Continental Regions (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what continental regions are, what types exist, what they are on each continent and their characteristics.

What are continental regions?

Continents are large areas of land which on our planet are distinguished from the submerged surface (that is, covered by the oceans), and of which we currently know six: Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Europe and Oceania, although we know that in past geological eras there were other continents that receive other names.

These continents can be divided into continental regions (or subcontinental, if we consider that each continent is in turn a region), that is, in portions of the continent that exhibit similar traits and that can be studied geographically as a unit in themselves.

This is because an entire continent is a very vast geographic space that generally encompasses a gigantic topographical, biological and cultural diversity; In other words, no continent is homogeneous in itself.

Continental regions, thus, can be of two different types:

Natural continental regions those that are distinguished by the characteristics of the continental terrain, that is, by its configuration in physical, climatic, topographic, vegetation and/or fauna terms.
Social continental regions those that are distinguished by the cultural, social and civilizational characteristics of their human inhabitants, that is, by the configuration of the societies that occur on their surface.

Taking into account these two criteria, we can study each of the planet's continents in a more organized way, as we will see below. However, we must take into account that these divisions generally obey historical and geographical criteria that, with the passage of time, may be subject to revision by scholars and specialists.

Continental regions of Africa

continental regions africa — Africa is located between the Atlantic and Indian oceans.

The third largest continent in the world (20% of the surface area), after Asia and America, is located between the Atlantic (west) and Indian (east) oceans, is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and joined to Asia through of the Isthmus of Suez.

Natural (sub)continental regions from Africa. The African continent consists of a single large continental plate, elevated between 600 and 800 meters above sea level, in the upper half of which is the gigantic Sahara Desert, which is usually used as a dividing border between:

North Africa where arid soils predominate except in the regions of large rivers (such as the Nile, in Egypt).
Sub-Saharan Africa where the large savannahs and jungle regions of the continent predominate.

In climatic terms, Africa is divided into three successive strips that repeat north and south of the equator, composed of the climates:

Mediterranean climate
desert climate
Subtropical and rainy intertropical climate.

It is a very homogeneous continent in orographic terms, without large elevations or depressions, and with a few islands in its northwestern region. They also have few but very voluminous rivers and lakes.

Social (sub)continental regions of Africa. On the African continent it covers 54 different nations and 3 political dependencies, which are usually organized into five regions, according to the UN:

northern africa which covers the territories north of the Sahara and encompasses Mediterranean countries, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan, which have a long history of contact with European and Asian nations. These are some of the regions with the highest human development index on the continent (along with South Africa).
West Africa which covers northwest sub-Saharan Africa, that is, the countries of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea, Gambia and Guinea Bissau. Some of the least developed regions of Africa are located in this region.
central africa located in the heart of the continent, bringing together the nations of Chad, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a region of immense linguistic diversity, whose lingua franca It is French, due to European colonial heritage.
East Africa which covers the eastern region of the continent and the immense island of Madagascar, includes the states of Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the islands from Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles. It is a region with a modest economy, based on agricultural and metallurgical activity, with very low rates of human development.
Southern or southern Africa located at the southern tip of the continent, covering the countries of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana. In it, South Africa is an important pole of development, although with a very tragic colonial past, which is why the highest percentage of people originating from Europe and India in the entire continent is found in the region.

Continental regions of America

The second largest continent on the planet (28.4% of the land surface), after Asia, is located west of Europe and Africa, surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and also by the Arctic and Antarctic.

Its fauna and flora are particular given that they had an evolutionary course apart from the rest of the world for millions of years, until in the 15th century when European explorers reached their shores and an intense process of human colonization and exchange of animal species took place and vegetables.

Natural (sub)continental regions of America. The American continent is usually divided into three large physical regions (or subcontinents), each with its own characteristics and divisions:

North America or North America. It extends across the territory of the countries of Canada, the United States and Mexico, along 24,323,000 km² of surface. It covers a very diverse set of climates, among which temperate climates predominate, but polar climates in the north and tropical climates in the south, close to the Caribbean Sea, are also present. Similarly, it has arctic tundras, a wide variety of forests, deserts, jungles, plains and mangroves.
Central America or Central America. It is a narrow strip of land between North and South America, covering the territory of seven countries: Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. Crossed by a mountain system (the Central Cordillera), it is a region of great volcanic activity, being on the western edge of the Caribbean tectonic plate. The tropical climate predominates, with little thermal variation and a marked difference in precipitation that favors its Caribbean region, and its abundant jungle regions host a high percentage of the planet's biodiversity.
South America or South America. The southernmost portion of America, which includes the territory of thirteen countries: Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and five dependencies of other States. Its geography is divided into three marked regions: the Andes mountain range, the longest and youngest mountain range on the planet; the interior lowlands, which include the plains of the Orinoco, the Amazon and the Chacopampa or Plata plains; and finally the continental shield, where some of the oldest massifs in the world are located, such as the Guayanés massif, the Brasilia massif and the Patagonian massif. All of this crossed by an important climatic diversity, ranging from the warm in the tropical Amazon region to the dry coldness of Patagonia. It is a very diverse region in terms of fauna and flora, in which the Amazon rainforest stands out, a huge reserve of biodiversity that has not yet been fully explored.

Social (sub)continental regions of America. Culturally, the American continent has a unique history, given that its current configuration is the result of the tragic encounter between modern Europe, African slaves and Native American peoples. Currently, it is usually divided into two large social regions:

Anglo-Saxon America, fruit of British colonization and a largely Protestant culture, in which English is predominant. It is a region in which little mixing has occurred and in which different dynamics of racial and ethnic stratification or segregation have taken place over the centuries. It is, at the same time, the region with the highest human development index on the continent, being the most industrialized.
Latin America or Latin America the result of Spanish colonization and to a lesser extent Portuguese and French, is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world, given that it was a true melting pot of cultures and traditions, the result of the intense mixing that characterized its colonial era. Spanish (or Portuguese) and the Catholic religion predominate, but living standards vary greatly depending on the country, with important agricultural and industrial hubs, and important areas of poverty and inequality.

Continental regions of Antarctica or Antarctica

continental regions antarctic — Antarctica is the least inhabited and most homogeneous continent on the planet.

This is the least inhabited and most homogeneous continent on the planet, located at the South Pole of the planet. It is also the coldest and driest place in the world, basically a 14,000,000 km ice desert.² in surface area, the fourth largest continent in the world and the one with the highest average altitude. There is 90% of the world's ice and, consequently, 70% of the available fresh water.

Natural (sub)continental regions of Antarctica. The climate of Antarctica is icy, colder in its eastern region than in its western region, due to its higher altitude. The Transantarctic Mountains cross the continent from side to side, separating:

Eastern or Greater Antarctica which covers two thirds of the continent.
West or Lesser Antarctica and the west coast of the Ross Sea. To the north of the latter is the Antarctic Peninsula.

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In the border region between the two is the highest point on the continent: the Vinson massif, 21 km high.

Social (sub)continental regions of Antarctica. Since it does not have its own population, but only some military and scientific bases from various countries, it does not have social regions at all.

Continental regions of Asia

continental regions asia — Asia is the largest and most populated continent, with 4.6 billion inhabitants.

Asia is the largest continent (30% of landmass) and most populated (4.6 billion inhabitants) on Earth. Its almost 45 million km² of surface they are surrounded by the Arctic (north), Indian (south) and Pacific (west) oceans, and their border with Europe is the Ural Mountains. The latter due to a cultural and historical division, because it actually forms a single supercontinent known as Eurasia.

Natural (sub)continental regions of Asia. Asia is too vast a continent to have precise and simple boundaries, so there is not always consensus about where it begins and where it ends. However, it is normally attributed to:

A central core, which is the Pamir Plateau which together with the Tibet plateau (located further southeast) constitute the so-called “roof of the world.” From there, numerous mountain chains stand out, among which are the highest on the planet, forming a central mountainous area. These plateaus are desert, since they are confined between the peaks.
Huge archipelago of very diverse islands, located towards the southeast of the continent. The tropical or subtropical climate predominates there; while to the north extends the imposing Siberian plain, a frigid tundra that stretches towards the Arctic polar zone, with a cold and dry climate.

Asia also has enormous rivers and lakes, such as the Caspian Sea, the largest in the world; or the Aral Sea, both salt lakes. Furthermore, it is important to note that Asia also contains the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, geographical entities with their own identity.

Social (sub)continental regions of Asia. The history of the continent and the great and many cultural differences that exist between its populations have led to the subdivision of Asia into six large geographic-cultural regions:

Russian or Siberian Asia also called North Asia, includes the Siberian plains and the eastern region of Russia, where only 10% of the total population of this country lives. It is a region of low population density, but high cultural diversity, which has experienced a kind of progressive “Russification” over the centuries.
West-Central Asia and the Caucasus also called Central Asia, is made up of the territory of five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. After North Asia, it is the least populated region of the continent (around 64 million inhabitants), the least extensive (4 million km²) and the least densely populated (16.1 inhabitants/km²). Historically, it was the region of the great Asian nomadic peoples and the Silk Road.
East Asia the easternmost region of the continent, comprises five countries: China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Japan, two dependent territories of China (Hong Kong and Macau) and one unrecognized state (Taiwan). In its territory are 26 of the 100 largest cities on the planet, and it is the second most populated region on the continent (with more than 1.62 billion inhabitants) and the second largest (12 million km²). It is also the region with the highest level of economic, human and industrial development.
Southeast Asia also called Southeast Asia, is the peninsular and island region of the continent located east of the Pacific Ocean, which includes eleven countries: Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor. Eastern. It is a region of great economic, commercial and cultural importance, in whose development the European colonial presence was important, as well as the development of the East Asian giants.
South Asia also called South Asia, encompasses the countries of the Iranian plateau and the Indian subcontinent, it is the most densely populated region in all of Asia (more than 1,831 million inhabitants). It covers eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, many of which are important industrial hubs or traditional reservoirs of local cultures and religions. The region is culturally divided between Islamic countries and countries of Dharmic religions.
The Middle East, Middle East or Near East also called Southwest Asia, is the border region between the rest of Asia, Africa and Europe, whose boundaries are not always clearly and universally established, but usually involve the territories of Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates , Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Israel, Kuwait and Jordan. Egypt and Cyprus are sometimes also considered part of it. This is a fundamental region in the history of the world, where some of the first agricultural civilizations took place, and which is currently the source of serious religious, cultural and political tensions.

Continental regions of Europe

continental regions europe — Europe is the cradle of Western civilization.

The western end of the supercontinent of Eurasia is what we commonly call the European continent, the cradle of Western civilization. Its borders and the fundamental characteristics of its population are in continuous dispute, but in general it is surrounded by the Arctic (north) and Atlantic (west) oceans, and separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea, as well as from Asia by the mountains. Urals.

It is the second smallest continent that exists (just 6.8% of the land surface), but the fourth most populated (with around 10% of the world's population).

Natural (sub)continental regions of Europe. The European continent is geographically organized into four well-defined regions:

Eastern Europe where the great Russian plain ends, which begins at the foot of the Ural Mountains, and where the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are located, as well as the Volga, Valdai plateaus and the central Russian plateau.
Central Europe which extends from the Baltic Sea to the Alps Mountain Range, where the bulk of the North European plain is located. The continental climate predominates, with important areas of forests and large rivers, such as the Rhine.
Western Europe generally flat except for the Iberian plateau and the mountains at the end of the Alpine mountain range, has a warm and dry climate in summer and cold and humid in winter in its Mediterranean region, varying towards oceanic climate and continental climate as the geography moves.
Northern Europe which covers the coasts of the Baltic Sea and nearby islands and peninsulas, borders the Arctic to the north and therefore has a cold climate dominated by fjords and boreal forests.

Social (sub)continental regions of Europe. Europe includes not only the territories of its 47 sovereign states: Albania, Germany, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Vatican City, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia , Finland, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Romania , Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine; but also the territories that these nations have annexed throughout history on other continents.

These nations are organized into four large cultural regions: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Scandinavian region and the Mediterranean Region. Being the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, the countries of Western Europe have been a pole of historical economic and technological development, and the northern region of the continent is home to the best rates of living in the entire region.

From a linguistic point of view, Europe can be broadly classified into countries with Germanic and Anglo-Saxon languages, and countries with Romance and Latin languages.

Continental regions of Oceania

The only island continent on the planet, made up of the Australian continental shelf and the thousands of nearby islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the smallest continent of all, with just 9,800,458 km² of surface, and its contribution to world production is around 1%.

Natural (sub)continental regions of Oceania. Oceania is made up of:

continental region
Island region

The continent's overall climate is largely desert or semi-arid, and it is the flattest, oldest, and least fertile of all the continents. In fact, almost half of Australia is covered by sand dunes, and the highest mountain in the region, Mount Jaya (4884 m) is located in the island region.

Social (sub)continental regions of Oceania. This continent covers the territory of fourteen independent nations, which are Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia, along with a set of 14 territorial dependencies of other nations.

Culturally, the continent encompasses four large regions, each one endowed with its own ethnic and linguistic features: