What is a continent?
A continent is a very large piece of land that is surrounded (or almost surrounded) by ocean. Land covers about 3 of every 10 parts of Earth's surface. The other 7 parts are water.
We usually count 7 continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia (with the islands around it, called Oceania). Asia and Europe are joined in one big landmass, Eurasia. Some countries teach 6 continents and call Eurasia one continent.
Southern continents
- Africa: the equator crosses its middle. It has the Sahara (largest hot desert) and the Nile river.
- South America: the Amazon rainforest and river, and the long Andes mountains.
- Australia and Oceania: the smallest continent, with many Pacific islands. Dry in the middle.
- Antarctica: around the South Pole, covered with thick ice. It is the coldest place on Earth.
Long, long ago, these pieces were joined in one southern landmass called Gondwana. Slow movement of Earth's crust broke them apart.
Northern continents
- North America: a long line of mountains (the Rockies) in the west, huge lakes, wide plains and cold lands in the far north.
- Eurasia (Europe + Asia): the biggest landmass on Earth. It has the highest mountains (Himalaya), the biggest lake by area (Caspian Sea), long rivers and every kind of climate. India is in the south of Asia.
These two were once joined in a northern landmass called Laurasia.
Size and the equator
From the largest: Eurasia (about 55 million km², Asia 44.6 + Europe 10.2), Africa (30.4), North America (24.7), South America (17.8), Antarctica (14.2), Australia and Oceania (8.5). The numbers are rounded.
The equator is an imaginary line round the middle of Earth. It crosses Africa, South America and the islands of South-East Asia. Most of North America and Eurasia lie above it. Most of Australia, Antarctica and southern Africa and South America lie below it.
Try it: a paper-and-orange map
Peel an orange in a few big pieces. Each piece is like a continent on a ball. Now try to press the peel flat: it tears. That is why every flat map bends the shapes a little, and why a globe is the truest picture. Then use a real globe or a globe in this lesson. Predict first: which continent will you reach if you fly straight south from India over the ocean? Spin the globe and check.
Key formulas and definitions
- 7 continents (Asia and Europe counted apart): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia
- Northern: North America, Eurasia
- Southern: Africa, South America, Australia & Oceania, Antarctica
- Size order: Eurasia > Africa > N. America > S. America > Antarctica > Australia
- Land about 3 parts, water about 7 parts of Earth
Worked examples
1. Which continents does the equator cross?
The equator crosses Africa, South America and the islands of South-East Asia (part of the Asia side of Eurasia).
2. Eurasia is 54.8 and Africa is 30.4 million km². How much bigger is Eurasia?
54.8 - 30.4 = 24.4 million km².
3. Why is Antarctica not good for farming or towns?
It is at the South Pole and covered by thick ice, so it is extremely cold and dry. Only scientists stay for a time.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up continent and country. Africa is a continent; Egypt is a country in it.
- Thinking Europe and Asia are separate landmasses. They are joined as Eurasia.
- Thinking Australia and Oceania are different from each other. Together they are one continent group.
- Thinking the north and south groups follow country borders. They follow the position on the globe.