Area | 55,000,000 km2 (21,000,000 sq mi) |
---|---|
Population | 5.4 billion (As of 2023)[1][2] |
Population density | 93/km2 (240/sq mi) |
Demonym | Eurasian |
Countries | ~93 countries |
Dependencies | 9 dependencies |
Time zones | UTC−1 to UTC+12 |
Part of | Afro-Eurasia |
Eurasia (/jʊəˈreɪʒə/ yoor-AY-zhə, also UK: /-ʃə/ -shə) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia.[3][4] According to some geographers, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent.[4] The concepts of Europe and Asia as distinct continents date back to antiquity, but their borders have historically been subject to change. For example, to the ancient Greeks, Asia originally included Africa but they classified Europe[5] as separate land. Eurasia is connected to Africa at the Suez Canal, and the two are sometimes combined to describe the largest contiguous landmass on Earth, Afro-Eurasia.[6]
By convention there are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica. Some geographers list only six continents, combining Europe and Asia into Eurasia. In parts of the world, students learn that there are just five continents: Eurasia, Australia (Oceania), Africa, Antarctica, and the Americas.
And since Africa and Asia are connected at the Suez Peninsula, Europe, Africa, and Asia are sometimes combined as Afro-Eurasia or Eurafrasia.