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Transcontinental countries (including dependent territories)

Check out the other versions of this quiz: with a map, excluding dependencies with and without map. All quiz versions are also available in german and polish.

Name all countries that extend over more than one continent!

This quiz takes into account dependent territories.

For the purpose of this quiz, we count 7 continents: North America (including Central America and the Caribbean), South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania (including Australia) and Antarctica.

For the purpose of this quiz, every landmass – even small remote islands in the middle of the ocean - is allocated to one of the continents.

Since the boundaries between continents are in many cases a matter of debate already (even without assigning every little island to a continent), many transcontinental countries from this quiz may usually or in some continental boundary projections not be considered extending over several continents; also some landmasses may be allocated to different continents based on projection.

Factors taken into account for assigning a landmass to a continent may include: geography, geology, politics, culture or simply convention.

Claims on Antarctica itself (and all claims south of 60°S latitude as held in abeyance by the Antarctic Treaty System in general) do count for this quiz.

Sources used include: Wikipedia articles (this, this, this and this among others) and own examinations of the map

Below are some hints:
Besides the obvious ones, think of countries on the edges of continents, with some far away islands or (former) colonial powers.
Underlining indicates the continent where the capital (and in most cases the main landmass) is located.
A “?“ and grey background indicates that the claimed allocation of a part of the country's territory to the respective continent is debatable or even highly unusual.
Quiz by MappingFan97
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Last updated: December 25, 2021
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First submittedDecember 25, 2021
Times taken93
Average score87.9%
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Continents
Country
Description
Africa, Asia
Egypt
The modern convention for the land boundary between Asia and Africa runs along the Isthmus of Suez and the Suez Canal in Egypt, making the Sinai Peninsula a part of Asia.
Africa, Antarctica ?
South Africa
This claim may be a bit dubious: The South African Prince Edward Islands (not to be confused with the name-related Canadian province) in the southern Indian Ocean are positioned between the African and Antarctic continents, the distance to Africa being a bit shorter. Tectonically, they are tied to Antarctica by the Antarctic plate and they are considered to belong to the "subantarctic islands", most of which are dependent territories of other nations.
Asia, Africa
Yemen
While Yemen's Red Sea islands lie on the Asian continental shelf like the mainland, the archipelago of Socotra off the Horn of Africa lies on the African shelf and is geographically closer to Somalia than to the Yemeni coast.
Asia, Europe
Turkey
The Eastern Thrace region of Turkey (west of Istanbul) is located in the Balkans
Asia, Europe
Azerbaijan
Some districts of Azerbaijan (mostly north of Sumgait City) with ca. 5% of the country's population (half a million people) are located north of the Greater Caucasus Watershed, and thus geographically in Europe.
Asia, Europe
Georgia
The regions of Khevi, Khevsureti and Tusheti of Georgia are mainly located north of the Greater Caucasus Watershed, and thus geographically in Europe.
Asia, Europe
Kazakhstan
A small portion of Kazakhstan extends west of the Ural River into Eastern Europe.
Asia, Oceania
Japan
Japan's Izu, Ogasawara and Volcano Islands as well as Nishinoshima and Okinotorishima are occasionally considered part of Oceania. While these claims are well substantiated, only Minami-Tori-shima (Marcus Island) is unequivocally part of Oceania.
Asia, Oceania
Indonesia
While the exact border between Asia and Oceania in the Malay archipelago is a matter of debate, all projections allocate the whole island of New Guinea (with its westen Indonesian part) to the Melanesia region of Oceania. Some go even as far as to claim Sulawesi and Lombok for Oceania.
Europe, Africa
Italy
Italy has a number of small islands south of Sicily which, geographically can be considered part of the African continent, due to their proximity to Tunisia: while Pantelleria and Linosa are usually considered part of Europe, Lampedusa and Lampione are seen as part of Africa.
Europe, Africa
Spain
Spain has territories including one autonomous community (Canary Islands), one province (Almería due to the Island of Albóran) and two autonomous cities (Ceuta and Melilla) in Africa with close to 5% of the population living on the African continent. Furthermore, the "plazas de soberanía" on the Maroccan coast are under a different status, akin to unincorporated territories.
Europe, Antarctica
Norway
Dependencies:
Europe: Jan Mayen; Svalbard
Antarctica: Bouvet Island; Peter I Island (claimed); Queen Maud Land (claimed)
Europe, Asia ?
Greece
The territory of Greece includes a number of islands just off the coast of Asia Minor, such as Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Chios and Lesbos, but especially Kastellorizo with its adjacent islands. However they consider themselves part of Europe due to cultural ties.
Europe, North America
Denmark
Dependencies:
Europe: Faroe Islands
North America: Greenland
Europe, Africa, North America ?
Portugal
The Portuguese archipelago of Madeira is geographically associated with Africa (though culturally with Europe).
Geologically, the Azores island group is located near the Azores Triple Junction with all but two of its main islands scattered over the boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate, while Corvo Island and Flores Island are situated on the North American Plate.
Europe, Asia, North America ?
Russia
This one seems obvious: the Europe-Asian border cuts right through Russia: beginning in the Black Sea, it following the Greater Caucasus Watershed, the Caspian Sea, the Ural River and Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea in the North.
Depending on the continental boundary definition, Russia's part of the Aleutian Islands and Big Diomede / Ratmanov Island may be considered part of North America.
Europe, North America, South America ?
Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises three autonomous "constituent countries" in the Caribbean (Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Marteen, all of which count as dependencies) and one constituent country, the Netherlands, with most of its area in Europe but also encompassing three overseas Caribbean municipalities - Sint Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire. The last one could also be seen as part of South America due to its proximity.

Dependencies:
North America: Sint Maarten
North America / South America ?: Aruba; Curaçao
Europe, Africa, Antarctica, North America, Oceania, South America
France
The French regions of French Guiana (South America), Guadeloupe, Martinique (both North America), Mayotte, and Réunion (both Africa) have the same status as the regions of metropolitan France - unlike other oversees territories like French Polynesia, Saint Pierre & Miquelon or New Caledonia.

Dependencies:
Africa and Antarctica (only transcontinental dependent territory?): French Southern and Antarctic Lands (including claimed Adélie Land)
North America: Saint Barthélemy; Saint Martin; Saint Pierre and Miquelon
North America / Oceania ?: Clipperton Island
Oceania: French Polynesia; New Caledonia; Wallis and Futuna
Europe, Africa, Asia, Antarctica North America, Oceania, South America
United Kingdom
Dependencies:
Europe: Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Bailiwick of Guernsey; Bailiwick of Jersey; Gibraltar; Isle of Man
Africa: Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Antarctica: British Antarctic Territory (claimed); South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Asia: British Indian Ocean Territory
North America: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Montserrat; Turks and Caicos Islands
Oceania: Pitcairn Islands
South America: Falkland Islands
North America ?, Europe
Iceland
Located between Europe and Greenland (which is geographically part of North America), Iceland is considered european for historical, cultural and political reasons. Geologically, it lies right on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which separates the North American and Eurasian Plate, causing frequent volcanic activity. The island's capital, Reykjavík, is located on the North American side.
North America, Oceania ?
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Cocos Island is usually regarded as the southernmost point of North America. Since it is a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, allocating it to Oceania is not out of the picture.
South America, Oceania ?
Ecuador
Ecuador contains the Galápagos Islands, which, depending on the definition, either lie in South America or are considered part of the Oceanian islands - however, latter perspective is highly unusual.
North America, Oceania ?
Mexico
Mexico contains the Revillagigedo Islands, the most remote island being Isla Clarión (700 km / 430 mi from the mainland.). The islands are usually associated with North America - however, to count them to Oceania is not unthinkable.
North America, Oceania, Asia ?
USA
The state of Hawaii is indisputably a part of Oceania.The same applies to the Palmyra Atoll, which - unlike other "unincorporated" US possessions in the Pacific (which count as dependent territories) - is an "incorporated" territory and therefore integral part of the US.
Depending on the continental boundary definition, the western part of the Aleutian Islands, Little Diomede Island and other Bering Sea islands like St. Lawrence Island may be considered part of Asia, making Alaska a transcontinental state.

Dependencies:
North America: Bajo Nuevo Bank (claimed); Guantánamo Bay (leased territory); Puerto Rico; Serranilla Bank (claimed); United States Virgin Islands
Oceania: American Samoa; Baker Island; Guam; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Atoll; Navassa Island; Northern Mariana Islands; Wake Atoll
North America, South America ?
Panama
Conventionally though debatably, the border between the American continents is located somewhere in the Darién Gap, most notably along the Darién Mountains Watershed which would make the south eastern tip of Panama (near the source of Río Jampavadó) part of South America. A less common projection places the continental border on the Panama Canal.
North America, South America ?
Trinidad and Tobago
The southern half of Trinidad lies on the South American Plate while the northern half of Trinidad and the island of Tobago lie on the Caribbean Plate. However, these geological features do not necessarily qualify Trinidad and Tobago as a transcontinental state, as the whole territory is usually labeled geopolitically as part of North America.
Oceania, Antarctica
New Zealand
Dependencies:
Oceania: Cook Island; Niue; Tokelau
Antarctica: Ross Dependency (claimed)
Oceania, Antarctica, Asia
Australia
Dependencies:
Oceania: Ashmore and Cartier Islands; Coral Sea Islands; Norfolk Island
Asia: Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Antarctica: Australian Antarctic Territory (claimed); Heard Island and McDonald Islands
South America, Africa ?
Brazil
Admittedly, Brazil is probably not a transcontinental country, not even due to its most remote island possession: the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago - a cluster of rocks on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge or slightly to its east on the African side.
South America, Antarctica
Argentina
Dependencies:
Antarctica: Argentine Antarctica (claimed)
South America, North America
Venezuela
Venezuela's Aves Island is located 547 km / 340 mi north of the mainland in the middle of the Caribbean Sea which is a part of North America. Venezuela's Federal Dependencies and the state of Nueva Esparta which are comprised of Caribbean islands right off the South American coast are usually considered South American, unless all of the Caribbean is viewed as North American.
South America, Antarctica, Oceania
Chile
Chile regards itself as a "tricontinental country": Besides its South American territory, it claims an Antarctic possession and has sovereignty over multiple Pacific Islands: most notably Easter Island, but also Isla Salas y Gómez (the easternmost point in the Polynesian Triangle), Juan Fernández Islands and Desventuradas Islands (the latter two being usually associated with South America).

Dependencies:
Antarctica: Chilean Antarctic Territory (claimed)
South America, North America, Oceania ?
Colombia
The Colombian Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina department is located in the Caribbean Sea making it a part of North America.
Malpelo Island, 500 km / 310 mi west of Colombia's Pacific coast is usually considered a part of South America and only very rarely of Oceania.
Moreover, since the land border between North and South America is not exactly determined, Colombia may extend through the Darién Gap to the North American side - especially in the area west of the Río Atrato delta.
+1
Level 43
Dec 25, 2021
This has been my most demanding quiz so far, it took a lot of effort and lots of time to research, draft, write (especially as a non-native speaker), edit and translate it (for different language versions).

Therefore, I hope you liked it and will leave a 5-star rating and a nomination!

If you have any questions, criticism, praises or corrections, please leave a comment!

Here, you can find all english, german, and polish versions of this quiz.

+1
Level 67
Dec 25, 2021
Agentina also claime a part of Antarctica.
+1
Level 43
Dec 25, 2021
true

now fixed

+1
Level 77
Feb 24, 2022
Very educational to read your explanations. Thanks for all the hard work. I've lived in one territory mentioned (Gibraltar) and visited the Canaries, Iceland (both sides), Lampedusa, Melilla, Ceuta, Trinidad (and Tobago) and the European parts of Turkey and Russia, so I've had some experience of straddling these borders! Nominated.
+1
Level 43
Feb 28, 2022
That's amazing, thanks.

That means that you were probably multiple times simultaneously on two continents while crossing the transcontinental border.

I looked at the map on your profile, hope to travel as much as you one day, too.

+1
Level 72
May 4, 2023
Perhaps add Mauritius to be consistent with the map quiz.