Did you know there are only a few countries in the world that don’t fit into a single continent? Even fewer are true transcontinental countries—nations where their contiguous land stretches directly across two continents. Most of us can name three or four, but the fifth one might surprise you.
Russia
At number one is Russia, the most popular example of a transcontinental country. The world’s biggest country stretches all the way from Europe into Asia, with the Ural Mountains forming the geographical boundary within the country.
Turkey
At number two is Turkey. The larger part of the country, known as Anatolia, is in Asia, and the small section in the northwest, known as East Thrace, is in Europe. Interestingly, its largest city, Istanbul, sits right on the dividing line.
Egypt
Number three is Egypt. It is officially an African country, but a small part of Egyptian territory, known as the Sinai Peninsula, lies in Asia, making Egypt another example of a contiguous transcontinental country.
Kazakhstan
At number four is Kazakhstan—a country officially in Asia, but with a surprising foothold in Europe. Here is how it works: The continental border between Europe and Asia follows the Ural River. Because this river cuts right through western Kazakhstan, everything to the west of it—about 10% of the country—is technically in Europe.
Panama
Finally, at number five is Panama. The border between North and South America isn’t just a line; it’s a region defined by the Isthmus and the Darién Gap—where the Pan-American Highway breaks. This places Panama squarely in both North and South America.
The Case for Panama:
The first four, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Kazakhstan, are the most commonly cited examples of contiguous transcontinental countries:
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Russia: Split by the Ural Mountains and the Ural River.
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Turkey: Split by the Turkish Straits (Bosporus and Dardanelles).
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Egypt: Split by the Suez Canal (putting the Sinai Peninsula in Asia).
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Kazakhstan: Split by the Ural River, placing its western portions in Europe.
As per the 7-continent model (taught commonly in the US and UK), North and South America are separate. In this view, the boundary is usually the Panama Canal or the Darién Mountains. This makes Panama a true transcontinental country.
The Alternative View: In many parts of the world (like Latin America and Southern Europe), “America” is considered one single continent. In that model, Panama isn’t transcontinental because it sits entirely within the single continent of America.
Hidden Candidates
Azerbaijan
Depending on where you draw the line along the Greater Caucasus watershed, small northern parts of Azerbaijan may fall into Europe, while the rest is in Asia.
Georgia
Similar to Azerbaijan, if the Caucasus crest is the border, small slivers of Georgian territory are technically in Europe.
Map Story
Non-Contiguous Transcontinental Countries
It’s worth noting that many other countries are transcontinental but not contiguous (meaning their land isn’t one connected piece).
For example:
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France: Has departments in South America (French Guiana), Africa, and Oceania.
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The United States: Situated in North America, but Hawaii is in Oceania.
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Indonesia: Mostly in Asia, but its territory of Western New Guinea is in Oceania.
