic and Orenburg Oblast;
  • On Asia's border, from north to south: Yamalia Autonomous Okrug, Khantia-Mansia Autonomous Okrug, Sverdlovsk Oblast and Chelyabinsk Oblast.

[edit] Culturally European states

Other nations have strong cultural ties with Europe, such as the north African states of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. However, the clear boundary of the Mediterranean Sea excludes these nations geographically. Israel also has European ties, due in part to its unique history; thus, perhaps confusingly, a Middle Eastern state geographically in Asia is represented in the UEFA European football league (Australia similarly has joined the Asian Football Confederation) and the Eurovision Song Contest (also Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia are members of European Broadcasting Union EBU and therefore have right to participate in the competition, which Morocco actually did in 1980). Some in Israel, Morocco and Tunisia have shown ambition to become a state of the European Union, but currently full membership is disallowed (Morocco applied to join, but was rejected on geographical grounds). Of course, many other countries outside Europe have cultural and historical ties to Europe as a consequence of colonization and migration.

[edit] Politically European states

See also Geographic criteria for EU membership

Europe ends in the west at the Atlantic Ocean, although Iceland (in the Atlantic, between Europe and North America) is usually considered European, as is the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Greenland is geographically associated with North America but politically associated with Europe (as it is still part of Denmark, although EU law no longer applies there). Turkey, despite having only 3% of its land in Europe, has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1949 and an official candidate for membership of the European Union since 2005. Islands geographically associated with one continent sometimes have stronger political and cultural ties to another. For example, Cyprus, an island off the coast of Asia, was admitted to the Council of Europe in 1961 and joined the EU in 2004. Cape Verde, an island group off the Atlantic coast of Africa, has also shown an interest in joining the EU. Armenia and Azerbaijan, also geographically Asian states, joined the Council of Europe in 2001.

[edit] Africa

The natural geographical boundaries of Africa are the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The boundary between them has been drawn either up the Gulf of Suez or up the Gulf of Aqaba. On purely geological grounds, the boundary could be drawn along the fault-line into the Jordan River valley (which would make Israel an African country).

The usual line today is at the Isthmus of Suez along the path of the Suez Canal. This makes the Sinai Peninsula geographically Asian, and Egypt a transcontinental country. Nevertheless Egypt is commonly referred to as an African state, because most of its population and territory are there. Geopolitically, Egypt is sometimes regarded as an Asian state, and it is usually considered part of the transcontinental geopolitical region of the Middle East.

In historical geography, several of the larger Mediterranean islands have often been more akin to Africa than to Europe or Asia. Ancient Egypt often ruled Cyprus, and sometimes Crete and Rhodes. The Roman Empire grouped Crete with Cyrenaica (in ancient Libya.) The Balearic Islands and half of Sicily were ruled from Carthage.

The Canary Islands and Madeira Islands are off the Atlantic coast of Morocco, and although they are geographically part of Africa, they are under the rule of Spain and Portugal, respectively, and geopolitically part of Europe. Under Moorish rule prior to Southwest European colonization, they were fully integrated into Africa.

Mayotte, situated in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar (also geographically part of Africa) is under the rule of France, as are Réunion Island east of Madagascar and some scattered islands in the Indian Ocean also associated with Africa. The Seychelles, Mauritius, and Comoros are island nations also associated with Africa.

[edit] Africa and Europe

The boundaries between Europe and Africa are almost entirely clear-cut and undisputed, since the two continents occupy opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea, of which the midway areas are mostly devoid of islands. Spain owns the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the African mainland. Sicily forms an extension of Europe into the heart of the Mediterranean, with only Malta, Pantelleria, and the Pelagie Islands falling into question.

Malta is geographically associated with Africa but has geopolitically been considered part of Europe since its Christian reconquest. It is closer to the African mainland than the Italian mainland and has historically been associated with Africa much longer. The Maltese people speak a North African dialect of Arabic and are descended from the ancient Libyans, Egyptians, and Phoenicians, as well as the island's Islamic conquerors.

The Italian islands of Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands are closer to Tunisia on the African continent than Sicily and thus part of Africa. The Portuguese Atlantic island possession of the Azores is slightly closer to Europe than Africa and is associated with Europe.

[edit] Africa and South America

The boundaries between Africa and South America are clear-cut and undisputed, since the two continents occupy opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, of which the midway areas are devoid of islands. While the uninhabited Brazilian island possession of Saint Peter and Paul Rocks is associated with South America, the British island possessions of Ascension Island, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island are associated with Africa.

[edit] Americas

The border between North America and South America has been drawn variously, generally somewhere along the Isthmus of Panama.

One common demarcation follows the Darien Mountains watershed divide along the Colombia-Panama boundary where the isthmus meets the South American continent. Another reckons the continental divide at the Panama Canal, whereby Panama has territory on either side in both continents. Geopolitically (i.e., not strictly geophysical), Panama is usually included with the other Central American countries in North America. The border between North and South America has also been drawn (infrequently) between Costa Rica and Panama, or at one of several other lines across the Isthmus of Panama.

In other cultures, America is thought of as one continent or supercontinent encompassing the entire landmass between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego. In this way, North and South America are thought of as regions of the greater landmass. America is often regarded as a single continent in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, along with other countries. The Olympic Rings represent the Americas with a single ring.

This collection of lands and regions in the Western hemisphere is referred to as the Americas. From a sociopolitical and cultural perspective, the Americas are generally divided into Anglo-America (namely the U.S. and Canada, where English prevails) and Latin America (the rest of the Americas, where Romance languages generally predominate). Latin America – particularly Hispanic America – is generally considered a transcontinental region straddling two continents, much like the Middle East. Moreover, the Guyanas are sometimes grouped with the Caribbean region along with Belize and Bermuda (a British possession actually 600 miles east of the US mainland, also sometimes grouped with Anglo-America.)

The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean are a possession of Ecuador and associated with South America. Although the uninhabited French possession of Clipperton Island 600 miles off the Mexican coast is governed as part of French Polynesia, it is associated with North America. France also continues to control French Guiana on the northern mainland of South America, as well as Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland and Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint Martin in the North American Caribbean. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are two other European nations that also continue to control islands in the Caribbean, and the Netherlands Antilles are considered split between North and South America.

[edit] Europe and North America

The boundaries between Europe and North America are mostly clear-cut and undisputed, since the two continents occupy opposite sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, of which the midway areas are devoid of islands, except in the north, where the line comes down to Greenland and Iceland. Iceland and the Azores are protusions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and are associated with and peopled from Europe. Greenland not only is usually considered geographically North American, most of the Greenlander ancestry is from the Inuit people indigenous to northern North America. The Norwegian Arctic islands of Jan Mayen and Svalbard archipelago are associated with Europe. Although Greenland is the closest land to them, they are much closer to Europe than to the North American mainland.

[edit] Asia and North America

The Bering Strait and Bering Sea separate the landmasses of Asia and North America, as well as forming the international boundaries between Russia and the United States, respectively. This national and continental boundary separates the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait, with Big Diomede in Russia and Little Diomede in the US. The Aleutian Islands are an island chain extending westward from the Alaska Peninsula toward Russia's Komandorski Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula, as well as an integral part of the transcontinental American state of Alaska. Most of them are associated with North America, except for the westernmost Near Islands, which are beyond the North Aleutians Basin and on Asia's continental shelf, and allow the US to be considered a transcontinental country without Hawaii and other Oceanian island possessions. St. Lawrence Island in the northern Bering Sea belongs to Alaska and may be associated with either continent.

[edit] Asia and Oceania

Indonesia is a multi-island, transcontinental state belonging both to Asia and to Oceania. The geological and zoological border follows the Wallace line. Alternatively it may be divided according to the Melanesia definition – accounting for human language, genetics, history and crafts – placing more territory in Asia (shown by the line labelled M on the map). Indonesia is today more commonly referred to as one of the Southeast Asian countries, and thus simply Asian. East Timor, an independent state that was formerly a territory of Indonesia, is sometimes considered part of Oceania, but is classified by the United Nations as part of the "South-Eastern Asia" block. It is expected to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [1] having been involved as a ASEAN Regional Forum member since independence, and participated in the Southeast Asian Games since 2003.

[edit] Oceania

To English-speaking people, Oceania is not considered to be a continent (while it is for the rest of the world;) however, Australia by itself is usually considered one. Therefore the admission of Hawaii to the United States in 1959 did not make the U.S. a transcontinental nation (whether the U.S. was transcontinental from 1898 to 1946, by its possession of the Philippines, is a historical question, and if the Philippines are considered Asian islands, then it was.)

If Oceania were a continent, rather than the part of the Earth furthest from any of them, the following countries might be considered transcontinental, as occupying land in both Oceanian islands and a continent:

• Chile, with Easter Island and Sala y Gómez Island.
• France, with French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna.
• Indonesia
• Japan, with Minami Torishima.
• United Kingdom, with the Pitcairn Islands.
• United States of America, with the Hawaiian Islands (containing 0.30% of the area and 0.43% of the population of the 50 states,) Guam, American Samoa, Midway Atoll, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and several unorganized territorial islands.

[edit] Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia consists not only of the continent and the island state of Tasmania, but also external island territories in the sub-Antarctic (see Antarctica below) and to the east and west of the continent. Of the inhabited island territories, Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean is in Oceania, while Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to the west of Sumatra) are associated with Asia.

[edit] Antarctica

Antarctica and its outlying islands have no permanent population. All land south of 60°S latitude is terra nullius and the Antarctic Treaty System holds all claims to such land in abeyance. Although South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are closer to Antarctica, the inhabited Falkland Islands are closer to South America.

The following are sub-Antarctic island territories north of 60° and associated with Antarctica:

• Australia: Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island
• France: Crozet Islands, Île Amsterdam, Île Saint-Paul, Kerguelen Islands
• New Zealand: Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Campbell Islands (all disputed whether associated with Oceania or Antarctica)
• Norway: Bouvet Island
• South Africa: Prince Edward Islands (disputed whether associated with Africa or Antarctica)
• United Kingdom: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

[edit] List of geographically transcontinental states

A transcontinental state is a country whose contiguous continental territory (or in the case of an island state, its different islands) lies in two (or more) different continents. Non-contiguous parts of countries are not considered (i.e. distant integral parts, extraterritorial possessions, dependencies and the like – examples include French Guiana, Hawaii, and Ceuta and Melilla). This list includes the countries meeting that definition and presents tables showing the calculated area and population of the country on each continent.

[edit] Methodology of calculation

There are two main methods for non-scientific calculation of parts of the territorially area:

• The smaller part of the territory is divided into rectangles, which area can be easily calculated using simple distance tools. This method gives results with moderate errors and can be used only for area, but not for population.
• If the administrative divisions (sub-regions) of the state are going along the continents geographical border (or near it) then much more correct data (widely available area and population data for the regions) can be added up together.

The total area and population of countries is well known from various sources, so when there is data for the part of the country on one continent - then the other part (on the other continent) and the percentages can be easily calculated.

[edit] Countries in both Asia and Europe

See "Europe and Asia" section of this article for more details about the geographical border between Europe and Asia.

See also Geographic criteria for EU membership.

• Armenia, Cyprus and sometimes even Israel are geographically in Western Asia, but are considered by some as part of Europe for other reasons. For example, Armenia and Cyprus are members of the Council of Europe, and Armenia, Cyprus and Israel participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
• Georgia - situated in both Western Asia and Eastern Europe.
• Greece - situated in both Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. See top map.
• Kazakhstan - situated in both Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
• Russia - situated in both Northern Asia and Eastern Europe.
• Turkey - situated in both Western Asia and Southeastern Europe.
• Azerbaijan - situated in both Western Asia and Eastern Europe.

Map colours: Geographical Europe is coloured green. The Asian territory of states that lie both in Europe and Asia are coloured light pink. Dark-pink are colored states that lie entirely on the Asian continent, but are considered European because of cultural and historical reasons. Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan is also colored dark-pink because it is not a continuous extension of Azerbaijan's territory

Statistics

State	Total Area km²	Area in Asia km²	Area in Asia % of total	Area in Europe km²	Area in Europe % of total
Greece	131,990	6,074	4.60	125,916	95.40
Russia	17,075,200	13,115,200	76.81	3,960,000	23.19
Azerbaijan	86,600	79,490	91.79	7,110	8.21
Kazakhstan	2,717,300	2,567,300	94.48	150,000	5.52
Turkey	780,580	756,768	96.95	23,812	3.05
Georgia	69,700	67,700	97.13	2000	2.87
Armenia	29,800	29,800	100.00	0	0

Countries are sorted according to percentage of European area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [2]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

State	Total Population	Population in Asia	Population in Asia % of total	Population in Europe	Population in Europe % of total
Greece	11,244,118	390,603	3.47	10,853,515	96.53
Russia	143,780,000	37,742,857	26.25	106,037,143	73.75
Turkey	68,900,000	57,855,068	83.97	11,044,932 1	16.03 1
Kazakhstan	15,140,000	14,400,000	96.04	600,000	3.96
Azerbaijan	7,870,000	7,694,800	97.77	175,200	2.23
Georgia	4,690,000	4,652,480	99.2	37,520	0.8
Armenia	3,326,448	3,326,448	100.00	0	0

¹ Including the districts of Istanbul city that are lying in Asia.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of European population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [3]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

[edit] Azerbaijan

The north-eastern Azerbaijan regions borders are going mostly along the main Caucasus watershed. The Xisi region is almost equally divided on the two sides of the watershed, so area calculation is easily made.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium

[edit] Georgia

Georgia regions' borders don't follow the main Caucasus watershed (a newer map is needed that is showing South Ossetia correctly and not divided between other regions - mostly the former Tsinkvalli region). The area is calculated by the rectangle method. The population is calculated using the inhabitants/sq.km. of the Azerbaijan's European territory (because it is in the same region and is somewhat accurate).

• Accuracy of area calculation: low
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium-to-low

[edit] Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan regions' borders don't follow the Ural River. There are two regions that stretch to its western side, Atyrau Province and West Kazakhstan Province.

[edit] Russia

Russian regions' border follow closely enough the Ural mountains and river. The deviations of the borders are such that if one mainly European region has a small part of its territory in Asia, then another mainly Asian region has a small part of its territory in Europe. Such cases are rare and nearly compensating one-another, so for such a rough calculation we can claim high accuracy. There is also a very small (less than 300 km²) Russian territory south of the main Caucasus watershed - in Asia. This is also a small deviation and it does not seriously affect the calculation accuracy.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high (but better is possible)

[edit] Turkey

Turkey regions' are helpful for the calculation. The area that the mainly Asian region of Çanakkale occupies in Europe is compensating Asian territory of the Istanbul region. The population calculation is more problematic, because it is not certain if the population density (inhabitants/sq. km.) of these two parts is equal and then there is the case with the city of Istanbul, which is lying on both Europe and Asia. Should the city be looked as one big 'dot', located in Europe, or should the population figures be divided? Currently the whole population of the city is added to the table as European. Also, precise data about the particular districts of Istanbul is missing.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium ¹

¹ (wrong if Istanbul statistics are to be divided)

[edit] Armenia

Armenia is geographically entirely in Asia, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Greece

Mainland Greece and most of its islands are associated with Europe, but the Dodecanese Prefecture of the South Aegean Periphery and the North Aegean Periphery except for Lemnos Island are associated with Asia. Although the intercontinental boundary mostly follows prefecture and periphery boundaries, the Lemnos figures (particularly the population, circa 18,000 in 2005) are a portion of Lesbos Prefecture that can only be approximated.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high-to-medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

[edit] Countries in both Asia and Africa

See Geography of Africa and Asia pages for more details about the geographical border between Africa and Asia.

• The border between the two continents is considered to go along the Isthmus of Suez and the Suez Canal. This border lies in Egypt, so it is considered both North African and Southwest Asian. The border continues through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Statistics

State	Total Area km²	Area in Africa km²	Area in Africa % of total	Area in Asia km²	Area in Asia % of total
Egypt	1,001,450	937,894	93.65	63,556	6.35
Yemen	527,968	3,625	0.69	524,343	99.31

Countries are sorted according to percentage of African area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [4]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

State	Total Population	Population in Africa	Population in Africa % of total	Population in Asia	Population in Asia % of total
Egypt	74,718,797	73,340,638	98.16	1,378,159	1.84
Yemen	20,975,000	44,000	0.21	20,931,000	99.79

Countries are sorted according to percentage of African population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [5]
For methodologies of calculation see above.

[edit] Egypt

Three of Egypt's regions lie entirely in Asia. One of the regions is nearly equally divided by the Suez Canal and another has a small portion east of the Suez Canal.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium

[edit] Yemen

Although mainland Yemen is in the southern Arabian Peninsula and thus part of Asia, Yemen controls the archipelago of Socotra, which lies east of the horn of Somalia and is much closer to Africa than Asia. Socotra and the mainland city of Aden constitute the transcontinental 'Adan Governorate, so the Socotra archipelago constitutes a portion of a political subdivision that can only be approximated.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

[edit] Countries in both Asia and Oceania

See Wallace line and the Oceania and Asia pages for more details about the grouping of the islands between Oceania and Asia.

The best option for geographical definition about which island should be included with Oceania and which with Asia is to use the Wallace line.

• According to this definition some of the eastern Indonesian islands should be considered Oceanian. So Indonesia is both in Southeast Asia and in Oceania.
• According to this definition the whole of the state East Timor lies only in Oceania. Culturally it is also much closer to the Pacific people than to Asians. East Timor is considered as a part of Asia only for historical reasons - the past occupation by Indonesia, which is regarded mostly a Southeast Asian state.

However, it is common practice on maps to consider all of Indonesia, including West Papua, as 'Asia'. Indonesia is highly sensitive to ideas of separatism in its eastern borders, and would not want to be considered a country divided by two continents with distinct social characteristics.

Statistics

State	Total Area km²	Area in Asia km²	Area in Asia % of total	Area in Oceania km²	Area in Oceania % of total
East Timor	15,007	0	0	15,007	100
Indonesia	1,904,443	1,158,645	60.84	745,798	39.16

Countries are sorted according to percentage of Oceanian area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [6]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

State	Total Population	Population in Asia	Population in Asia % of total	Population in Oceania	Population in Oceania % of total
East Timor	1,019,252	0	0	1,019,252	100
Indonesia	238,452,952	208,176,381	87.3	28,159,300	12.7

Countries are sorted according to percentage of Oceanian population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [7]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

[edit] East Timor

Geographically (and even culturally) entirely in Oceania, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Indonesia

Nine of Indonesia's provinces (island groups) lie entirely in Oceania, while the others lie in Asia, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Countries in both North America and South America

See North America and South America pages for more details about the geographical border between the two Americas.

• Most geographic authorities delineate the land border dividing the Americas somewhere along the Isthmus of Panama. One common demarcation follows the Darien watershed along the Colombia-Panama boundary. Another common dividing line (and herein) is the Panama Canal transecting the isthmus; thus, Panama is reckoned to have territory in both continents. Panama City, Panama's capital, sits on the Pacific (southern) coast near the Panama Canal in the eastern (South American) portion of the country. Panama lies almost entirely on the Caribbean Plate, with a small portion on the South American Plate. Geopolitically, all of Panama is often considered a part of North America alone and among the countries of Central America.
• The sea islands division is more complicated. All Caribbean islands are often labeled as North American. The Dutch dependency Aruba, some parts of the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire and Curaçao islands), and the state of Trinidad and Tobago lie on the continental shelf of South America, and are considered South American. Venezuela's Aves Island and other outlying islands are geographically North American, which is also true of the remote Colombian islands of San Andrés and Providencia.

South American Caribbean islands:

Aruba

Curaçao

Bonaire

Trinidad and Tobago

Statistics

State	Total Area km²	Area in North America km²	Area in North America % of total	Area in South America km²	Area in South America % of total
Aruba 1	180	0	0	180	100
Trinidad and Tobago	5,128	0	0	5,128	100
Colombia	1,141,748	57	0.005	1,141,691	99.995
Netherlands Antilles 1	800	68	8.5	732	91.5
Panama	78,200	52,853	67.59	25,347	32.41

¹ Extraterritorial part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of South American area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [8]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

State	Total Population	Population in North America	Population in North America % of total	Population in South America	Population in South America % of total
Aruba 1	103,000	0	0	103,000	100
Trinidad and Tobago	1,104,209	0	0	1,104,209	100
Colombia	42,090,502	83,491	0.20	42,007,011	99.80
Netherlands Antilles 1	221,226	59,226	26.77	162,000	73.23
Panama	3,000,463	2,498,717	83.28	299,936	16.72

¹ Extraterritorial part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of South American population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [9]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

[edit] Aruba

Geographically entirely in South America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Trinidad and Tobago

Geographically entirely in South America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Colombia

Mainland Colombia is in northwestern South America, but the nation also controls the San Andrés and Providencia archipelago, 400 miles WNW of Columbia's Caribbean coast, near the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. This archipelago is coterminous with the department of the same name, but the population can only be approximated.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high-to-medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

[edit] Netherlands Antilles

Two of the islands groups lie entirely in South America and the other - in North America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] Panama

Five of the provinces lie entirely in South America. One of the regions is nearly equally divided between both Americas and another - unequally, nearly 1:4 ratio.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high-to-medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

[edit] Countries in both Africa and Europe

See "Africa and Europe" section of this article for more details about the geographical border between Africa and Europe.

State	Total Area km²	Area in Africa km²	Area in Africa % of total	Area in Europe km²	Area in Europe % of total
Italy	301,318	110	0.037	301,208	99.963
Portugal	92,391	797	0.863	91,594	99.137
Spain	505,992	7,478	1.48	498,514	98.52
Malta	316	316	100	0	0

Countries are sorted according to percentage of European area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [10]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

State	Total Population	Population in Africa	Population in Africa % of total	Population in Europe	Population in Europe % of total
Italy	58,751,711	13,745	0.023	58,737,966	99.977
Portugal	10,605,870	253,482	2.39	10,352,388	97.61
Spain	44,708,964	2,109,044	4.718	42,599,920	95.282
Malta	404,039	404,039	100	0	0

Countries are sorted according to percentage of European population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities [11]
For methodologies of calculation see below.

[edit] Italy

Although mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, the Aegadian Islands, Ustica, and the Aeolian Islands are associated with Europe, the closest land to Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands is Tunisia on the African mainland and they belong to the transcontinental Sicilian provinces of Trapani and Agrigento, respectively. They represent portions of political subdivisions that can only be approximated.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

[edit] Portugal

Although its mainland is in Europe, the archipelago of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean is geographically part of Africa.

[edit] Spain

Although its mainland is in Europe, Spain has various holdings (such as Ceuta and Melilla on mainland Africa and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic) that are geographically part of Africa.

[edit] Malta

Geographically entirely in Africa, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

[edit] List of transcontinental empires in history

Pre-colonial empires straddling at least two continents (number of continents in parentheses):

• Egyptian Empire (3) - Africa, Asia, Europe (at its peak) [12]
• Hyksos Empire (2) - Asia, Africa [13]
• Colchian Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [14]
• Phoenician Empire (3) - Asia, Europe, Africa [15]
• Kushite Empire (2) - Africa, Asia (occupied portions of Edom and Judah circa 901 BC) [16]
• Sabaean Empire (2) - Asia, Africa [17]
• Assyrian Empire (2) - Asia, Africa [18]
• Cimmerian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Babylonian Empire (2) - Asia, Africa [19]
• Scythian Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [20]
• Achaemenid Empire (3) - Asia, Europe, Africa [21]
• Phocaean Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa [22]
• Carthaginian Empire (2) - Africa, Europe [23]
• Alexandrian Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa [24]
• Ptolemaic Empire (2) - Africa, Asia [25]
• Lysimachian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [26]
• Caucasian Albanian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [27]
• Antigonid Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Galatian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Roman Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa [28]
• Attalid Empire of Pergamon (2) - Asia, Europe [29]
• Himyarite Empire (2) - Asia, Africa
• Aksumite Empire (2) - Africa, Asia [30]
• Hunnic Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [31]
• Vandal Empire (2) - Europe, Africa [32]
• Byzantine Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa [33]
• Srivijaya Empire (3) - Asia, Oceania, Africa [34][35]
• Sassanid Empire (3) - Asia, Africa, Europe (at its peak) [36]
• Göktürk Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [37]
• Rashidun Empire (3) - Asia, Africa, Europe [38]
• Khazar Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [39]
• Umayyad Caliphate (3) - Asia, Africa, Europe [40]
• Abbasid Caliphate (3) - Asia, Africa, Europe [41]
• Emirate of Córdoba (2) - Europe, Africa [42]
• Pecheneg Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [43]
• Sailendra Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania
• Sajid Empire of Azerbaijan (2) - Asia, Europe [44]
• Fatimid Caliphate (3) - Africa, Asia, Europe [45]
• Caliphate of Córdoba (2) - Europe, Africa [46]
• Norwegian Empire (2) - Europe, North America (explored its Atlantic shores five centuries before Columbus) [47]
• Norman Empire (3) - Europe, Asia [48], Africa [49]
• Chola Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania (at its peak) [50]
• Almoravid Empire (2) - Africa, Europe [51]
• Seljuq Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [52]
• Kediri Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania
• Medieval French Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa [53]
• Angevin Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa
• Georgian Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [54]
• Almohad Empire (2) - Africa, Europe [55]
• Ayyubid Caliphate (2) - Asia, Africa [56]
• Lusignan Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Hohenstaufen Empire (3) - Europe, Africa [57], Asia [58]
• Latin Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [59]
• Second Bulgarian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia (at its peak) [60]
• Khwarezmian Empire (2) - Asia, Europe (at its peak) [61]
• Mongol Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [62] (largest empire of contiguous land ever)
• Golden Horde Empire (2) - Europe, Asia [63][64]
• Empire of Nicaea (2) - Asia, Europe [65]
• Mamluk Empire (2) - Africa, Asia [66]
• Aragonese Empire (3) - Europe, Africa, Asia [67][68]
• Majapahit Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania
• Ottoman Empire (3) - Asia, Europe, Africa [69]
• Genoese Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Buginese Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania (including northern Australia) [70]
• Timurid Empire (2) - Asia, Europe [71]

Colonial-era nations with non-contiguous overseas possessions (number of continents in parentheses):

• Venetian Empire (2) - Europe, Asia
• Navarrese Empire (2) - Europe, North America (before Columbus to 1516) [72][73]
• Portuguese Empire (6) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania [74][75]
• Mahra Sultanate (2) - Asia, Africa
• Spanish Empire (6) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania [76]
• Austrian Empire (3) - Europe, South America [77], Asia [78]
• British Empire (7) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania, Antarctica [79][80]
• Dutch Empire (6) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania [81]
• French Empire (7) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania, Antarctica [82]
• Scottish Empire (2) - Europe, North America (1621-1631) [83]
• Swedish Empire (4) - Europe, North America [84], South America [85], Africa [86]
• Courlander Empire (3) - Europe, Africa, South America (1651-1689) (a dependency of Poland-Lithuania)
• Dano-Norwegian Empire (4) - Europe, North America, Asia, Africa [87]
• Brandenburger-Prussian Empire (3) - Europe, Africa [88], North America [89]
• Omani Empire (2) - Asia, Africa (from 1840 to 1856, Said bin Sultan had the capital in Stone Town, Zanzibar)
• Russian Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, North America [90]
• American Empire (5) - North America, Asia, Oceania, South America, Africa [91][92][93]
• German Empire (4) - Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania [94]
• Italian Empire (3) - Europe, Africa, Asia [95]
• Belgian Empire (2) - Europe, Africa [96]
• Japanese Empire (2) - Asia, Oceania [97][98]
• Norway (2) - Europe, Antarctica [99]
• Nazi Empire (2) - Europe, Africa [100]
• Vichy Empire (5) - Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America (1940-1943)
• Commonwealth of Australia (3) - Oceania, Asia, Antarctica

Other trans-continental occurrences (number of continents in parentheses):

• Khanate of Sibir (2) - Asia, Europe [101]
• Kazakh Khanate (2) - Asia, Europe
• Grand Duchy of Moscow (2) - Europe, Asia [102]
• Safavid [103], Afsharid [104] and Qajar Persian Empire [105][106] (2) - Asia, Europe
• Greater Colombian Empire (2) - South America, North America [107]
• Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (2) - Asia, Europe (February 24-May 28, 1918) [108]
• United Arab Republic [109] and United Arab States (2) - Africa, Asia (1958-1961)
• People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (2) - Asia, Africa (1967-1990)
• Federation of Arab Republics (2) - Africa, Asia (1972-1977) [110]
• Israel (2) - Asia, Africa (for a brief period starting October 15, 1973, it had occupied land on the African side of the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur War. This land was never administrated by Israeli civil authorities and was withdrawn during the aftermath of the war.)
• Argentina (2) - South America, Antarctica (occupied the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands from March 19 to June 20, 1982 during the Falklands War)

[edit] See also

• Colonialism
• Imperialism
• Thalassocracy
• List of countries by continent

[edit] External link

• Transcontinental states according to World Gazetteer