Transcontinental Countries: Nations That Span Multiple Continents

Here's a question that stumps many geography enthusiasts: Which continent is Russia in? Or Turkey? Or Egypt?

The trick is — these countries aren't in just one continent. They're transcontinental nations, sprawling across the boundaries that divide our world into continental landmasses. And they're more common than you might think.

The concept of "continents" is surprisingly messy. Unlike countries with legally defined borders, continental boundaries are partly geographic, partly cultural, and often historically arbitrary. Where exactly does Europe end and Asia begin? The answer depends on who you ask — and when.

Let's explore the countries that straddle these blurry lines.

A transcontinental country has territory on more than one continent. But this definition comes with complications:

1. 1Geographic transcontinentalism: The country's contiguous landmass crosses a continental boundary (like Russia spanning Europe and Asia)

1. 1Political transcontinentalism: The country has non-contiguous territories on different continents (like France with its overseas departments)

1. 1Disputed transcontinentalism: The country sits on a boundary where experts disagree about continental divisions (like the Caucasus nations)

The biggest debate centers on where continental boundaries actually lie. The Europe-Asia boundary alone has shifted multiple times throughout history, and there's still no universal agreement.

Continents: Europe and Asia

Total area: 17.1 million km² (largest country on Earth)

European portion: ~3.97 million km² (23%)

Asian portion: ~13.13 million km² (77%)

Population split: ~77% in Europe, ~23% in Asia

Russia is the quintessential transcontinental country. It stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, spanning 11 time zones and two continents. The conventional boundary between European Russia and Asian Russia follows the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, and the Caucasus Mountains.

Here's the paradox: most of Russia's land is in Asia, but most of its people live in Europe. The Russian heartland — Moscow, St. Petersburg, and most major cities — sits west of the Urals. Meanwhile, the vast expanses of Siberia, while comprising over three-quarters of Russian territory, hold less than a quarter of its population.

Key facts:

• •Moscow is the largest city entirely in Europe (~12 million)
• •The Ural Mountains, marking the continental divide, are ancient and relatively low — easy to cross and never a significant barrier to Russian expansion
• •Vladivostok, Russia's major Pacific port, is closer to Tokyo than to Moscow
• •The Trans-Siberian Railway (9,289 km) is the longest railway line in the world, connecting European and Asian Russia

The cultural question: Is Russia a European country or an Asian one? Russians have debated this for centuries. Peter the Great forcibly westernized Russia in the 18th century, building St. Petersburg as a "window to Europe." Yet Russia's Asian territories have shaped its history, from Mongol conquests to the Siberian exile system.

Continents: Europe and Asia

Total area: 783,356 km²

European portion (Thrace): ~23,764 km² (3%)

Asian portion (Anatolia): ~759,592 km² (97%)

Population split: ~10% in Europe, ~90% in Asia

Turkey is the textbook example of a transcontinental nation. The Bosphorus Strait and Sea of Marmara slice right through Istanbul, creating one of the world's most famous continental boundaries — one you can cross by bridge, ferry, or even swimming.

Istanbul is the only major city in the world that straddles two continents. The historic center (Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia) sits on the European side, while most of the city's modern residential areas sprawl across the Asian shore. About 15 million people call Istanbul home, with roughly two-thirds living on the European side.

Key facts:

• •The European part of Turkey is called Eastern Thrace (or Rumelia historically)
• •Three bridges span the Bosphorus, plus an undersea rail tunnel and a planned underwater highway
• •The Dardanelles strait, connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean, has been strategically vital for millennia
• •Turkey's geographic position made it central to the ancient Silk Road and remains crucial for modern pipelines carrying oil and gas between continents

Political identity: Turkey's transcontinental nature has fueled ongoing debates about its identity. Is it European enough for EU membership? Secular enough to be Western? The country has been formally negotiating EU accession since 2005, though talks have stalled. Meanwhile, Turkey is a NATO member and plays a unique bridging role between European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian geopolitics.

Continents: Africa and Asia

Total area: 1,010,408 km²

African portion: ~1,004,450 km² (99.4%)

Asian portion (Sinai): ~5,958 km² (0.6%)

Population split: ~98% in Africa, ~2% in Asia

Egypt's transcontinental status comes from the Sinai Peninsula, the triangular wedge of land east of the Suez Canal. While Sinai represents a tiny fraction of Egypt's territory, its strategic location has made it one of the most contested pieces of real estate in history.

The Suez Canal is the conventional boundary between Africa and Asia in this region. Opened in 1869, this 193 km artificial waterway transformed global shipping by connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Today, about 12% of world trade passes through the Suez.

Key facts:

• •The Sinai Peninsula has been fought over in multiple Arab-Israeli wars
• •Mount Sinai (Jabal Musa), where Moses reportedly received the Ten Commandments, is a major pilgrimage site
• •The Sinai was occupied by Israel from 1967 to 1982 before being returned to Egypt
• •Despite being geographically Asian, Sinai is culturally and administratively integrated with the rest of Egypt

Continents: Europe and Asia (disputed)

Total area: 2,724,900 km² (9th largest country)

Conventionally in Asia: Most geographers place all of Kazakhstan in Asia

Kazakhstan is a controversial case. The country's western regions lie west of the Ural River, which some geographers use as the Europe-Asia boundary. By this definition, a small portion of Kazakhstan (about 4-6%) is technically in Europe.

However, most modern geographic conventions place Kazakhstan entirely in Asia, considering the Ural Mountains (not the river) as the primary continental divide in this region.

Why it matters: If Kazakhstan's western territories count as European, it would be the largest country with European territory after Russia — and Central Asia wouldn't be entirely in Asia.

Continents: Depends who you ask!

Total area: 69,700 km²

Georgia sits in the South Caucasus, a region where continental classification is genuinely disputed. Some geographers place the Caucasus entirely in Asia. Others use the Greater Caucasus mountain watershed as the boundary, which would put Georgia (mostly south of the watershed) in Asia. Still others argue cultural and historical ties make Georgia European.

Georgia officially considers itself European, participates in European institutions (Council of Europe), and competed in Eurovision (the unofficial "you're European enough" test). The country has applied for EU membership.

The same debate applies to Armenia and Azerbaijan — both can be classified as European or Asian depending on which geographical convention you follow.

Continents: Europe, with Asian islands

Total area: 131,957 km²

This one surprises people. While mainland Greece is unambiguously European, several Greek islands lie geographically closer to the Asian continent — some within a few kilometers of the Turkish coast.

Islands like Kastellorizo, Rhodes, Kos, and Samos sit on the Anatolian continental shelf. Geographically, they're arguably Asian islands under European sovereignty. But since "continents" are defined more by convention than geology, these islands are universally considered part of Europe.

Continents: Europe, South America, Africa, and Oceania

Metropolitan France: 643,801 km² (Europe)

Overseas territories: 119,396 km² across multiple continents

France is the most geographically dispersed country in the world. Its overseas départements and regions (not colonies — they're constitutionally part of France) include:

Fun implications:

• •France's longest border is with Brazil (730 km), through French Guiana
• •France is technically a South American country, a Caribbean country, and a Pacific country
• •French citizens in Tahiti vote in French elections and use the Euro
• •The EU's southernmost point is in Réunion; its westernmost is in Guadeloupe

Continents: Europe and North America

European Netherlands: 41,543 km²

Caribbean Netherlands: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba (special municipalities)

Like France, the Netherlands has Caribbean islands that are fully part of the kingdom — not overseas territories, but special municipalities with the same status as European provinces. Dutch citizens on Bonaire can vote in Dutch elections.

Continents: Europe and Africa

European Spain: ~505,990 km²

African territories: Ceuta, Melilla, and several small islands

Spain holds Ceuta and Melilla, two autonomous cities on the Moroccan coast — the only EU territories on mainland Africa. These cities have been Spanish for over 500 years, predating the existence of Morocco as a modern state.

Fun fact: The Spain-Morocco border at Ceuta and Melilla represents the only land borders between the EU and Africa.

Continents: Europe (but sometimes classified as transcontinental)

Azores and Madeira: Mid-Atlantic archipelagos

Portugal's Atlantic islands sit on separate tectonic plates from mainland Europe. The Azores straddle the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the European and North American plates. Geologically, some Azorean islands are arguably on the North American plate — though politically and culturally, they're unambiguously European.

Continents: Asia and Oceania

Total area: 1,904,569 km²

Indonesia spans from Sumatra (unambiguously Asian) to Papua (unambiguously Oceanian/Australasian). The Wallace Line and Lydekker Line mark biogeographic transitions within the archipelago, but the conventional continental boundary places Indonesia's western islands in Asia and Papua in Oceania.

Continents: North America and Oceania

50 states: All in North America

Hawaii: Oceania (Polynesia)

Hawaii is geographically and culturally Polynesian — part of Oceania, not North America. It's 3,800 km from the nearest point of the continental US. Yet it's a full state, not a territory, making the US technically a transcontinental country.

(US overseas territories like Guam and American Samoa extend American presence further into Oceania and even the Caribbean.)

Continents: Asia and Africa

Asian mainland: Virtually all of Yemen

Socotra: An island closer to Africa, sometimes considered African

Socotra island sits 380 km from the Arabian Peninsula but only 240 km from Somalia. Biogeographically, it's often grouped with Africa. Politically, it's Yemeni, hence Asian by most conventions.

Ready to prove you know your continents? Try these questions:

1. 1What percentage of Russia's population lives in the European portion? (~77%)
2. 2Which strait divides European and Asian Istanbul? (Bosphorus)
3. 3What canal marks the Africa-Asia boundary in Egypt? (Suez Canal)
4. 4Which French overseas department is in South America? (French Guiana)
5. 5Which US state is geographically in Oceania? (Hawaii)

The best way to master continental geography is through hands-on practice. At [Name The Countries](/), you can:

• •Identify transcontinental countries on a blank world map
• •Learn continental boundaries through repeated practice
• •Challenge yourself with timed geography quizzes
• •Track your improvement as you master each region

Whether you're studying for a geography bee, preparing for trivia night, or just curious about our complex world, understanding transcontinental countries adds a fascinating layer to your knowledge.

[Start playing now →](/)

• •Continental boundaries are conventions, not absolute geographic facts — they've changed over time and are still debated
• •Russia is the largest transcontinental country, with most land in Asia but most people in Europe
• •Turkey is the textbook example, with Istanbul literally split between Europe and Asia
• •France has territory on more continents than any other country through its overseas departments
• •The Caucasus countries (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) have disputed continental classification
• •Modern nations don't fit neatly into continental boxes — history, culture, and politics create complex identities

The world is messier than our maps suggest. Transcontinental countries are a reminder that the lines we draw are human constructs — important for organizing our understanding, but never quite capturing the full complexity of geography, culture, and identity.

Curious about more geographic oddities? Check out our guide to [Exclaves and Enclaves](/blog/exclaves-and-enclaves-of-the-world) or explore [Countries Most People Can't Find on a Map](/blog/countries-most-people-cant-find).