Pariksha SaathiLesson 9 of 10 · Physical and World Geography
The Continents: Highest Peaks, Longest Rivers, Largest Lakes, Deserts and World Records
Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked on 28 October 2026; not yet read line by line by a human editor. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Editorial standards & corrections
Seven continents and world records
In order of area the continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. Asia covers about 30 per cent of the world's land. Among world records, Russia is the largest country and Vatican City the smallest; Greenland is the largest island, followed by New Guinea and Borneo; the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula, Indonesia the largest archipelagic country, the Bay of Bengal the largest bay and the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta the largest delta.
Asia
Asia has the world's highest peak, Mount Everest (8,849 m by the 2020 Nepal-China measurement; older books give 8,848 m) on the Nepal-China border, called Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet, and the second highest, K2 or Godwin-Austen (8,611 m), in the Karakoram. Its great ranges radiate from the Pamir Knot, the Roof of the World, and the Tibetan plateau is the highest and largest plateau on Earth. The Yangtze of China, about 6,300 km long, is Asia's longest river and the third longest in the world. The Caspian Sea on the Europe-Asia border is the world's largest lake, and Lake Baikal in Siberia is the deepest lake and holds the most fresh water. By area the Arabian Desert is the largest desert in Asia; the Gobi of Mongolia and China, which many Indian books call Asia's largest desert, is its largest cold desert. The shore of the Dead Sea, more than 400 m below sea level, is the lowest land on Earth.
Africa
Africa is the only continent crossed by the Equator, both tropics and the Prime Meridian. Its highest peak is Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Tanzania, a snow-capped volcanic mountain close to the Equator. The Nile, about 6,650 km long, is the longest river in the world: the White Nile flows out of Lake Victoria and the Blue Nile from Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and they meet at Khartoum before the river flows north to the Mediterranean. The Congo crosses the Equator twice, and the Zambezi plunges over Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. Lake Victoria, shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, is Africa's largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika the longest freshwater lake in the world. The Sahara is the largest hot desert, and the Atlas Mountains of the north-west are young fold mountains.
North America
The highest peak is Denali, also called Mount McKinley (about 6,190 m), in Alaska. The Mississippi-Missouri is the longest river system, and the Mississippi drains into the Gulf of Mexico, the largest gulf in the world. The five Great Lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, form the largest group of freshwater lakes; Lake Superior on the USA-Canada border is the largest freshwater lake by area, and Lake Michigan is the only one wholly inside the USA. Niagara Falls lies between Lakes Erie and Ontario. The young Rockies run down the west and the old Appalachians the east. Death Valley in California is the continent's lowest point and holds the highest air temperature on record, 56.7 degrees Celsius in 1913, the figure accepted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
South America
The Andes, about 7,000 km long, are the longest mountain range on land, and Aconcagua (6,961 m) in Argentina is the highest peak outside Asia. The Amazon is the largest river by volume and by drainage basin, carrying about a fifth of all the river water that reaches the oceans. Angel Falls in Venezuela (979 m) is the highest waterfall in the world. Lake Titicaca, on the Peru-Bolivia border at about 3,800 m, is the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest lake of the continent by volume. The Atacama in Chile is the driest desert outside the polar regions, and the Patagonian Desert of Argentina, a cold rain-shadow desert, is the largest on the continent.
Europe
Europe's highest peak is Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) in the Caucasus in Russia, while Mont Blanc on the France-Italy border is the highest peak of the Alps. The Volga, which flows into the Caspian Sea, is Europe's longest river. The Danube, the second longest, rises in Germany's Black Forest, flows through or along ten countries, more than any other river, and passes four capitals, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, before entering the Black Sea. Lake Ladoga in Russia is the largest lake wholly in Europe. Its young fold ranges include the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Carpathians and Caucasus, and the Meseta is the plateau of Spain.
Australia and Antarctica
Australia is the smallest, flattest and driest inhabited continent. Its highest mainland peak is Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m) in the Great Dividing Range. The Murray with its tributary the Darling forms its longest river system, and Lake Eyre, a salt lake about 15 m below sea level and usually dry, is its largest lake and lowest point. The Great Victoria Desert is its largest desert. Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and, on average, highest continent, is a polar desert and the largest desert of all; its highest point is the Vinson Massif (4,892 m). Vostok station recorded minus 89.2 degrees Celsius in 1983, the lowest temperature ever measured at a weather station. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 reserves the continent for peaceful science, and India's stations there are Dakshin Gangotri (the first, set up during the 1983-84 expedition), Maitri and Bharati.
Key facts
- Continents by area: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia.
- Highest peaks: Everest 8,849 m (Asia), Aconcagua 6,961 m (South America), Denali about 6,190 m (North America), Kilimanjaro 5,895 m (Africa), Elbrus 5,642 m (Europe), Vinson 4,892 m (Antarctica), Kosciuszko 2,228 m (Australia).
- Longest rivers: Nile (Africa, world's longest), Amazon (South America, largest by volume), Yangtze (Asia), Mississippi-Missouri (North America), Volga (Europe), Murray-Darling (Australia).
- Lakes: Caspian largest lake in the world, Superior largest freshwater lake by area, Baikal deepest, Victoria largest in Africa, Tanganyika longest, Titicaca highest navigable.
- Deserts: Antarctica largest of all, Sahara largest hot desert, Arabian largest in Asia by area (Gobi Asia's largest cold desert), Atacama driest outside the poles, Patagonian largest in South America, Great Victoria largest in Australia.
- Africa is the only continent crossed by the Equator, both tropics and the Prime Meridian; the Congo crosses the Equator twice.
- Danube: rises in the Black Forest, flows through ten countries, passes Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, and ends in the Black Sea.
- Lowest points: Dead Sea shore (more than 400 m below sea level, the lowest land on Earth), Death Valley (North America), Lake Eyre (Australia).
- Largest islands: Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar. Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country and the Arabian Peninsula the largest peninsula.
- Plateaus: Tibet (highest and largest), Pamir Knot (Roof of the World), Bolivian plateau, Colorado Plateau (Grand Canyon), Meseta (Spain).
Quick revision
Asia largest continent, Australia smallest; Everest 8,849 m, K2 8,611 m, Aconcagua 6,961 m, Denali, Kilimanjaro 5,895 m, Elbrus 5,642 m, Vinson 4,892 m, Kosciuszko 2,228 m; Nile longest, Amazon largest by volume, Yangtze longest in Asia, Volga in Europe; Caspian largest lake, Superior largest freshwater lake, Baikal deepest, Titicaca highest navigable; Sahara largest hot desert, Atacama driest outside the poles; Andes longest range on land; Angel Falls highest waterfall; Dead Sea lowest land; Greenland largest island.