Why is Africa’s coastline shorter than Europe’s despite Africa’s larger size?

Although Africa is the second-largest continent, its coastline is shorter than that of Europe because of its physical configuration. While Europe features a high proportion of coastline characterized by numerous peninsulas, islands, and deeply indented bays and gulfs, Africa’s coastline is relatively smooth, with few inlets and few large bays or gulfs.1

The length of a coastline is not a fixed measurement; it is subject to the coastline paradox, which dictates that the measured length varies based on the scale of measurement and the level of detail captured. Because Europe’s geography includes a high density of complex, irregular coastal features, it results in a greater total length when measured compared to the more uniform, plateau-like structure of the African continent.231