Five Westernmost Countries by Continent

For each continent, which countries lie furthest west? Where countries straddle two continents, we only consider the country's territory in the continent in question.
Quiz by TenThousand
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Last updated: August 7, 2015
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First submittedAugust 6, 2015
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Africa
Cabo Verde
Senegal
Mauritania
Gambia
Guinea-Bissau
 
Asia
Russia
Turkey
Egypt (!)
Cyprus
Palestine
Europe
Portugal
Iceland
Spain
Ireland
Norway
 
North America
United States
Canada
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
Oceania
Fiji
Kiribati
New Zealand
Tonga
Samoa
 
South America
Chile
Ecuador
Colombia
Peru
Brazil
+1
Level 35
Aug 6, 2015
Can you explain Egypt being in Asia and it's El Salvador not El Salavdor.
+2
Level 76
Aug 6, 2015
This article explains why. Note the instructions, that state that only the parts of countries that are within the relevant continent are counted for that continent. Thanks for the typo correction, by the way.
+1
Level 65
Aug 6, 2015
Cool quiz! Egypt isn't in Asia, using the respective COTW continents. Missed Cyprus, Israel, and Norway. El Salvador is spelled incorrectly. :)
+2
Level 76
Aug 6, 2015
Most of it isn't, but some of it is... Same sort of situation as Russia and Turkey.
+2
Level 85
Aug 6, 2015
Wikipedia says the westernmost point of Argentina is 73 degrees 30 minutes west, while the westernmost point of Brazil is 73 degrees 59 minutes 4 seconds west.
+2
Level 85
Aug 6, 2015
Taveuni is part of Fiji and straddles the 180th meridian, so Fiji should be on the Oceania list (in place of Palau, I guess).
+2
Level 76
Aug 6, 2015
Everything's tidied up now. Thanks for everyone's feedback. We got Brazil and Argentina back to front, by the way, because they were listed out of order on Wikipedia - the entry there has been corrected as well!
+2
Level 77
Aug 6, 2015
Ha I missed Palau and Egypt. Very clever he :)
+2
Level 74
Aug 6, 2015
Couple things: I typed Australia (forgetting about the IDL) and it filled in Fiji for me; I typed in Argentina and it filled in Brazil. Check your type-ins!
+1
Level 52
Aug 7, 2015
How there can be New Zealand but not Australia?
+2
Level 76
Aug 7, 2015
Seems a bit strange I agree, but it's true! All five countries on the list have territory at the far west (hence "westernmost") of the Western Hemisphere, in other words to the east of the 180 degree parallel. In New Zealand's case, it's the Chatham Islands.
+2
Level 76
Aug 19, 2015
I think it'd be better to consider the 5 that are 'relatively' furthest west in Oceania, ie without considering the international date line
+2
Level 85
Aug 7, 2015
Also, Palestine (which I believe you now classify as a country) is further west than Israel (thanks to the Gaza Strip).
+2
Level 76
Aug 7, 2015
Corrected, thanks. We've always classified Palestine as a country because most of the world does (135, or 70%, of the world's countries). It has the same nation status at the UN as Vatican City, which no-one questions as a country. I've left Israel as a type-in for that answer, for those whose thinking aligns with the 30%!
+1
Level 76
Aug 19, 2015
Fun quiz! I'm not 100% convinced about Egypt making the list, wouldn't any of the Greek islands off Turkey be considered part of Asia following a similar reasoning?
+1
Level 73
Dec 4, 2015
Norway?!
+2
Level 76
Dec 5, 2015
Yes, at Jan Mayen Island.
+3
Level 69
Sep 22, 2016
then you should consider denmark, because of Greenland...
+1
Level 60
Feb 13, 2022
Greenland's in North America and it's not in the top 5 for North America.
+1
Level 56
Nov 23, 2018
If the Sinai makes Egypt westernmost in Asia, then why doesn't French Guiana, a departement of France, make France the westernmost in Europe.

Still disagree with Samoa, etc being westernmost when they are farther east just because they re in the western hemisphere. Also Papua New Guinea and Solomons are farther west than some of the others.

+2
Level 76
Nov 23, 2018
You answered your own question: it is because the five westernmost countries in Oceania all have territory in the western hemisphere. It's counterintuitive we know, having these five countries, all on the right side of a map of Oceania, being the most westerly, but if you don't like that fact you need to whine to the cartographers who have specified longitudes as they have, not us! Finally, French Guiana is not in Europe, it's in South America.
+1
Level 32
Dec 9, 2018
Guyane and St Pierre et Miquelon should qualify France as westernmost nation in Europe, no?
+2
Level 76
Dec 9, 2018
No. They are a part of France but not of Europe.
+1
Level 60
Feb 13, 2022
Nominated. I believe the Canary Islands are farther west than Guinea-Bissau since they are in Africa and the Azores / Madeira would qualify for their continent.