Consists of body of water and land. The share of the World Ocean accounts for 70.8% of the Earth's surface, which is 361.06 million km 2, and the share of land - 29.2%, or 149.02 million km 2.

It is customary to conditionally divide all the land of the Earth into parts of the world and continents.

Continents of the Earth

continents, or continents are very large areas of land surrounded by water (Table 1). There are six of them on Earth: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica and Australia. All continents are quite well isolated from each other.

The total area of ​​all continents is 139 million km2.

A piece of land that extends into an ocean or sea and is surrounded on three sides by water is called peninsula. The largest peninsula on Earth is the Arabian Peninsula (its area is 2732 thousand km 2).

A small piece of land compared to the mainland, surrounded on all sides by water, is island. There are single islands (the largest is Greenland, its area is 2176 thousand km 2) and clusters of islands - archipelagos(for example, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago). By origin, the islands are divided into:

• continental - large islands that have separated from the continents and are located on the underwater margin of the continents (for example, the island of Great Britain);
• oceanic, among which there are volcanic and coral.

Perhaps the largest number of volcanic islands can be observed in the Pacific Ocean. Coral (organogenic) islands are characteristic of the hot zone. Coral structures - atolls have the shape of a ring or a horseshoe with a diameter of up to several tens of kilometers. Sometimes atolls form truly gigantic clusters along the coast - barrier reefs(for example, the Great Barrier Reef along the east coast of Australia has a length of 2000 km).

Parts of the world

In addition to the division of land into continents, in the course of cultural and historical development, there was another allocation parts of the world of which there are also six: Europe, Asia, America, Africa, Antarctica and Australia. Part of the world includes not only the mainland, but also the islands adjacent to it. Islands far removed from the mainland Pacific Ocean form a special group called Oceania. The largest of them - about. New Guinea (area - 792.5 thousand km 2).

Geography of the continents

The location of the continents, as well as differences in the properties of waters, the system of currents and tides, allows us to divide, called oceans.

Currently, five oceans are distinguished: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and since 1996, by decision of the commission on geographical names- Southern. More detailed information about the oceans will be given in the next section.

Table 1. General information about the continents

Characteristics			North America	South America	Australia	Antarctica
Area, mln km2 without islands with islands
Coastline, thousand km
Length, km: from North to South from west to east
extreme points
northern	Cape Chelyuskin 77°43" N	m Ben Secca 37°20" N	Cape Murchison 71°50" N	Cape Gapinas 12°25" N	m York 10°41"S	Sifre 63° S
	m. Piai 1° 16" media.	Cape Igolny 34°52" Yu.Sh.	m. Maryato 7° 12" N	Cape Froward 53°54" Jul.	m. Yugo-Vostochny 39°11" S
western	Cape Roca 9°34"W	Cape Almadi 17°32"W	m Prince of Wales 168°00"W	Cape Parinhas 81°20"W	m. Steep Point 113°05"E
eastern	Dezhnev metro station 169°40"W	Cape Ras Hafun 51°23"E	m. St. Charles 55°40" PLN	Cape Cabo Branco 34°46"W	Cape Byron 153°39"E

O continents I knew from childhood, although up to ten years old I sometimes got confused in their number. By themselves, they were of no interest. Later, in geography lessons, I realized that they are of interest not only because of the obvious differences from each other (natural, historical, sociocultural), they can still tell a lot about geological history planets.

Earth and its continents

Continents- huge tracts of land in the middle of the oceans.

On our planet six continents:

• Eurasia;
• South America;
• North America;
• Africa;
• Antarctica;
• Australia.

Please note that the Arctic is not a mainland, because under the ice North Pole no sushi. But Antarctica is a continent, but covered with a huge crust of ice.

Should not be confused continents and parts of the world.

Asia and Europe are different parts of the world, but occupy one mainland. But North and South America - different continents, but merged into general part world - America.

The position of the continents changes all the time. Within a short human age, this is imperceptible, but lithospheric plates , from which the continents are formed, are actively moving, sometimes moving closer, sometimes moving away from each other.

Once upon a time, there was one supercontinent - Pangea. Gradually, it broke up into parts, which eventually led the Earth to the form in which we know it now.

Why are they called that

It's believed that Europe named after the heroine of the same name in ancient Greek mythology. Asia(Asia) stood out as a separate part of the world by the ancient Greeks. Under this name, she appeared in Homer's Iliad. But the exact etymology is unknown.

"Eurasia"- a simple merger of two words.

FROM Africa it's Complicated. As for the origin of this name, there are only assumptions. Maybe she's named after African tribes who once lived there. Maybe everything is much more complicated, and the roots lie in some other language of its peoples.

About America there are also different versions, but it is traditionally considered that it is named after the Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci.

Antarctica named in contrast to its polar "sister" Arctic. Ant-Arctic = opposite the Arctic. "Arctic" comes from the ancient Greek "arktos" - bear. It's connected with constellation Ursa Major pointing north.

Etymology australia quite clear. The name comes from the Latin "terra australis incognita" - "unknown southern land".

More than 200 million years ago, the land was a single entity. This super-giant continent was called "Pangaea", which is translated from the language of the ancient Hellenes as "One Earth". About 180 million years ago, the split of Pangea began, which continues to this day, and this movement is very noticeable. For example, Europe and North America move away from each other by almost 4 centimeters every year.

The resulting land areas are called continents, or continents, they are separated from each other by parts of the once single ocean. If you look closely at their image on the map, you will notice that the fault lines fit together like puzzle pieces.

Despite the fact that it is not at all difficult to calculate the formed areas of land, opinions differ about their exact number. This is due to the fact that some scientists prefer to divide the Eurasian continent into two parts. How many continents are on our planet?

To date, it is customary to distinguish 6 continents:

Why did the collapse of Pangea begin? Herself Earth's crust was formed in the process of cooling, later this single monolith began to crack under the influence of hot magma. Convections in it occur chaotically and constantly, therefore, the split continents of the earth continue to move, approach and move away today.

ancient continents

The movement of the continents on our planet is constantly happening. 200 million years ago, the fractured land surface looked different. It is divided into two major parts: protocontinents Laurasia and Gondwana. But the faults continued, some sections moved away from each other, and some, on the contrary, drew closer. During the Jurassic period (180 million years ago), the two large continents also began to break up.

Laurasia was divided into two large pieces: North America and Eurasia. AT gondwana, which included Hindustan and two single continents (Africa + South America and Antarctica + Australia), a split also occurred. At the end of the Cretaceous (65 million years ago) and at the beginning of the Cenozoic, Gondwana consisted of three separate continents, but with different boundaries:

1. Hindustan
2. Antarctica, Australia and South America.

In this form, it existed until the beginning of the Cenozoic, when Greenland began to move away from Hindustan.

The largest continent, located between Africa and North America, occupies 1/3 of the land and is washed by four oceans: Indian, S northern arctic, T ihim and Atlantic.

Due to its size and relief, it is extremely heterogeneous - this includes vast areas of permafrost and hot areas in the southwest; rich major rivers and reservoirs areas of Eastern and Western Europe, and arid lands of Central and Southwest Asia. The population of Eurasia is the most numerous, while it is unevenly distributed.

1. 75% of the population of our planet lives in Eurasia.
2. Here is the narrowest strait - the Bosphorus, separating Asia and Europe, and the shallowest strait in the world - the Kerch, connecting the Azov and Black Seas.
3. All climatic zones are located on this continent.
4. In Eurasia are:
   - Coldest point the globe: Oymyakon
   - The lowest point in the world: the Dead Sea basin
   - Highest point in the world: Tibet
5. The most significant part of Eurasia is occupied by Russia, and in the north is the most mysterious country of ice - Iceland, the territory of extinct and active volcanoes, geysers and waterfalls.

The African continent ranks second in size after Eurasia, and first in terms of the hottest and driest climate. If Eurasia is usually called the cradle of civilization, then the hottest continent became the ancestral home of all mankind - it was here that the world's oldest remains of early hominids were discovered. About 1 billion people live in Africa today. In total, there are 54 sovereign states.

Africa is washed by two seas - the Mediterranean in the north and the Red in the northeast, and two oceans - the Atlantic in the west and the Indian in the east and south.

At the beginning of the 20th century, most of this continent was colonized by European countries - England, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Belgium. Only after the end of the Second World War began the process of decolonization of Africa.

The African continent recorded the highest population growth. But, despite the population explosion, life expectancy here is still frighteningly low - only 54 years. Average age residents - 25 years.

1. The Equator runs through the middle of the African continent. The air temperature here always exceeds 20°C, and winter differs from summer only in the amount of precipitation.
2. Africa ranks first in the world in terms of uranium, copper and diamond reserves.
3. The hot climate could be conducive to the cultivation of agricultural crops and bring up to three harvests per year. However, water scarcity prevents this continent from becoming a tropical paradise - most of the territory is occupied by catastrophic drought zones.
4. Africa is divided by representatives of both the equatorial and Caucasian races - the latter live in the places of former European colonies. Representatives of Caucasians inhabit South Africa. Their ancestors were the Boers - the descendants of European settlers: Germans, French, Dutch.
5. The most high mountain Africa - Kilimanjaro may be preparing a surprise - in fact, it is a dormant volcano that has never erupted yet.
6. Under the sands of the Sahara hides an underwater lake, whose area is 375 m².

North America is closest to the Eurasian continent, but continues to move away from it. It is washed by three oceans: Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic.

In the north, the American continent goes far beyond the Arctic Circle, its lands are glaciers devoid of vegetation. In the west (northern Alaska) is the highest part of the mainland - Mount McKinley, whose height exceeds 6 km above sea level. Part North America includes 24 states, and a total population of more than 500 million people. USA and Canada are the most major countries, Nevis and Christopher are the smallest.

The landscape of North America is very diverse - endless prairies in the central part, subequatorial forests and deserts in the south, the Great Lakes in the east and dense forests stretching in the northern United States and Canada.

The northern and southern borders are separated by more than 7,000 km, and the average altitude is 720 m. Climatic zones replace each other sequentially, from temperate arctic in the north to tropical in the south.

1. famous National parks The US is truly a pristine wilderness. The transition from organized walks and picnics to virgin forests extending inland and connecting neighboring states can be sudden and imperceptible. Forests occupy about 30% of the entire area of ​​the mainland.
2. The length of the coastline along the American Great Lakes exceeds the land border and stretches for 3,000 km.
3. The depth of the lowest point in North America, called "Death Valley", is about 86 meters.
4. The territory of North America includes all climatic zones.
5. Millions of years ago, this continent was a single whole with Eurasia, the Bering Strait separating them today was formed due to rising sea levels.

Most of South America is spread over the Western and Southern hemispheres of the planet, and only a small part is located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Throughout the territory, including the island part, there are 15 states, 12 of them are sovereign. The total population is about 400 million. The relief is mountainous in the west, flat in the east.

There are 6 climatic zones in South America, while in most of it the climate is subequatorial and tropical.

1. Here flows the Amazon River, the basin of which occupies the largest area in the world.
2. In Venezuela, there is the highest Angel Falls on the planet - its height is 1,283 meters.
3. Off the coast of South America stands the natural lighthouse of Izalco. Sailor's Helper is actually a volcano that spews magma and smoke every 8 minutes.

Australia is the smallest continent on Earth, its entire territory is occupied by the Commonwealth of Australia. It unites only six states: Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.

The total area of ​​Australia is just under 8 million m², and the population is about 23 million people. From the west and south, the mainland is washed by the Indian Ocean, from the north by the Arafura and Timor seas. indian ocean, from the east - by two seas of the Pacific Ocean: Coral and Tasman.

1. From Latin, Terra Australis Incognita translates as "unknown southern land." There are still disputes - whether it was about Australia or Antarctica, but from the time of the Roman Empire to the present day, this part of the world is still mysterious and distant territories.
2. Australia is a third of the arid desert.
3. The number of sheep living in Australia is 3.3 times the number of people. It is curious that it is here that population density is measured by the number of square kilometers per person, and not vice versa.

If the most mysterious part of our planet had not broken away from Gondwana and set off on an independent journey, perhaps now is the most southern mainland would be inhabited not only by penguins and seals. The land opposite the Arctic was discovered by a Russian expedition only in 1820, and still remains a territory that does not belong to anyone. However, 16 countries have already set up their bases in Antarctica and are actively studying it.

The climate of Antarctica is extremely severe, its winter months are June, July and August, the air temperature during this period is minus 60 - minus 75 °C. The warmest place is on the coast, the air here warms up to zero. In addition, the winds blow almost continuously, subsiding only from November to March.

1. The coldest continent of our planet covers an area of ​​14.107 million km².
2. 90% of the Earth's ice is in Antarctica.
3. Despite the absence of a population and territorial affiliation to any state, Antarctica has its own flag, telephone code and even an Internet domain.

A very long time to the question "how many continents on planet Earth?" people answered: "Five!". Because they did not even guess about the sixth, the most mysterious and cold. And only in 1820, Antarctica was discovered - the mainland, 98 percent covered with ice.

Centers of world civilization

However, people learned about the existence of continents on the planet (as well as the fact that the Earth is round) relatively recently. If the question "how many continents on Earth?" asked in antiquity, many would have answered: "Two." The fact is that the two oldest land masses - Eurasia and Africa - were known to mankind a long time ago.

Moreover, these continents are considered the cradle of modern civilization, and many scientists believe that the first man appeared here.

Huge Eurasia

So, Eurasia is the largest continent on our planet. Its area is about 53.89 million square kilometers. When compared with other continents combined, Eurasia occupies 36 percent of the earth's land. That is, a third of the entire continental land.

How many continents and parts of the world are there on earth? But this is an interesting question. After all, huge Eurasia, in turn, is divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, which have enormous differences. Different religions, sometimes a polar way of life, completely different values ​​and their own history make these parts of the world independent units on political map peace.

Densely populated Europe and numerous Asia

Europe is considered the most densely populated, there are 45 states, cities and settlements are located close to each other. There are dwarf countries in Europe, such as Monaco, the Vatican, which are a tiny territory. The Vatican, for example, is a country within a city, located in the very center of Rome. Well, the most big state Eurasia, which is located in two parts of the world at once, in Europe and Asia, is Russia. It occupies one sixth of the world's land mass.

Asia, in turn, is the most populated part of the world. More than half of the world's population lives here, over 3 billion 981 million people. In the same part of the world are the main countries where the population has exceeded one million.

Asia has 48 states. But because of climatic conditions- large mountain ranges and deserts - it is populated extremely unevenly.

Mysterious Africa

The hottest and hottest continent on the planet, which is in second place in size, is Africa. It is here that the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, is located. Africa today is home to 960 million people and occupies one-fifth of the land. There are 53 states on its territory.

Despite the abundance of deserts and the title of the hottest continent, in Africa, snow and ice can be observed on the mountain tops.

Two Americas

How many continents are on planet Earth? At least two of them have almost the same name.

In order not to confuse them, one America, which is located in the northern part of the globe, was called North, and the one at the bottom of the map was called South. Simple and clear. They, respectively, occupy the third and fourth places in terms of area. These two huge continents, together with the nearby islands, form one part of the world, which is also called America. There are 36 states and 17 sovereign territories that have special status in the world.

America was discovered relatively recently - in 1492. This is due to the fact that both continents are surrounded by oceans and are located at a considerable distance from the rest of the continents.

Romantic Australia

Australia claims two interesting records at once - it is the smallest continent, and only one country with the same name is located on it. The territory of this mainland is quite deserted, and the climate there is severe. That is why Australia is the most sparsely populated part of the land.

Ice Antarctica

Studying the topic of how many continents and parts of the world there are on earth, we came to the coldest continent on the planet, the existence of which people did not know until the beginning of the 19th century. Only in 1820, Russian travelers discovered this land and proved that it was still a continent, and not a huge iceberg.

Almost the entire territory, namely 98 percent of Antarctica, is covered eternal ice. There are very small areas where land is visible and they are called oases.

Due to the fact that it is impossible to live here permanently and conduct any activity, representatives different countries agreed that Antarctica would not belong to any of the states, but at the same time everyone had the right to conduct scientific research there.

How many continents, so many parts of the world

Today the answer to the question "how many continents are there on Earth, and what are they called?" even a schoolboy knows. It is very easy to remember - the largest continent begins with the letter "E", and all the rest begin with the first letter of the alphabet.

There are the same number of parts of the world - six. True, Eurasia occupies two parts of the world at once: Europe and Asia, but North and South America, on the contrary, united into one called America.

Mainland Australia refers to the part of the world called Australia and Oceania, the rest of the world - Africa and Antarctica - have the same name as the continents of the same name.

Land makes up one third of the total area of ​​our planet. earth surface divided by oceans into continents. The largest continent on Earth is Eurasia. There are continents that are located only in one of the hemispheres, such as Antarctica, Australia, North and South America. Continents such as Africa and Eurasia are located in all hemispheres of the Earth. Recall that it divides the Earth into the east and the border between the south and north runs along the zero parallel (equator).

The history of the emergence of continents

In the distant past, about a quarter of a billion years ago, there was one continent on Earth - Pangea. As a result of endogenous processes, Pangea was divided into Laurasia and Gondwana. Still later, the final division of land into modern continents took place. Scientists believe that such a transformation of the land surface is not the last. According to experts, in the future, flooding of many land areas and a partial rise of the ocean floor may occur.

Eurasia is the largest continent

The territory of the mainland occupies about 36% of the entire surface of the Earth, it is stretched for 16,000 km from east to west and 8,000 km from south to north. There are about 100 states on the mainland. The largest continent on Earth includes Asia and Europe. The dividing line between them conditionally runs along Ural mountains. Closest to - Africa.

"The most" - not only in terms of area

Answering the question of which continent of the Earth is the largest, it should be noted that not only the size of Eurasia is outstanding.

It is here that the greatest mountain system, Tibet, is located, in which highest point world - Everest (Chomolungma).

The mainland is located in all climatic zones and belts. In Eurasia, there is a pole of absolute cold in the northern part of the Earth - this is Oymyakon.

The whole world is located here - Baikal. It is Eurasia that owns the greatest peninsula of the world - Arabian.

The largest continent on Earth is washed by the waters of all oceans. Eurasia at its northern borders has the largest oceanic shelf.

The most numerous countries in the world, such as India and China, are located on this continent.

Conclusion

The largest continent on Earth has a lot of features. The location of the continent in all provides a variety of flora and fauna. The vast territory contributes to the diversity of soil types and the presence of water resources of terrestrial and underground origin. The mineral pantry of Eurasia is represented by almost all chemical elements included in the periodic table. States located on the mainland have adjacent borders, which facilitates economic cooperation between them. The large number of peoples and ethnic groups living on such a vast territory allows them to exchange cultural and historical heritage. Well, the most important thing is our mainland, here is our country, our Motherland, in the name of which all our feats of life will be accomplished.