Continents and Countries: OAS Notes on World Geography, Capitals, Rivers and Borders

These continents and countries notes for OPSC OAS cover the seven continents in order of size and population, the major countries of Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia and Antarctica, their capitals and rivers, landlocked states and border facts, the geographical nicknames that OAS loves to ask, and a closing set of previous year practice questions. The chapter is overwhelmingly factual, so the notes are built around tables that can be revised quickly.

The Seven Continents: Area, Population and Countries

The world's land surface is divided into seven continents. Asia is the largest in area and population, and Australia is the smallest.

The correct descending order of area is Asia > Africa > North America > South America > Antarctica > Europe > Australia. Asia covers about 30% of the world's land area and holds about 60% of its population.

RRB 2003 asked the biggest continent — Asia. UPPSC 2008 asked the smallest continents — Australia and Europe. BPSC 2020 asked the continent with the most countries — Africa.

Asia: The Largest Continent

Asia is the largest continent in both area and population and spans every climatic zone from equatorial to polar. Its major physical features include the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, the Siberian plains and the great river systems of the Yangtze, Ganges, Indus and Mekong.

China is the third largest country in the world by area, after Russia and Canada. Its major cities from north to south run Fushun, Tianjin, Wuhan and Shanghai. The Huangpu river flows through Shanghai. The Red River delta is in Vietnam.

Japan is an archipelago of four main islands. From north to south the sequence is Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. Honshu is the largest island and contains Tokyo and Osaka. Osaka is called the Manchester of the East for its cotton textiles. Japan is called the Land of the Rising Sun, and Shintoism is its indigenous religion.

UPPSC 2016 asked Asia's biggest river — the Yangtze. RRB 2006 asked Asia's largest island — Borneo. BPSC 2020 asked Japan's largest island — Honshu.

South-East Asia

South-East Asia is strategically vital because it lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans and contains the Strait of Malacca, through which a large share of world trade passes.

The Mekong flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, but not Malaysia. The South China Sea dispute involves China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan; Indonesia is not a formal claimant.

IAS 2011 asked the strategic significance of South-East Asia — its location between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. IAS 2004 asked which country the Mekong does not flow through — Malaysia. IAS 1993 asked the only landlocked South-East Asian country — Laos.

South Asia

Sri Lanka's rivers radiate from the central highlands to the sea, giving the classic radial drainage pattern. The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands.

UKPSC 2006 asked the smallest South Asian country — the Maldives. UPPSC 2008 asked the country with radial drainage — Sri Lanka. UPPSC 2016 asked the country with a constitutional 70% forest provision — Bhutan.

West Asia and the Middle East

The Golan Heights is a plateau in the Middle East, contested between Israel and Syria. The Caspian Sea is the regional water body, and Baikal and Balkhash are in Central Asia.

IAS 2015 asked the region of the Golan Heights — Middle East. IAS 2003 asked Israel's borders — Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. UPPSC 2006 asked the non-Persian Gulf coastline country — Oman.

Europe: Countries, Capitals and Physical Features

Europe is the second smallest continent but has the highest percentage of plains in its area, which has aided its agriculture, transport and settlement.

Rivers and cities: Paris is on the Seine, Berlin on the Spree, Madrid on the Manzanares, Vienna and Budapest and Belgrade on the Danube, Rome on the Tiber, London on the Thames, Warsaw on the Vistula. The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, while the Dnieper and Danube flow into the Black Sea. The Rhine flows through a rift valley between the Vosges and the Black Forest.

Mountain ranges: the Alps is Europe's principal range; the Pyrenees separate Spain and France; the Black Forest is in Germany; Mount Titlis is in Switzerland.

IAS 2005 asked about Great Britain and England — Great Britain excludes Northern Ireland, and England covers less than 60% of the UK. IAS 2005 asked the river-city matching — Potomac-Washington, Spree-Berlin, Seine-Paris, Manzanares-Madrid.

Groupings and nicknames in Europe

Africa: The Dark Continent

Africa is the second largest continent, has the most countries, and is the only continent crossed by the Equator and both Tropics. It was historically called the Dark Continent by European explorers.

Rivers of Africa: the Nile flows north into the Mediterranean; the Blue Nile rises from Lake Tana in Ethiopia, the White Nile from Lake Victoria. The Congo (Zaire) crosses the Equator twice. The Niger crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice. The Zambezi has the Victoria Falls. The Limpopo flows into the Indian Ocean.

Lakes: Lake Victoria is shared among Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya and forms part of the Tanzania-Uganda boundary. Lake Chad lies in the Sahel. Lake Malawi borders Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti. Sudan is not part of it.

UPPSC 2004 asked the river crossing the Tropic of Cancer twice — the Niger. UP Lower Sub 2015 asked the river crossing the Equator twice — the Congo/Zaire. UPPRO/ARO 2016 asked the source of the Blue Nile — Lake Tana.

North America: Countries, Cities and Lakes

North America includes Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Central American and Caribbean states. No country in North America is landlocked.

Lakes of North America: Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by area; Lake Michigan lies entirely within the USA; Lake Erie has Detroit and Buffalo; Lake Ontario has Hamilton; Lake Huron is shared. The Finger Lakes are in New York state.

Cities: Chicago on Lake Michigan, Gary on Lake Michigan, Detroit on the Detroit river, Buffalo on Lake Erie, Duluth on Lake Superior. Death Valley in California is a rift valley. The Grand Canyon is on the Colorado river. The Rio Grande forms the Mexico-USA border.

UPPSC Mains 2017 asked the lake entirely within the USA — Michigan. UPPSC 2015 asked the Rio Grande border — Mexico and USA. UPPSC 2013 asked the Golden Gate city — San Francisco.

South America: Countries, Capitals and Physical Features

South America has 12 countries. The Andes is the longest continental mountain range, the Amazon the largest river by volume, and the Pampas its great grassland.

Physical features: the Amazon basin has the world's largest rainforest and river by volume. The Pampas is the temperate grassland of Argentina and Uruguay. Campos (Brazilian highlands) and Llanos (Orinoco basin) are tropical grasslands. The Atacama is the driest place on Earth. The Bolivian Plateau is the mineral storehouse. The Andes is the longest mountain range.

Cities: Sao Paulo is the coffee-collecting city linked to Santos by rail since 1867; Santos is the Coffee Port. Buenos Aires is the Venice of America. Lima is the capital of Peru; Asuncion of Paraguay; Santiago of Chile; Bogota of Colombia; Caracas of Venezuela.

IAS 2003 asked the landlocked South American country — Bolivia. RAS/RTS 2010 asked the mineral storehouse — Bolivian Plateau. BPSC 2018 asked the Coffee Port — Santos.

Australia and Oceania

Australia is the smallest continent and the oldest, lowest, flattest and driest. It has the highest per capita land among continents.

UK Lower 2010 asked the continent with maximum per capita land — Australia. UP Lower Sub 2003 asked the location of the Great Artesian Basin — Australia. UPPSC 1992 asked the smallest continent — Australia.

Antarctica: The Frozen Continent

Antarctica has no permanent population and no countries. It is governed by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, which reserves the continent for peaceful scientific research.

BPSC 2008 asked where Dakshin Gangotri is — Antarctica. UPPSC 2011 asked India's third Antarctic base — Bharati. RRB 2003 asked the continent nearest Antarctica — South America.

Landlocked Countries and Borders

Landlocked countries have no coastline. OPSC asks them in statement and matching formats.

North America is the only continent with no landlocked country. Afghanistan does not border Russia. Lithuania borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Kaliningrad, but not Ukraine. Israel borders Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

IAS 2005 asked the country not bordering Lithuania — Ukraine. UPPSC 2012 asked the country Afghanistan does not border — Russia. IAS 2018 asked the sea-border matching — Adriatic-Albania, Caspian-Kazakhstan, Mediterranean-Morocco.

Geographical Nicknames and Sobriquets

UPPSC 2015 asked the Land of Morning Calm — Korea. BPSC 1994 asked the Mistress of Eastern Sea — Sri Lanka. UPPSC 2012 asked the Garden of Lakes — Finland.

Odisha Angle: India's Neighbourhood and Diaspora

While this chapter is about world geography, OPSC can connect it to Odisha through India's neighbourhood and the Odia diaspora.

Odisha's mineral exports to East Asia, especially Japan and South Korea, link the state to the industrial economies of Asia. Paradip port handles iron ore and coal shipments to these countries. Odia workers have historically migrated to the Gulf states of West Asia, particularly Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman, which is reflected in remittance flows to coastal districts.

The state's ports also connect to South-East Asian markets through the Bay of Bengal, and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) links Odisha's coastal economy to Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Practice Questions