Transcontinental Countries of the World: The Complete List

When I first learned about transcontinental countries, I was fascinated. These are countries that don’t neatly fit into just one continent. Their land, people, and culture stretch across more than one region of the world. Some are obvious, like Russia sitting in both Europe and Asia, while others are more surprising, like Chile reaching into Oceania through Easter Island.

What makes this even more interesting is that there are actually three kinds of transcontinental countries in the world, namely:

1. Contiguous transcontinental countries: These are countries where the land is physically connected across two continents. A good example of this is Russia. Another fantastic one is Turkey.

2. Non-contiguous transcontinental countries: These territories are separated by water but still belong to the same country, like the United States or France.

3. Debatable transcontinental countries: These are countries where geography or politics makes it less clear-cut. Spain is a perfect example with its Canary Islands in Africa. Another one is Indonesia that spans Asia and Oceania.

For a traveler like me, this is exciting. Visiting a transcontinental country often feels like you have stepped into two worlds at once. Some of these places offer an almost magical moment where you can literally stand in two continents at the same time.

Core Transcontinental Countries (Universally Accepted)

Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world, and it straddles both Europe and Asia. Cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg are firmly European, but a place like Siberia isn’t since it stretches all the way into Asia. Traveling across Russia is literally moving between continents.

Turkey

Turkey is where East meets West. Istanbul is the only major city in the world that sits in both Europe and Asia. This amazing city is divided by the Bosphorus Strait. When you cross the Bosphorus Bridge, you’re moving from one continent to another in minutes.

Egypt

Most people think of Egypt as an African country, but the Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia. Crossing from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh, you’re moving from Africa into Asia.

Kazakhstan

This Central Asian nation also extends into Europe west of the Ural River. It’s one of those places where geography doesn’t just shape maps but also influences identity.

Non-Contiguous Transcontinental Countries

Some countries are split between continents because of overseas territories or regions separated by water.

United States

The mainland sits in North America, but Hawaii lies in Oceania, and U.S. territories like Guam and American Samoa are in the Pacific. Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean, further stretches America’s continental identity.

France

Beyond Paris and the Eiffel Tower, France stretches into South America through French Guiana, and into the Caribbean and Indian Ocean with multiple territories. In many ways, France is everywhere.

United Kingdom

The U.K. is European at its core, but its territories are scattered worldwide. You have them sprinkled around the Caribbean, the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.

Denmark

Most people think of Denmark as a small European country, but Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, lies in North America.

Netherlands

The Netherlands extends into the Caribbean through a number of islands, including Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. These islands make the Dutch kingdom a transcontinental entity.

Debatable or Partly Transcontinental

Then finally, there are the countries where the definition gets a little more flexible. Geography is rarely black and white, and sometimes politics, history, or even just how maps are drawn can make a country “transcontinental” in a looser sense. Let’s take a look at these fascinating in-between cases.

Indonesia

Indonesia stretches across thousands of islands, and that makes things complicated. The western islands like Sumatra, Java, and Borneo clearly sit in Asia. But Papua, on the eastern edge, lies in Oceania. I have been to Indonesia several times and traveling through the country feels like crossing worlds.

Japan

Most of Japan is firmly in Asia, but some geographers argue that its far-flung territories in the Pacific push it toward Oceania as well. This isn’t something you notice walking the streets of Tokyo, but when you consider the geography of Japan’s island chain, the debate makes sense.

Italy

Italy is European through and through, but the small islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria sit closer to Africa than to mainland Europe. Standing there, you might feel like you’re caught between continents. That’s why some argue Italy edges into transcontinental status.

Spain

Spain is another interesting case to me. The Canary Islands are geographically part of Africa, even though they belong to Spain. Add to that the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, and suddenly Spain doesn’t fit neatly into Europe alone.

Portugal

Portugal owns the Azores and Madeira, two beautiful Atlantic island groups that stretch toward Africa. Some geographers count them as transcontinental links, making Portugal not just European but something a little broader.

Yemen

Yemen is usually seen as an Asian country, but its Socotra archipelago sits off the Horn of Africa. Socotra is famous for its alien-looking dragon blood trees and biodiversity, but it also puts Yemen into that blurry space between Asia and Africa.

Colombia

Colombia is South American, but it has Caribbean islands like San Andrés that bring it closer to Central and even North America. That combination of South American and Caribbean identity is part of what makes Colombia so culturally rich. And if you have ever visited this country, you’d understand what I’m talking about.

Venezuela

Like Colombia, Venezuela’s mainland is in South America, but it also has islands in the Caribbean. Depending on how you count them, that gives Venezuela a foot in another continent.

Chile

Chile doesn’t just hug the Pacific coast of South America. This country also reaches far out into the ocean with Easter Island, which is part of Oceania. If you’ve ever seen the giant Moai statues, you’ll understand why Chile is considered partly transcontinental.

Ecuador

Ecuador is most famous for the Galápagos Islands, sitting out in the Pacific. Those islands belong to Oceania, while the mainland is in South America. For travelers, it feels like two very different worlds under one flag.

Panama

Panama is the classic land bridge. Walk or drive across it and you’re literally moving from North America to South America. The Panama Canal divides two oceans as well as two continents.

Azerbaijan and Georgia

Both Azerbaijan and Georgia sit in the Caucasus. This is a region often called the line between Europe and Asia. Depending on where you decide the border lies, they can be classified as one or both.

Trinidad and Tobago

This Caribbean nation is often grouped with North America, but it sits right off the coast of South America. Some geographers include it in both continents. For visitors, you’d experience significant Caribbean and South American vibes when you travel there. I’ve had the opportunity to visit this country too and it is a very beautiful place to be in.