Which Continent Has the Most Countries?

Africa is home to 54 sovereign nations recognised by the United Nations, more than any other continent. This large number is partly a legacy of European colonial partitioning in the 19th and 20th centuries, when arbitrary borders were drawn at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 with little regard for existing ethnic, linguistic, or cultural boundaries. Most African nations gained independence between 1956 and 1968. The newest African country is South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan on 9 July 2011. Europe comes second with 44 countries, and Asia has 49 (including transcontinental states).