Which is the smallest of all the continents in the world when measured by land area?

Introduction / Context:
Continents are very large landmasses on the Earth surface, and questions about their relative sizes are common in school geography and competitive exams. This question asks which is the smallest continent when measured by land area. Knowing the answer helps you quickly handle many map based questions and general knowledge items about world geography.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The comparison is among the major continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Antarctica.
• The question focuses on land area, not on population.
• We assume students can visualise the approximate sizes of continents from maps.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, recall that Asia is the largest continent, followed by Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica and Europe. Australia is the smallest continent in terms of land area. It is sometimes referred to as the Australian continent or as part of the region called Oceania, but as a continent by itself it has the smallest land size. By comparing its area with other continents, you can confidently choose Australia as the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Mentally arrange the continents by size: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia. Step 2: Identify that Australia appears at the end of this list with the smallest land area. Step 3: Check the options and note that Australia is present as option B. Step 4: Confirm that Asia, Africa, North America and Europe are all larger than Australia. Step 5: Select Australia as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Map based data show that Asia covers the maximum land area, and Africa is second. North America and South America also have large areas. Antarctica and Europe are smaller but still larger than Australia. Australia is unique because it is both a continent and a country and is clearly the smallest continental landmass. Therefore, among the options listed, Australia is correctly identified as the smallest continent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Asia is the largest continent by area, so it cannot be the smallest.
Africa is the second largest continent and is also much larger than Australia.
North America has a land area far greater than that of Australia.
Europe is smaller than many continents but still larger than Australia in area.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes students confuse Australia as an island rather than a continent and may hesitate to choose it. Others might think Europe is smaller because of its appearance on a distorted world map projection. To avoid such confusion, remember that Australia is labelled separately as the smallest continent by area, and this fact is repeated frequently in school geography textbooks and exam preparation materials.

Final Answer:
The smallest continent in the world by land area is Australia.