Quiz: Can You Rank All 7 Continents from Largest to Smallest?

We were first introduced to the continents by flipping the pages of our geography textbooks, reading about their diverse countries, cultures, and traditions. As time went on, we swapped books for passports, and some of us developed a desire to explore these places ourselves.

It’s easy to misjudge the true size of a continent, whether you’re peering at a spinning globe or wandering the streets of its most populated city. But what’s the real scale?

A quick glance at a map shows that some countries are much smaller than others. Take Australia, for example: compared to Asia, it seems almost minuscule, yet as a country, it's the sixth largest in the world.

And what about the places whose size rankings are less obvious, like North and South America, or Antarctica? It might seem straightforward at first, but it can get tricky when you actually try to put the continents in order by area.

Can you rank all seven continents from largest to smallest? Time to put your map skills to the test!

Were you able to rank the continents correctly by size? The largest and smallest were probably a no-brainer, but what about the five in the middle? No matter your score, share this quiz with the fellow geography buffs in your life and see who’s the true world map whiz!

THE CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD

Asia

Size: 17,212,000 mi²

Population: 4,560,667,108

Profile: Asia is the largest continent in the world, both in area and population. Forty-eight sovereign countries make up this massive region, with Russia as the largest and the Maldives as the smallest, covering only 115 square miles. Over 2,300 languages are spoken in Asia, with Mandarin Chinese being the most widely used.

Africa

Size: 11,730,000 mi²

Population: 1,275,920,972

Profile: Africa is the world’s second largest continent, celebrated for its abundant wildlife and rich cultural heritage. Fifty-four sovereign countries make up Africa, with Algeria as the largest and Seychelles, an island nation covering just 176 square miles, as the smallest. Between 1,500 and 3,000 languages are spoken here, with Swahili the most widely used.

North America

Size: 9,540,000 mi²

Population: 579,024,000

Profile: North America is the third largest continent in the world, made up of 23 sovereign countries, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, seven Central American countries, and 13 island nations in the Caribbean. Canada is the largest by land area, while Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest. Just under 300 languages are spoken across North America, with English being the most widely used.

South America

Size: 6,890,000 mi²

Population: 423,581,078

Profile: South America is the fourth largest continent, famous for the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and a deep-rooted indigenous history. It’s made up of 12 sovereign countries, with Brazil as the largest and Suriname as the smallest. Between 400 and 600 indigenous languages are still spoken here, with Quechua being the most widely used. Spanish is the most spoken immigrant language, with around 210 million speakers.

Antartica

Size: 5,500,000 mi²

Population: 1,000

Profile: Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, but by far the smallest in population, as its frigid climate makes it almost entirely uninhabitable. No countries exist in Antarctica, and its only (temporary) residents are scientists at research stations. While humans may be scarce, 18 penguin species call Antarctica home!

Europe

Size: 3,930,000 mi²

Population: 746,419,440

Profile: Europe is the sixth-largest continent, but ranks third in population. Fifty sovereign countries make up Europe, with Ukraine as the largest (entirely within the continent), and Vatican City, the world’s smallest country, at just 0.17 square miles. The European Union recognizes 24 official languages; Russian is the most widely spoken, followed by German.

Australia

Size: 3,291,903 mi²

Population: 41,570,842

Profile: Australia is the world’s smallest continent that doubles as a country. The geographical region, referred to as Oceania, is made up of 14 sovereign nations. Australia is by far the largest, while Nauru is the smallest, at just 8 square miles. Around 450 languages are spoken across Oceania, with English the most widely used. The Austronesian language family is the most prevalent among indigenous languages and one of the most widely spoken in the world.

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