What are Transcontinental Countries | List of Transcontinental Countries and Cities

The Countries that span more than one continent are known as Transcontinental Countries. There are number of countries which spans more than one country, e.g. Russia is in Europe as most of its population [72%] and at the same time it is in Asia as geographically most of the territory [71%] is actually in Asia. A number of nations claim ownership over portions of the continent of Antarctica including Argentina and Chile, who consider the Antarctic land to be integral parts of their national territory. Some nations also have sub-Antarctic island possessions north of 60°S latitude and thus recognized by international law under the Antarctic Treaty System, which holds in abeyance land claims south of 60°S latitude.

The transcontinental Countries are generally divided into two ways:

1. Countries whose contiguous continental territory, where nearby islands lie in two or more different continents.
2. Countries whose distant non-contiguous parts lie on a different continent than the rest of the country.

  

The common belief is that Asia ans Europe boundary is divided by the Ural Mountains to the source of the Ural River which leads to the Caspian Sea.

Contiguous Trans-Continental Countries

 

Countries forming part of Asia and Africa

The land border between Asia and Africa go along the Isthmus of Suez and the Suez Canal in Egypt. The border continues through the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

1. Egypt – Egypt has 29 governorates, two of which lie entirely on the Asian Sinai Peninsula and two are transcontinental: Ismailia Governorate is nearly equally divided by the Suez Canal and Suez Governorate. The small portion is to the right of the Suez Canal which falls in the Middle East and rest in the Africa.

2. Yemen – Yemen is Asian country which controls Hanish Islands [Red Sea] and the island of Socotra, both of which are just on the African continental shelf although they are situated close to the Yemeni coast and are administered as part of Yemen.

Countries forming part of Asia and Europe / Eurasia

1. Armenia – The north of the country in Europe and the south in Asia.

2. Azerbaijan – Five districts are entirely within Europe, and the transcontinental Khizi district is almost equally divided on the two sides of the Caucasus watershed so it falls in Western Asia region. The region of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia is also known as Transcaucasia.

3. Cyprus – Although considered European state by the European Union, it is situated in Western Asia.

4. Georgia – Georgia is European country but it also has seven transcontinental regions: Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Abkhazia, Svanetia and half of Imereti, Racha and Samegrelo. Four regions: Ajara, Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli are in Asia.

5. Kazakhstan – It is Asian country with two of the provinces, Atyrau and West Kazakhstan are transcontinental. Two districts of Atyrau Province Inderskiy and Makhambetskiy [transcontinental] are entirely in Europe, three of its districts are entirely in Asia. Capital city of Oral and five districts of West Kazakhstan including Akzhaikskiy district are entirely in Europe and five of its districts are entirely in Asia.

6. Russia – It is European country which is situated in Northern Asia and Eastern Europe. Russian borders follow the Ural Mountains and Ural River. Orenburg on the Ural River is a transcontinental city.

7. Turkey – The Anatolian part of Turkey accounts for 97% of the country’s area. It is also known as Asia Minor, Asiatic Turkey or the Anatolian Plateau. It is situated in Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Three of Turkey’s provinces are entirely in Europe while Çanakkale and Istanbul are transcontinental provinces.
Three of Çanakkale’s districts are entirely in Europe and its other nine districts are entirely in Asia. Nineteen of Istanbul’s districts are entirely in Europe and its other twelve districts [forming Anatolia] are entirely in Asia.

Countries Forming part of North and South America

1. Panama – It is considered to be a part of North America. The man-made Panama Canal, being a concrete line to demarcate the Isthmus of Panama, divides the continents.

Non-contiguous Trans-continental Countries

Countries forming part of Asia and Europe

1. Greece – The European country with number of islands off the coast of Asia Minor. Aegean and the Dodecanese, Greece islands near Turkey lie on Asia.

Countries forming part of Europe and North America

1. Greenland – This European country is a territory of Denmark, located on the North American, considered to be geographically part of North America.

2. Iceland – This European country is located on the fracture line dividing the Northern Atlantic Ocean between the North American plate and the Eurasian plate..

3. Portugal – This European country has two islands Corvo and Flores of Azores archipelago forming part of the American plate.

Countries forming part of Africa, Europe, North America, South America

1. France – This European country has some of its territories in other continents namely, Guadeloupe & Martinique in North America, French Guiana in South America, and Réunion in Africa.

Countries forming part of Africa and Europe

1. Italy – Italy is European country with mainland territories of Sardinia, Sicily, the Aegadian Islands, Ustica, and the Aeolian Islands. Pelagie Islands has its Linosa part in Europe but Lampedusa and Lampione forming part of Africa.

2. Malta – It is European country located on the very edge of the African tectonic plate.

3. Spain – This European country has its territories in other continents like the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on mainland North Africa

Countries forming part of Asia and Oceania

1. Australia – Australia is Continent and Country in itself but it also has its island possessions associated with Oceania, Asia, and Antarctica. Christmas Island in Indian ocean and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are associated with Asia.

2. Japan – It is clearly the Asian Country with its possession over Bonin Islands located in the Pacific Ocean and uninhabited Minami Torishima island in Oceania.

3. Papua New Guinea – Papua New Guinea is a part of Melanesia and is sometimes included in the Malay Archipelago of Southeast Asia. Melanesia is a sub-region of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji.

Melanesia and Micronesia Countries







4. Philippines – This Asian Country has a part of Mariana Trench under its possession which officially spans between the borders of Asia and Oceania.




Countries forming part of Asia, North America and Oceania






1. United States – Almost all the territories of the United States lies in North America but it also includes the
state of Hawaii in Oceania and Alaskan islands on North-East Asia’s continental shelf.




Countries forming part of North and South America






1. Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Trinidad and Tobago – Although most of these countries labeled as North American but still the sea islands division of South America and North America is complicated as geographically these regions alongwith Caribbean islands are part of South America.

2. Chile – It is South American country having its possession over the Oceanian islands of Easter Island and Salay Gómez Island. It also claims 1,250,000 km² of land in Antarctica.

3. Colombia – It is South American country but its Malpelo Island in the Pacific Ocean has control over San Andrés and Providencia archipelago, 640 kms (400 mi) WNW of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, near the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

4. Venezuela – It is South American country but Isla Aves[Caracas] are geographically North American.




Other Disputed Transcontinental Countries

Country	Continents	Featured Region
Abkhazia	Asia and Europe	Disputed territory on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus
Armenia	Asia and Europe	It is a mountainous country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
East Timor	Asia and Oceania	East Timor or Timor-Leste is officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia
Indonesia	Asia and Australia	Eastern half is part of Papua New Guinea [Pacific]
Kazakhstan	Asia and Europe	It is situated in Central Asia and Eastern Europe diving City of Atyrau [Oral]
Netherlands	North America and South America	Antilles islands are split between the North and South American shelf
Northern Cyprus	Asia and Europe	It is self declared state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus
South Ossetia	Asia and Europe	Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region between Georgia and Abkhazia. It is partially recognised state in the South Caucasus
Trinidad & Tobago	North America and South America	The island nation of T&T is geographically located on the South American shelf but it is also linked with other Caribbean nations in North America.

List of Transcontinental Cities












City	Official Country	Continents
Atyrau	City in western Kazakhstan	Asian country with small portion extended into Europe.
Istanbul	Largest city of Turkey	Bosporus Strait separates its European and Asian portions
Magnitogorsk	Russian city on the Ural River	European city with part of its south side crosses the Ural into Asia
Orenburg	Russian city on the Ural River	European city with part of its south side crosses the Ural into Asia
Suez	Egyptian city on the Suez Canal	African city with a small portion extends eastward into Asia
City	Official Country	Closest Continental Boundaries
Almería	Spanish city on the southern Mediterranean Sea coast	European city close to Africa
Çanakkale	Asian city in Turkey separated by Dardanelles Strait	Strait separates it from its European suburbs
Caracas	Largest city of Venezuela	Attaches South America with North America
Ismaïlia	African city in Egypt	Suez Canal separates it from its Asian suburbs.
Oral	European city of Kazakhstan	Ural River separates it from its Asian suburbs
Port Said	African city in Egypt	Suez Canal separates it from its Asian suburbs

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