7 continents

SEVEN CONTINENTS

Shevchuk Nadia 33

Did you know that approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water alone and the other 30% are covered by land?

30%

70%

Land Ocean

This land has been divided into seven main areas. Each area is called a continent.

The seven continents are Asia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, North America, South America and Europe. It is seen that each continent has a special shape. Some of these continents are connected while the water separates others.

ASIA Asia being the largest of the continents covers around one-third of the world’s total land area. Asia is known for its vast size and incomparable character.

It stretches all the way east from Japan to the Southeast Arabian Peninsula, which is more than 8500 kilometers away. It encompasses the entire climate and expanse, be it the equatorial rain forest or the arctic tundra.

We also get to see the highest and the lowest points of the Earth’s surface in Asia. The highest being, Mount Everest (8,848 meters) and the lowest is the shore of the Dead Sea (397 meters below sea level).

AFRICA Africa is the second largest of the continents, covers around 22% of the world’s land area. The Equator intersects it and the expansive landmass covers the Sahara, which is the world’s largest desert, and the Nile, the longest river on earth, as well as 53 nations.

Most of Africa is a desert region.

Namib Desert Kalahari Desert Libyan Desert Sahara

This continent is basically divided into three regions, which are the Northern Plateau, the Central and Southern Plateau, and the Eastern Highlands. This includes plains, swampy coastal regions, lush tropical forests with Savannah’s and hilly plateaus inland.

It is the home for many exotic large mammals, which include the zebras, giraffes, gazelles, elephants, hippopotamuses, and rhinoceroses, antelopes and carnivores such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and panthers.

NORTH AMERICA North America is around twice the size of Europe. America has irregular coastline with many prominent offshore islands, including Greenland, which is the largest island in the world.

The North American wildlife was once abundant but after people started inhabiting this land, the numbers have decreased.

More than 1,700 species of birds live and breed on this continent.

SOUTH AMERICA South America is the fourth largest continent of the world although it contains less than 12% of the world’s population.

The Andes, world’s second largest mountain range is seen in South America. The second largest river – Amazon also runs through South America.

The lowland consists mainly of the Amazon Basin, which is covered in the equatorial region. These areas are of the wet tropical climate and have a dense cover of rain forest. It is the home for many exotic animals.

EUROPE Europe is the fifth largest of the continents. It is also known as “Europa”. Europa was the daughter of Phoenix in Greek mythology.

The Ural Mountains, the Ural River, part of the Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains forms the main boundary between Europe and Asia. Lots of geographers also see the two continents as one and call it EURASIA.

Europe has a more or less a radial pattern of drainage. Most streams flow outward from the core of the continent.

ANTARCTICA Antarctica the sixth largest of the continents, is ice bound through out the year.

The marine life is rich and it includes krill, a shrimp like organism that is a food source for large numbers of whales in the surrounding waters.

Antarctica has no trees, flowering plants, or grasses. The vegetation is limited to about 350 species, which mostly encompass lichens, mosses and algae.

Antarctica is a true desert due to its extreme cold climate making it the coldest, windiest, and driest continent. It’s average temperature is around -50oC (-58oF), and the land is swept by hurricanes and the annual rainfall is only around 50 millimeters a year.

AUSTRALIA

Australia is the smallest of the seven continents.

The interiors of the continent are predominantly plains. The Southeast and the Southwest plains are the most densely settled areas of Australia.

Australia is known for it’s vast wildlife with rare species and it’s known as the land of the kangaroos.

Aborigines are the original inhabitants of Australia. Australians are known to have an ethnic sort of origin.

One of the interesting features of Australia is the “Great Barrier Reef”, which is the world’s largest coral reef.