What are the seven continents?

There are seven continents in the world: Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica and Australia. Asia is the largest continent, with an area of 17,212,000 square miles. Some geographers count Asia with Europe, referring to it as Eurasia due to lack of a distinct separation between the two.

Both South and North America were considered one continent until the 18th century when American geographers started recognizing them as separate. Antarctica is the least inhabited, with only a small population of scientists and government officials. It is also the coldest of all continents. Madagascar is the smallest and closest to Africa, although it has its own unique ecosystem.