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A transcontinental nation is a country belonging to more than one continent. These divisions arise for several reasons, be it geographical, political or social. Contries which most obviously defined as transcontinental appear where continental boundaries are definate. 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 some other countries are less clear cut in definition.

One reason for the confusion of which continent a country may lie is due to the grey area as to the position of the continental boundary. This is largely a European phenomenon. Since Europe is not surrounded by a body of water, the concept of the European continent is arguably as much a socio-political construct as a geographical definition. Geologists and many non-European geographers refer only to the continent of Eurasia.

The eastern extent of Europe is generally defined as the Ural Mountains. As such Russia is divided into western Europe and eastern Asia (and before Alaska was sold to the United States, even North America). The south eastern borders of Europe are ore difficult to define. Either the Ural or Emba rivers serve as potential boundaries continuing from the Ural mountains, then the boundary continues with the Caspian Sea. From there either the Kuma and Manych rivers or the Caucasus mountains are possibilities for a division before reaching the Black Sea and the division of Turkey.

As such several countries are potentially divided between Europe and Asia. A small portion of Kazakhstan may be included, although it is very rarely regarded as a European country. The nations of the South Caucasus however have a more socio-political claim as European. These nations are Azerbaijan and Georgia and perhaps even Armenia by some accounts.

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 from a definition. 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 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, though full membership is highly unlikely.

The western boundary of Europe is the Atlantic Ocean, but Iceland, much farther away than the nearest points of Africa and Asia, is also usually included in Europe. Greenland is generally regarded a part of North America, yet as a part of Denmark was included in the European Union untill the mid 1980's. Islands off the coast of continents somtimes cause problems as to their placement into one contienet or another. Cyprus, an island just of the coast of Asia is generally regarded as European and in 2004 joined the European Union. Cape Verde an island group off the 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 as the Sinai Peninsula is geographically Asian. Panama straddles North America and South America, but these two continents are often divided by other constructs such as Central America, Latin America or more generally the Americas. Indonesia is also often divided between Asia and Australasia and the United States' inclusion of Hawaii divides it between North America and Oceania. However, like the Americas, there is no definate division of the Pacific countries into a a continent. Oceania is one provision, another is Australasia. This reflects the notion of continental boundaries being a largely subjective human construct, as opposed to a geographically definate one.

Other complex issues involve oversees territories such as French Guiana, regarded as an integral part of France, but clearly South American. As such France 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.

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. extraterritorial possessions, dependencies and similar - like French Guiana). 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 Europe page for more details about the geographical border between Europe and Asia.

• Azerbaijan and Georgia - according to definitions which consider the main watershed of 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 River (the Emba in other definitions) - it lies in both Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
  
• Those territories of Russia lying west of the Ural Mountains and those lying north of the main Caucasus watershed are considered as part of Europe. Respectively those territories lying east of the Ural river and Mountains are considered Northern Asian and those lying south of the Caucaus (tiny portion) - SouthWestern 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.

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.

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.
Including the districts of Istanbul city that are lying in Asia.

Azerbaijan

The north-eastern Azerbaijan regions' borders are going mostly along the main Caucasus watershed, so here the more correct method can be used. The Xisi region is almost equally divided on the two sides of the watershed, so area calculation is easily made.

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

Georgia

Georgia regions' borders don't follow the main Caucasus watershed (a newer map is needed showing South Ossetia correctly and not divided between other regions—mostly the former Tsinkvalli region). The area is calculated by the rectangle method. The population is calculated using the population density (inhabitants/sq. km.) of Azerbaijan's European territory (because it is in the same region and is somewhat accurate).

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

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan regions' borders don't follow the Ural river. There are two regions that stretch in both Europe and Asia. It looks like the Asian territory of the northern (of these two) region is similar to the European territory of the southern. The northern has in total ~151,000 sq. km. A conservative figure of 150,000 is used, because using the rectangle method similar results are also obtained. Figures from both regions are used for the population data, taking into account which cities lie in Asia and which in Europe.

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

Russia

Russia regions' borders follow closely enough the Ural mountains and river. 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. There is also a very small (less than 300 sq. km.) Russian territory south of the main Caucasus watershed—in Asia. This is also a small deviation and it does not seriously affect the accuracy.

• 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. 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 Melanesia-region of Oceania and Asia pages for more details about the grouping of the islands between Oceania and Asia.

There is no exact geographical definition about which island should be included with Oceania and which with Asia. The best option is to use the most up-to-date Melanesia definition.

• According to this definition some of the easternmost Indonesian islands should be considered oceanian. So Indonesia is both in SouthEast Asia and in Melanesian 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

Three of the Indonesia provinces lie entierly in Oceania. One of the regions is nearly equally divided between Oceania and Asia.

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

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 is considered both North American and South American.
  
• There is no exact geographical definition about which island should be included with North America and which with South America. 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 can be considered part of North America.
  On the other hand the dependency Aruba and part of the Netherland Antilles (Bonaire and Curaçao islands) and the island of Trinidad (the larger island of the Trinidad and Tobago state) are geographically clearly part of South America. The Tobago island and the Grenada state can be considered geographically North American. The North-American parts of the Netherland Antilles are Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten.

Statistics

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.
Extraterritorial part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Trinidad and Tobago

One of the islands lies entirely in North America and the other - in South America, so the accuracy of both area and population percentages is the highest possible, but the division is disputable (maybe the whole country is geographically South American).

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