ExploMaps
How many continents have you visited? A counting guide
Five, six or seven? The answer depends on the model. See how continents are counted, which countries sit on two, and how to finish the set.
"I've been to five continents" is a satisfying sentence, until someone asks which five. Ask where the continents begin and end, and the answer changes with the country you went to school in.
If you track your travels, it helps to settle the question once. Here is how continents are counted, how many countries each one holds, and how to treat the awkward cases.
Three ways to count
| Model | Continents | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| Seven | Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania (or Australia), South America | The English-speaking world and many others |
| Six | Africa, Americas, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, Oceania | Some countries, including parts of Europe and Latin America |
| Five | Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania | The Olympic rings, which stand for the inhabited continents |
None of these is wrong. They answer slightly different questions, such as "where is land" or "where do people live". For a personal tally, pick one and stick to it.
How Explo counts
Explo files every country under one of six regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Antarctica is not on the list, because it has no countries and Explo is a map of countries. Central America and the Caribbean sit under North America.
| Continent | Countries in Explo |
|---|---|
| Africa | 54 |
| Asia | 48 |
| Europe | 46 |
| North America | 23 |
| Oceania | 14 |
| South America | 12 |
The six add up to 197, the same total explained in how many countries there are in the world.
Countries on two continents
A handful of countries refuse to sit neatly in one place. A tracker has to put each one somewhere, so Explo files them like this:
| Country | Filed under | Why it is debated |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Europe | Most of the land is in Asia, but most of the people live in Europe |
| Türkiye | Asia | A small part, including Istanbul's western districts, lies in Europe |
| Egypt | Africa | The Sinai peninsula is in Asia |
| Kazakhstan | Asia | A western slice lies beyond the Ural River |
| Georgia, Azerbaijan | Asia | The Caucasus boundary depends on the definition |
| Cyprus | Europe | Geographically in Asia, politically in the EU |
| Indonesia | Asia | Its easternmost part sits on the New Guinea shelf, which some place in Oceania |
If you have only stood on the European side of Istanbul, you can reasonably say you have been to Europe. As with deciding what counts as visited, the important thing is to make the rule once and apply it every time.
What about Antarctica?
Antarctica has no countries. It is governed under the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed in 1959 and sets it aside for science and peace. Most visitors arrive on expedition cruise ships during the southern summer, roughly November to March, with many voyages leaving from Ushuaia in Argentina. It is an expensive trip, and it needs booking well ahead.
If you want Antarctica in your tally, keep it as a note next to your list. Explo counts countries, so it does not add a seventh continent.
How to finish the set
- Find your gap. Sort your visited countries by continent and see which one is missing. The Passport tab shows this at a glance.
- One country completes a tick, but not a continent. Visiting Morocco gives you Africa on a six-continent list. It covers 1 of 54 countries, so decide whether you want the tick or the depth.
- Look at the size of the job. South America has 12 countries and a lot of shared overland routes. Oceania has 14 and long, costly flights. Africa has 54 and enormous variety.
- Check entry rules and season. Fill the gap where the rule is easy for your passport and the month is right. See the passport guide and how to choose the best time.
Our guide to building a bucket list you will actually use shows how to turn the gap into a plan with dates.
In Explo
The Passport tab shows how many of the six continents you have reached and how far you are through each one, for example how many of Europe's 46 countries you have been to. Mark a country as visited and the continent card updates. Add the missing continent's best-looking countries as want to go, and your next trip is already on the map.
