There are six continents in the Risk board game including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The board groups 42 territories into continents and displays a political map of the world. Some territories are neighboring to each other and share a border or have a sea line connecting them.
The continents are made up of groups of territories that a player can control by taking over all of them. Each individual continent appears in a different color and has a number of territories ranging from 4 to 12. The players receive bonus troops for controlling continents at the start of their next turn, and the number of bonus troops a player receives depends on the size of the continent, with larger continents offering more troops. This makes conquering and controlling continents a key strategy for players aiming to strengthen their position and dominate the game.
Risk Bonuses
The players receive bonus troops for controlling continents at the start of their next turn. The number of bonus troops a player receives depends on the continent, with larger continents and more borders to defend usually offering a higher bonus.
Here is a breakdown of the bonus troops for each continent:
- Africa: 3 bonus troops
- Asia: 7 bonus troops
- Australia: 2 bonus troops
- Europe: 5 bonus troops
- North America: 5 bonus troops
- South America: 2 bonus troops
Risk Continent Bonus
Each continent has a different bonus when a player controls it:
- Asia: 7 bonus armies per round
- Europe and North America: 5 bonus armies per round
- Africa: 3 bonus armies per round
- South America and Australia: 2 bonus armies per round
Risk Continents
The continents are made up of groups of territories that a player can control by taking over all of them. Each continent is a different color and has a number of territories ranging from 4 to 12. Players receive bonus troops for controlling continents at the start of their next turn, and the number of bonus troops a player receives depends on the size of the continent, with larger continents offering more troops.
North America
- Territories: Alaska, Northwest Territory, Greenland, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Western United States, Eastern United States, Central America, Hawaii.
- North America has three access points and provides a bonus of 5 armies per turn when fully controlled.
South America
- Territories: Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Falkland Islands.
- South America has two access points and provides a bonus of 2 armies per turn when fully controlled.
Africa
- Territories: North Africa, Egypt, East Africa, Congo, South Africa, Madagascar
- Africa has three access points and provides a bonus of 3 armies per turn when fully controlled.
Asia
- Territories: Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Western Australia, Eastern Australia, New Zealand, Siam, India, China, Mongolia, Japan, Irkutsk, Yakutsk, Kamchatka, Siberia, Afghanistan, Ural, Middle East
- Asia has five access points and provides a bonus of 7 armies per turn when fully controlled.
Europe
- Territories: Great Britain, Iceland, Scandinavia, Ukraine, Western Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe
- Europe has four access points and provides a bonus of 5 armies per turn when fully controlled.
Australia
- Territories: Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, Western Australia, Eastern Australia, New Zealand
- Australia has one access point and provides a bonus of 2 armies per turn when fully controlled.
In the early game, the main objective is to secure a continent and defend it. For instance, North America grants the player 5 extra troops per turn and has just 3 borders, while South America has 4 territories and also provides a bonus of 2 troops per turn.
Worst place to start in Risk?
In Risk, the worst place to start is often considered to be Australia because it is isolated and has only one point of entry, making it difficult to expand without encountering strong opposition.
Best continents in Risk?
The best continents to start with are usually considered to be South America and Africa due to their relatively fewer entry points and the bonus troops they offer. These continents can provide a good balance of defense and expansion opportunities for players.