Arrange the continents listed below in ascending (smallest to largest) order of area: (i) South America, (ii) Africa, (iii) Europe, (iv) Australia, (v) North America.

Introduction / Context:
Geography-based ordering tasks evaluate whether you remember typical continent areas. The problem asks for ascending order (smallest to largest), so we must know or recall approximate areas to line them up correctly and avoid common swaps between close neighbors like Europe and Australia or the Americas.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Continents considered: Australia (iv), Europe (iii), South America (i), North America (v), Africa (ii).
• We exclude Asia and Antarctica and use widely accepted area magnitudes.

Concept / Approach:
Approximate areas (in million km^2): Australia ~7.7, Europe ~10.2, South America ~17.8, North America ~24.7, Africa ~30.3. Arrange these from smallest to largest. When unsure, remember robust anchors: Africa is larger than either American continent, and Australia is the smallest listed here.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Smallest is Australia (iv).Next is Europe (iii).Then South America (i).Then North America (v).Largest among the five is Africa (ii).Hence: (iv), (iii), (i), (v), (ii).

Verification / Alternative check:
Cross-check by pairs: Africa > North America; North America > South America; Europe is clearly smaller than any American continent; Australia is the smallest of all five. The order is stable against these comparisons.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Any order placing Europe below Australia or Africa below an American continent contradicts accepted areas.
• Swapping the Americas or placing Africa before either America produces a non-ascending sequence.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “ascending” vs “descending,” and mixing Europe with Australia due to both being smaller than the Americas.

Final Answer:
(iv), (iii), (i), (v), (ii)