How come Australia is smaller than Europe?

Australia is considered a continent, while Europe is a region that includes many countries. In terms of land area, Australia covers about 7.7 million square kilometers, making it the sixth-largest country in the world. Europe, on the other hand, encompasses around 10.2 million square kilometers when including all its countries. Thus, Europe's total land area is larger than that of Australia, despite Australia being a single landmass.