Countries and their Capitals 

Eight Continents – List

1. Asia
2. Europe
3. North America

4. South America

5. Africa

6. Australia

7. Antarctica

8. Zealandia (World’s Eighth Continent) 

Countries and their Capitals  

Each continent has many countries. All the continents have different numbers of countries. This article will give a list of some of the countries in those continents.

Asia

• There are 49 countries in Asia.
• There are some countries which are geographically located in regions coming under Asia but they are generally considered as a European nation or African nation. Two examples are Russia and Egypt.
• Asian countries are usually categorised as East Asian countries, Southeast Asian countries, South Asian countries, West Asian countries, and Central Asian countries.

South Asian Countries and Capitals

The list of South Asian countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

East Asian Countries and Capitals

The list of East Asian countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Southeast Asian Countries and Capitals

The list of Southeast Asian countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

West Asian Countries and Capitals

The list of West Asian countries and their respective capitals is given in the table.

Europe – Second Smallest Continent

• Although Europe is the second smallest continent, there are many countries located in Europe.
• Europe is divided into 50 different countries.
• Russia is the largest country in Europe. Although a major part of Russia is geographically located in Asia, Russia is still considered a European country as it has close cultural, ethnic, and political ties with Europe.
• Some of the interesting names given to countries in different regions of Europe are Balkan countries, Nordic countries, etc.

European Countries and Capitals – Balkan Countries

The list of European countries and their respective capitals located in the Balkan region is given in the table below..

European Countries and Capitals – Nordic Countries

The list of European countries and their respective capitals located in the Nordic region is given in the table below.

East European Countries and Capitals

Some of these East European countries are also part of the Balkan nations. The list of East European countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

West European Countries and their Capitals

Some of these West European countries are also part of the Nordic nations. The list of West European countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Africa – Continent

There are 54 countries in Africa.

• Africa is the second-largest continent in the world.
• The different regions of Africa are Northern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa which consists of Western Africa, Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, and Middle Africa.
• The largest country by land area in Africa is Algeria and the second-largest country in Africa is the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.
• The least populous and smallest country in Africa is Seychelles.

The list of some of those African countries is given in the table below.

Northern Africa

The list of some of the Northern African countries and their respective capitals are given in the table below.

Eastern Africa

The list of some of the Eastern African countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Western Africa

The list of Western African countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Middle Africa

The list of Middle African countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Southern Africa

The list of Southern African countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

North America – Continent

The continent of North America has 23 sovereign countries. The countries located in the southern part of the North American continent are known as Caribbean nations and Central American countries.

Canada is the largest country in North America. The USA is the 2nd largest country in North America. Canada is also the 2nd largest country in the world, and the USA is the 4th largest country in the world.

The list of North American countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

South America – Continent

The South American continent has 12 sovereign nations.

• South America is predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Brazil is the largest country in South America.
• South America is connected to North America through the Isthmus of Panama.

The list of sovereign South American countries and their respective capitals is given in the table below.

Australia – Continent

Australia is the world’s only continent that is governed by a single nation state, Australia. It is the world’s smallest continent.

Antarctica – Continent

• Antarctica is the southernmost continent on the earth.
• Earth’s South Pole is located in Antarctica.
• Antarctica is twice the size of the Australian continent.
• The 5th largest continent is Antarctica.
• Antarctica is mainly a polar desert.
• Around 30 countries govern Antarctica, all of which are signatories of the Antarctic Treaty System of 1959.
• As per the terms of the treaty, it is prohibited to dispose of nuclear wastes, conduct nuclear explosions, mining, and military activities in Antarctica.
• There will be around 5000 research scientists during the summer months in Antarctica.

Zealandia: The World’s Eighth Continent

What is Zealandia?

• An underwater continent located southeast of Australia.

• Officially recognized as Earth’s eighth continent in 2017.

• Covers ~5 million sq. km, 94% submerged under the southwest Pacific Ocean.

• Formed around 83 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.

• Originally part of the supercontinent Gondwana.

• First recorded in 1642 by Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer.

Formation of Zealandia

• Part of Gondwana, which itself broke off from Pangaea.

• As Zealandia began drifting:

  • Volcanic activity occurred (“Giant Volcanic Region”).

  • Intense tectonic stretching and crustal thinning.

  • Developed ruptures, allowing oceanic crust to form in gaps.

• Around 25 million years ago, Zealandia submerged beneath the ocean.