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A transcontinental nation is a country belonging to more than one continent by not only geographical, but also another definitions - divisions arise for several reasons, be it political, social or geographical. An example of such a country is Turkey where the Dardanelles and the Bosporus display a clear division between mainland Europe and the Asian mainland. However sometimes arises confusion about these definitions.

One reason for the confusion of which continent a country may lie is due to the general public's confusion on the position of the continental boundary. This is a phenomenon largely encountered when a continent is not entierly surrounded by a body of water (like Europe). The concept of the European continent is often loaded with as much socio-political consideration as geographical. Many geologists and geographers agree that Europe and Asia are sharing many common geographical features and they are sometimes referred to as Eurasia. Nevertheless the geographical differences between Europe and Asia should not be underestimated.

The eastern geographical border of Europe has the following path: From the Baydaratskaya Guba bay in the Kara Sea the border goes to the eastern side of the Ural Mountains, then on the Ural River until the Mugodzhar Hills, then on the Emba River and onto the Caspian Sea. The sea part of the border goes trough the deepest parts of the Caspian Sea, then on the Kura river (in Azerbaijan and Georgia), Surami passage, Qvirila river in the Kolkhida Lowland on to the coastal city of Poti. Then the sea part of the border goes trough the deepest parts of the Black Sea, then the Bosporus, the Dardanelles, then the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea and on to the Gibraltar strait.

So, in Europe are located the whole Ural mountains and the main parts of the Caucasus mountains (including Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe; Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia height). Lesser Caucasus (mountain, part of the Armenian mountain range, ot the border between Armenia, Georgia and Turkey) is located completely in Asia. Also Armenia, Cyprus and many of the Greece's Aegean islands are located entierly in Asia. The Greek island of Crete and Malta are located entierly in Europe. Russia and Kazakhstan have both european (western) and asian (eastern) parts (and Russia before Alaska was sold to the United States had even North American part). The cities of Istanbul and Tbilissi are located exatly on the border, the cities of Baku and Rustavi - in Europe. South Ossetia and Abkhasia lie entierly in Europe; Nagorno-Karabakh is located entierly in Asia.

Geographicaly the borders of the european continent are defined strictly. The 'minimaly famous' part of the border - the part between the Caspian and Black Seas is going south of the Caucaus mountains, becouse these mountains are part of the european continent - in contrast to the Asia Minor mountains the Caucaus mountains are an part of the Pyrenee-Alpine geosynclinal (it includes also the Balkan mountains).

Sometimes the eastern and southern borders of Europe are described very vague and thus wrongly when examined to the details. The line labeled "A" on the picture is representing the case when people just use "Ural mountains" as eastern border. When the problem arises where does the border go after these mountains some say "the Kazakh state-border" (but it is clearly non-scientific to use human/political creations to define the border between Europe and Asia) and others take the easiest path - "Ural river" (easiest, becouse this river is bigger than the Emba and thus showed on many more maps and also becouse it shares the same name as the mountain east of witch the border goes before that). The line labeled "B" on the picture is representing the case when as southern border is described the Kuma-Manych Depression - excluding not only european mountains like the Caucasus, but also european russian regions like Krasnodar (with some of the main Black Sea ports like Novorossiysk) and others. The line labeled "C" on the picture is representing the case when as southern border is described the Caucasus watershed (again consequence of vague source and the easiest interpretation that the "Caucasus" means the watershed of this mountain and not specific features below its slope).

Becouse of Kazakhstan cental asian culture and political orientation it is very rarely regarded as a European country, but it has a sizable territory on that continent (bigger than the whole of Portugal or Greece). The nations of the South Caucasus however have a more socio-political claim as European. These nations are Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Of the three only Georgia and Azerbaijan have territory on the european continent, but Armenia is regarded as european becouse of cultural and historical reasons.

The majority of Georgia and Azerbaijan population lives in Europe; two thirds of the Georgian territory and a little less than the half of Azerbaijan territory is in Europe too. Nevertheless they are often excluded from some lists of european states (unlike Russia and Turkey that have much less european territory/population as percentage or even square kilometers/people). That is becouse after the fall of the USSR the popular western understanding is that from the USSR are emerged three groups of states: Russia, "european" (read: 'near to the western states') and "other, asian". The distinction between Central Asian and Caucasus states (some of witch are geographicaly in Europe) is made less often. That is also the reason why on many maps the european areas south of the Russian/Georgian and Russian/Azerbaijani borders are colored gray as if they do not belong to Europe.

Many other nations have strong cultural ties with Europe such as the north African states of Morrocco, Algeria and Tunisia. However, the clear boundry of the Mediterranean Sea excludes thes nations geographicaly. The nation of Israel also has European ties due in part to its unique status. As such there is the rather confusing position of a nation clearly part of the Middle East in Asia which plays as a part of the UEFA European football league. This is reflected in Australia where the country has joined the Asian Football League. Israel, like Morocco and Tunisia has ambition to become a state of the European Union, but currently full membership is not possible (Morocco is the only one of the tree to submit an application, but it was rejected, becouse it is not located on the european continent even paritialy).

The western boundary of Europe is the Atlantic Ocean, and Iceland (in the middle between Europe and North America) is also included in Europe. Greenland is geographicaly part of North America, yet as a part of Denmark it is politicaly assosiated with Europe (altrough the EU law does not apply there). Islands geographicaly belonging to one continent sometimes have more stronger political and cultural ties to another continent. This is the case with Cyprus, an island just of the coast of Asia that was admitted in 1961 to the Council of Europe and in 2004 as European Union member. Cape Verde, an island group off the atlantic coast of Africa, also show an interest in joining the EU.

Transcontinental nations in the rest of the world include Egypt, split between Africa and Asia (the border is the Isthmus of Suez and follows the path of the Suez Canal) as the Sinai Peninsula is geographically Asian. Nevertheless Egypt is commonly refered to as african state, becouse there are most of its population and territory. For political use Egypt, as well as the other North African states are refered to as Middle East or Wider Middle East states like the asian states of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel and others. The border between North America and South America is the Isthmus of Panama. Also these two continents are often divided by other mainly political groupings such as Central America, Latin America or more generally the Americas. Panama lies on both continents, but maybe becouse of its non-participation into South American political and economic formations (Mercosur, Andean Community) in non-geograhpical sense it is more commonly grouped with north american countries like Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and the southern of the Netherland Antilles are geographicaly south american, but politicaly are often grouped with all Caribbean islands as central or north american.

Indonesia is divided between Asia and Oceania. The geological and zoological border goes along the Wallace line, but division according to the Melanesia definition (accounting for human language, genetics, history and crafts - this division is represented by the line labeled "M" on the picture) is also possible. In non-geographical sense Indonesia is more commonly refered to as asian - on of the southeast asian countries. Some argue that the United States' inclusion of Hawaii divides it between North America and Oceania. However, the Pacific island countries (including Australia) does not belong to any continent. The name Oceania (and to some degree Australasia) reflects the notion of humans to group islands to nearby large continents - when such are simly missing we invent a construct or grouping, where it would be easy to place the 'homeless' islands.

Transcontinental nation can be called a nation that is divided between two (or more) countries - be it becouse of emigrants (chinese in the USA, etc.), historical reasons (colonization - many european states have extraterritorial possessions, dependencies and similar in another continents) or other (Spain's Ceuta and Melilla, islands belonging to the more distant state in a sea shared between continents, etc.). Sometimes these oversees territories such as French Guiana, are regarded as an integral part of the main state (France), but are located clearly on another continent. As such France for example could be regarded as a transcontinental nation. Also islands isolated in the middle of oceans (as Iceland is sometimes regarded) such as the British Tristan Da Cunha in the mid Atlantic and the French territory of Île Saint-Paul in the mid Indian Ocean do not seem to conform to any particular continent nor to the Pacific Ocean's islands that collectively are treated like a continent - Oceania.

List of geographicaly transcontinental states

A transcontinental state is a country whose contiguous continental territory (or in case an island state - its different islands) lie in two (or more) different continents. Non-contiguous parts of the countries are not considered (eg. distant integral parts, extraterritorial possessions, dependencies and similar - like French Guiana, Hawaii and others). This list includes the countries meeting that definition and presents tables showing the calculated area and population of the country in each continent.

Methodology of calculation

There are two main methods for non-scientific calculation of parts of the state area:

• The smaller part of the territory is divided into rectangles, which area can be easily calculated using simple distance tools. This method gives results with moderate errors and can be used only for area, but not for population.
• If the administrative divisions (sub-regions) of the state are going along the continents geographical border (or near it) then much more correct data (widely available area and population data for the regions) can be added up together.

The total area and population of countries is well known from various sources, so when there is data for the part of the country on one continent - then the other part (on the other continent) and the percentages can be easily calculated.

Countries in both Asia and Europe

See the introduction of this page for more details about the geographical border between Europe and Asia.

• Azerbaijan and Georgia - according to definitions which consider the Caucasus as the boundary with Asia these countries lie in both Eastern Europe and SouthWestern Asia.
  
• Kazakhstan's European territory consists of a portion west of the Ural and Emba Rivers - it lies in both Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
  
• Those territories of Russia lying west of the Ural Mountains are considered as part of Europe. Respectively those territories lying east of the Ural Mountains are considered Northern Asian.
  
• European Turkey comprises territory to the west and north of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles straits. Turkey lies in both Southern Europe and SouthWestern Asia
  
• Armenia and Cyprus are geographically in Asia (SouthWest), but considered part of Europe for cultural and historical reasons.

Map colors: Geographical Europe is colored green. The asian territory of states that lie both in Europe and Asia is coloured light pink. Dark-pink are colored states that lie entirely on the Asian continent, but are considered european because of cultural and historical reasons. Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan is also coloured dark-pink because it is not a continuous extension of Azerbaijan's territory.

Statistics

Countries are sorted according to percentage of European area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Including the districts of Istanbul city that are lying in Asia.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of European population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijan territory is more finely granulated into regions than the territory of the other states in this list. The consequense is that the area and population calculations should be more accurate. Of the regions that touch the border five lie entierly in Europe (best accuracy), one lies almost entierly in Asia, eight lie in both Europe and Asia. Another twenty regions lie entierly in Europe, the rest - in Asia.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high-to-medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium

Georgia

Georgia regions' borders in most cases follow the geographical Europe/Asia border. The exclusions are two regions that are divided in half, one region that stretches a little into Asia and one region that has a quater of it in Europe.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high (but better is possible)

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan regions' borders don't follow the Emba river. There is one region entierly in Europe and two regions that are lying in both Europe and Asia.

• Accuracy of area calculation: medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

Russia

Russia regions' borders follow closely enough the Europe/Asia border. The deviations of the borders are such that if one mainly European region has a small part of its territory in Asia, then another mainly Asian region has a small part of its territory in Europe. Such cases are rare and nearly compensating one-another, so for such a rough calculation high accuracy can be claimed.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high (but better is possible)

Turkey

Turkey regions' are helpful for the calculation, but some things should be noted. The area that the mainly asian region of Çanakkale occupies in Europe is compensating the asian territory of the Istanbul region. The population calculation is more problematic, because it is not sure if the population density (inhabitants/sq. km.) of these two parts are equal and then there is the case with the city of Istanbul, which is lying on both Europe and Asia. Should the city be looked as one big 'dot', located in Europe, or should the population figures be divided? Currently the whole population of the city is added to the table as euroepan. Also, precise data about the particular districts of Istanbul is missing.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium

(wrong if Istanbul statistics are to be divided)

Cyprus

Geographically entirely in Asia, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Armenia

Geographically entirely in Asia, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Countries in both Asia and Africa

See Geography of Africa and Asia pages for more details about the geographical border between Africa and Asia.

• The border between the two continents is considered to go along the Isthmus of Suez and the Suez Canal. This border lies in Egypt, so it is considered both North African and SouthWest Asian.
  

Statistics

Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Egypt

Three of the Egypt regions lie entierly in Asia. One of the regions is nearly equally divided by the Suez Canal and another land has a small portion east of the Suez Canal.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high (but better is possible)
• Accuracy of population calculation: high-to-medium

Countries in both Asia and Oceania

See Wallace line and the Oceania and Asia pages for more details about the grouping of the islands between Oceania and Asia.

The best option for geographical definition about which island should be included with Oceania and which with Asia is to use the Wallace line.

• According to this definition some of the eastern Indonesian islands should be considered oceanian. So Indonesia is both in SouthEast Asia and in Oceania.
  
• According to this definition the whole of the state East Timor lies only in Oceania. Culturally it is also much closer to the Pacific people than to Asians. East Timor is considered as a part of Asia only for historical reasons - the past occupation by Indonesia, which is regarded mostly a SouthEast Asian state.

Statistics

Countries are sorted according to percentage of Oceanian area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Countries are sorted according to percentage of Oceanian population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

East Timor

Geographically (and even culturaly) entirely in Oceania, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Indonesia

Nine of the Indonesia provinces (island groups) lie entierly in Oceania, the others - in Asia, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Countries both in North America and South America

See North America and South America pages for more details about the geographical border between the two Americas.

• The land border between the two continents is considered to go along the Isthmus of Panama and the Panama canal. This border lies in Panama, so it has both North American part and South American part.
  
• The sea islands division is more complicated. Culturally and historically all Caribbean islands (and even some smaller continental countries) are very close together (both similar indigenous people and similar colonial past) and all of them are often labeled as North American.
  The dependency Aruba and some parts of the Netherland Antilles (Bonaire and Curaçao islands) and the islands state of Trinidad and Tobago are geographically clearly part of South America. Grenada state can be considered geographically North American. The North-American parts of the Netherland Antilles are Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten.

Statistics

Extraterritorial part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of South American area.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Extraterritorial part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Countries are sorted according to percentage of South American population.
Source: World Gazetteer, Statistics of administrative units, towns and cities
For methodologies of calculation see below.

Trinidad and Tobago

Geographically entirely in South America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Netherland Antilles

Two of the islands groups lie entirely in South America and the other - in North America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible.

Panama

Five of the provinces lie entirely in South America. One of the regions is nearly equally divided between both Americas and another - unequally, nearly 1:4 ratio.

• Accuracy of area calculation: high-to-medium
• Accuracy of population calculation: medium

Uninhabited islands considered both in Antarctica and another continent

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Countries on more than two continents (historical)

• Ottoman Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa
• Roman Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa
• Byzantine Empire (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa
• Empire of Alexander the Great (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa
• Umayyad Caliphate (3) - Europe, Asia, Africa

Colonial-Era Empires:

• British Empire (6) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania
• Spanish Empire (6) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania
• Portuguese Empire (5) - Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania
• French Empire (5) - Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America
• Russian Empire (3) - Europe, Asia and North America
• Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (3) - Europe, Africa and South America

• Europe
• European geography