The answer to the crossword puzzle is AFRICA, which is the second-largest of seven continents. Africa is the world's second-largest continent in terms of both land area and population. It covers an area of 11.7 million square miles and is home to over 1.2 billion people. Africa is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.