What is the largest continent by area?

Asia is the largest continent by area. It covers roughly 44.6 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth’s land area and around 8–9% of its total surface area.

Asia occupies the eastern part of the vast Eurasian landmass. Its commonly accepted boundaries include the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south. The border with Europe is partly historical and cultural rather than a sharply defined natural divide; the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus region, and Turkish Straits are often used as landmarks.

The size comparison can cause confusion because Russia lies in both Europe and Asia, while Europe and Asia are technically connected as one landmass. Even with differing boundary conventions, Asia remains clearly larger than Africa, North America, or Europe. It is also the most populous continent, containing about 60% of the world’s people.