The mainland is a large land area, which is washed on all sides by oceans or seas.

How many continents are on Earth and their names

The Earth is a very large planet, but despite this, its significant area is water - more than 70%. And only about 30% is occupied by continents and islands of various sizes.

Eurasia is one of the largest, it occupies more than 54 million sq. square meters. It is located on the 2 largest parts of the world - Europe and Asia. Eurasia is the only continent that is washed on all sides by oceans. On its banks you can see a large number of large and small bays, islands of different sizes. Eurasia is located on 6 tectonic platforms, which is why its relief is so diverse.

The highest mountains are located in Eurasia, as well as Baikal - the deepest lake. The population of this part of the world is almost a third of the entire planet, who live in 108 states.

Africa covers over 30 million square meters. The name of all the continents on the planet is studied in detail in school curriculum, but some people in adulthood do not know their number. This may be due to the fact that continents are often called continents in geography lessons. These two names have significant differences. The main difference is that the continent has no land border.

Africa among all others is the hottest. The main part of its surface is made up of plains and mountains. In hot Africa, the longest river on Earth, the Nile, flows, as well as the desert, the Sahara.

Africa is divided into 5 regions: South, North, West, East, and Central. There are 62 countries on this part of the Earth.

The name of all continents includes and North America . From all sides it is washed by the Pacific, Arctic, and also the Atlantic Ocean. The coast of North America is uneven, a large number of large and small bays, islands of various sizes, straits and bays have formed along it. In the central part there is a huge plain.

North America

The locals of the mainland are Eskimos or Indians. In total, there are 23 states in this part of the Earth, among them: Mexico, the USA and Canada.

South America takes more than 17 million square meters on the surface of the planet. It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and is also the longest mountain system. The rest of the surface is mostly plateau or plains. Among all parts, South America is the rainiest. Its indigenous people are Indians living in 12 states.

South America

The number of continents on planet Earth includes Antarctica, its area is more than 14 million square meters. Its entire surface is covered with blocks of ice, the average thickness of this layer is about 1500 meters. Scientists have calculated that if this ice completely melted, the water level on Earth would rise by about 60 meters!

Antarctica

Its main area is a desert of ice, the population lives only on the shores. Antarctica is the lowest temperature surface of the planet, the average air temperature is from -20 to -90 degrees.

Australia- the occupied area is more than 7 million square meters. This is the only continent with only 1 state. Plains and mountains occupy its main area, they are located along the entire coast. It is in Australia that he lives the largest number large and small wild animals and birds, here is the largest variety of vegetation. The indigenous people are Aborigines and Bushmen.

Australia

How many continents on Earth are 6 or 7?

There is an opinion that their number is absolutely not 6, but 7. The territory located around the South Pole is huge blocks of ice. Currently, many scientists call it another continent on planet Earth. That's just living on this south pole No, only penguins live.

To the question: " How many continents are there on planet Earth?", you can accurately answer - 6.

Continents

There are only 4 continents on Earth:

1. America.
2. Antarctica.
3. Australia.
4. Afro-Eurasia.

But each country has its own opinion about their number. For example, in India, as well as the inhabitants of China, they believe that their total number is 7, the inhabitants of these countries call Asia and Europe separate continents. The Spaniards, when they mention the continents, name all the surfaces of the world connected with America. And the inhabitants of Greece say that there are only 5 continents on the planet, because as soon as people live on them.

What is the difference between the island and the mainland

Both definitions are a large or smaller area of ​​land, washed by water on all sides. At the same time, there are certain significant differences between them.

1. Dimensions. One of the smallest is Australia, it occupies a much larger area than Greenland, one of the largest islands.
2. History of education. Each island is formed in a special way. There are continents that arose as a result of ancient fragments of lithosphere plates. Others - turned out due to volcanic eruptions. There are also those species that emerged from polyps, they are also called "coral islands".
3. Its habitability. Absolutely on all six continents there is life, even on the coldest - Antarctica. But most of the islands are still uninhabited. But on them you can meet animals and birds of a wide variety of breeds, see plants that have not yet been explored by man.

The continents of the Earth are huge tracts of land on which people live, flora and fauna develop. They have the same structure from a geological point of view, but in everything else they are fundamentally different from each other. It is thanks to these parts of the world that our planet got its name - Earth.

Classification

With full confidence, we can say that the continents of the Earth are a haven for all living things (with the exception of fish and marine animals). They are huge tracts of land, which are surrounded on all sides by the waters of the oceans. These can be bays, seas, as well as the oceans themselves. On the territory of the continents there are reservoirs of a different kind, which are filled with fresh water. These are rivers, lakes, swamps, etc. All continents have a different climate from each other, natural features, including fauna and flora, as well as the population, which constitutes the unity and individuality of each part of the world. Among the continents today, six are distinguished: Eurasia, Africa, Northern Australia and Antarctica. Eurasia is divided into Europe and Asia - these are two parts of the world.

Origin and history

The word "continent" itself comes from the Latin continere, which means "to stick together." Such a strange name for land areas separated from each other by hundreds of miles was chosen for a reason. Geologists have established that in prehistoric periods (which could last for billions of years, replacing each other), all the land of the Earth was one. There were no divisions into continents, water washed one large part of the world. The first continents of the Earth were formed as a result of global catastrophes which humanity has not found in its lifetime. Also in the world of scientists, there are often disputes that the location of the continents in the ancient era, in the Middle Ages, was different from today. This is associated with the maps that were compiled by travelers of that time. However, this fact does not have proper confirmation, since it is believed that people could be mistaken due to the fact that they were not able to see the structure of the planet from space.

America and its features

South and North America are distinguished as two different continents. The inhabitants of this region themselves unite them into one whole. Perhaps this is due to the fact that large areas of land that are located in were discovered and mastered by Europeans at the same time. Therefore, America is a multicultural, versatile and very interesting continent. In the west of our planet, there is both a very cold climate and an extremely hot one. There are permanent glaciers in the north of Canada, and no one has ever seen snow in the areas of Colombia and Brazil. Almost all of America is a haven for tourists and travelers. There's a mass here interesting places, entertainment and much more.

More details about the west of our planet

Represented by two states: Canada and the United States of America. Both are characterized by a continental climate, which only in the south turns into a subtropical one. Most of the continent is covered with greenery: in the north there are coniferous reserves, in the south there are deciduous trees and palm trees. People constantly come to these countries both as tourists and for permanent residence. There are many beautiful cities and natural treasures.

South America is more colorful in its own way cultural heritage and the population. The overwhelming majority of countries are Spanish-speaking, Portuguese, Creole, French. The continent is part of an ethnic Latin America, which also includes the states of the central part of the mainland. All of America is washed by the east, the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Caribbean Sea, located in the equator.

Mystery of our planet - Antarctica

The sixth part of the world was discovered in 1820, after many hypotheses began to repeat about its existence. From that time to the present day, these lands have been uninhabited. There are no cities and countries, not even rivers and plants, since the entire mainland is covered with a thick layer eternal ice. Thanks to the ice, Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth, with an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. However, these measurements were made taking into account glaciers, in fact, the land that lies under them is below sea level. Due to the fact that these places have long been uninhabited, scientists constantly conduct their experiments here. On the territory of Antarctica, they study the features of the local climate, study the relief, and also build new hypotheses about lands that are at an inaccessible depth.

Australia is small but remote

If you look at the continents of the Earth on a map, you will undoubtedly see Australia, which is located between the Indian and Pacific oceans, among islands and straits. To the north of it is Eurasia, to the south - Antarctica. Australia itself, as well as the islands that are in its environment, are united in the Commonwealth of Australia and are very developed and progressive states. Now these territories are inhabited by both the descendants of local aborigines and immigrants from Northern Europe. In Australia, everyone speaks English, here the culture and customs are familiar to a European person. The local nature and relief are sometimes breathtaking. Due to the fact that volcanoes erupted here for a long time, there are many desert fields, canyons and mountains.

Europe and Asia - the center of the world

Eurasia is the largest piece of land in the world. Most of this vast continent is occupied by Russia, to the south, west and east of it are other states. Part of the world is located between four oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. Many different Mongoloid, Semitic and others live here. The climate and natural features are also varied. In Eurasia, there are many resorts, museum cities, recreation and entertainment areas for every taste. Each country deserves special attention and is characterized by its history, traditions and characteristics.

However, depending on where you live, there may be five, seven or even four continents. This is due to the fact that there are no generally accepted international criteria for defining the term "continent". Although the position of the main land masses on earth's crust can be designated as continents, geopolitical factors also affect their delimitation.

Below is the most popular classification system, which identifies the six continents of the world in descending order of their area.

Eurasia

• Area: 54,759,000 km²;
• Population: 5,262,489,285 (2017);
• Number of sovereign states: more than 90.

Eurasia on the world map/Wikipedia

Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth both in terms of area and population. Almost all of its territory is located on the Eurasian Plate, one of several lithospheric plates that cover our planet. There is no geological difference between and, therefore, these parts of the world are united into the Eurasia continent.

The Ural Mountains are considered the dividing line between Europe and Asia. Eurasia extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the easternmost, in the Bering Strait between the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

The mainland has different climatic conditions since it is located in all climatic zones, from the arctic to. In this regard, the continent has a significantly diverse flora and fauna. However, this does not apply to the European part of the world, where a temperate climate prevails, which does not contribute to significant.

Asia is the eastern part of Eurasia, which occupies about 30% of the entire land mass of our planet. About 60% of the world's population lives in this part of the world. It is home to endemic animals including the Asiatic, Indian cobra, and Japanese macaque. More than four billion people live in Asia. China is the world's most populous country, although India's population is predicted to overtake China in 2022. Asia is home to some of the world's most important economic centers, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul.

Europe is located in the western part of the continent. Despite being physically connected to Asia, Europe has historically been considered a separate continent due to cultural and linguistic differences. More than 10% of the world's population lives in Europe. Europe has the second highest population density in the world after Asia. Monaco is the most populous country in this part of the world. There are several countries in Europe that are considered transcontinental, that is, they are located in both Europe and Asia. These countries include Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Russia.

Africa

• Area: 30,370,000 km²
• Population: 1,225,080,510 (2016)
• Number of sovereign states: 54

Africa on the world map/Wikipedia

Africa is the second largest continent in the world both in terms of land area and population. passes through the middle of the continent, dividing it into two parts. About one third of Africa is located in. The continent occupies about 20% of the total land area of ​​the planet. The Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea border Africa to the east, west and north respectively.

The climate of Africa is characterized by hot in the north, jungles in both the central and southern parts. Africa has a lot of biological diversity and is home to the largest (elephants, hippos, rhinos and giraffes).

Africa has the youngest population of any continent, with an average age of just 19.5 years. This is the result of high population growth over the past 40 years. Africa is extremely linguistically diverse, with over two thousand languages ​​on the continent. Most Big city in Africa - Lagos, Nigeria.

North America

• Area: 24,709,000 km²;
• Population: 579,024,000;
• Number of sovereign states: 23.

North America on the world map/Wikipedia

North America is the 3rd largest continent and the 4th most populous continent on Earth. North America is completely in and washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Pacific Ocean- in the west and the Caribbean - in the south. The continent has a coastline about 60 thousand km long.

The climate of North America is warmer in the south of the continent and colder in the north. While climatic conditions near the coast tend to be mild, temperatures inland can reach extremes. Although the southern part of the continent (including the south of the USA and Central America) is, and its northern part consists mainly of the arctic.

North America has an abundance of deposits, vast fresh water resources, and some of the most fertile soils on the planet. Thanks to this, the continent has become economically developed, and its population has a high standard of living.

The US is the most populated country in North America, followed by Mexico. The inhabitants of the mainland are characterized by ethnic diversity. English, Spanish and French are the most widely spoken languages ​​on the continent.

South America

• Site area: 17,840,000 km²;
• Population: 420,458,044
• Number of sovereign states: 12.

South America on the world map/Wikipedia

South America is the 4th largest continent in the world. It is mainly located in southern hemisphere(with the exception of a small area of ​​the northernmost part), and is also located entirely in the Western Hemisphere. South America is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Southern Ocean to the south, and the Caribbean Sea to the north.

South America's climate ranges from the driest Atacama Desert to the lush Amazon. South America is home to amazing species and species, including unique tropical birds and monkeys. Some of the most famous animals endemic to South America include the world's largest rodent, the world's largest flying bird, the Andean condor, and one of the world's largest butterflies, the morpho menelaus.

The importance of South America in terms of strategic natural resources primarily determined by the abundance of minerals, biological diversity, forests, as well as. After the Middle East, South America contains the largest oil reserves.

Brazil is the most populous country on the mainland, followed by Colombia and Argentina. Spanish is the most popular language in South America. English serves official language in Guyana and Dutch in Suriname.

Antarctica

• Area: 14,000,000 km²;
• Population: about 1,000 people;
• Number of sovereign states: 0.

Antarctica on the world map/Wikipedia

Antarctica is located on and does not have a permanent population and countries. The mainland is used as a scientific base. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent and the least populated. It is completely surrounded by the Southern Ocean.

Strong winds, extremely cold temperatures, almost no weather, and a very cold desert make Antarctica's climate quite inhospitable. Despite this, a number of species have adapted to these difficult weather conditions. This includes seals, penguins, as well as some plants and.

Antarctica is completely surrounded by ocean, causing the sea ice to expand significantly in winter. It typically covers about 47 million km² during the September maximum (winter) and decreases to 8 million km² during the February minimum (summer).

The only human presence in Antarctica is the scientists who live on the mainland on a temporary basis. You can also visit Antarctica as a tourist.

Antarctica is the geographic opposite of the Arctic, which is an ocean half-covered by land masses. These surrounding lands impede the movement of ice, causing it to accumulate on high and thick ridges during the winter. During the warmer months, the Arctic retains about 47% ice (7-15 million km²).

Antarctic sea ice volume has increased by about one percent in the decade since 1979 and reached record levels in 2012-2014. However, these benefits do not compensate for the decrease sea ​​ice in the Arctic, and global sea ice continues to disappear at a rate of 35,000 km² (more than the area of ​​Moldova) per year.

Australia

• Area: 7,659,861 km²;
• Population: 23,130,931;
• Number of sovereign states: 1.

Australia on the world map/Wikipedia

Australia is the smallest continent in the world and the second least populated. It is located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Although this big country, its topography is not too diverse, and most of it consists of desert. There are, however, fertile plains in the southeast.

Australia's climate ranges from tropical, arid and hot in the north to cooler in the south. Due to its isolation and remoteness from the rest of the world, the mainland exhibits a surprising number of endemic species. Some animals unique to Australia are the koala, platypus, wombat, kangaroo and echidna.

Although most of the continent is an arid desert, it supports a wide range of diversity, making it incredibly diverse. Due to the geographical isolation from the rest of the world, alpine forests, rainforests and a wide variety of plants and animals thrive. Thus, 85% of plants, 84% of mammals and 45% of birds are endemic to Australia. The mainland also has the largest number of reptile species in the world, as well as some of the most venomous snakes and other dangerous creatures such as crocodiles. Australia is best known for its cats, which include the kangaroo, koala, and wombat.

About 89% of Australia's fish species are endemic. In addition, endangered coral reefs are located near the coast of the continent. The most famous of them is the Great Barrier Reef. It is the world's largest coral reef system and covers an area of ​​344,400 km². It is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs and supports a variety of species, many of which are endangered.

Australia is considered a developed nation with a strong economy due to its vast natural resources, well-developed industry and tourism. Agriculture also plays an important role in the economy of the country and the mainland as a whole.

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The surface of the Earth has an extremely uneven relief. Deep depressions are filled with water, the rest of the planet is represented by land. All this together - oceans and continents. They differ from each other in size, climate, shape, geographical location.

Interaction of oceans and continents

Though world water and land have a number of distinctive properties, they are inextricably linked with each other. The map of continents and oceans is evidence of this (see below). Water continuously affects the processes taking place on land. In turn, the continents form the features of the oceans. In addition, interaction occurs in both the animal world and the plant world.

The geography of the continents and oceans demonstrates clear boundaries between water and land areas. Continents are placed on the surface of the planet unevenly. Most of them are located in. That is why the South is called hydrological in science. Continents and are also divided into two groups relative to the equator. Those that stand above the line belong to the northern half, the rest to the southern.

Each continent borders on the world's waters. So what oceans wash the continents? The Atlantic and Indian border on four continents, the Arctic - on three, the Pacific - on all except Africa. In total, there are 6 continents and 4 oceans on the planet. The boundaries between them are uneven, embossed.

Pacific Ocean

It has the largest water area among other pools. A map of the continents and oceans shows that it washes all continents except Africa. It includes dozens of large seas, the total area of ​​which is about 180 million square meters. km. Through it connects with the Arctic Ocean. It shares a pool with the other two.

The maximum depth of the water area is the Mariana Trench - more than 11 km. The total volume of the basin is 724 million cubic meters. km. The seas occupy only 8% of the area of ​​the Pacific Ocean. The study of the water area began in the 15th century by Chinese geographers.

Atlantic Ocean

It ranks second in size in the world basin. As is customary, each comes from an ancient term or deity. Atlantic is named after the famous Greek titan Atlas. The water area extends from Antarctica to subarctic latitudes. It borders on all other oceans, even the Pacific (through Cape Horn). One of the largest straits is the Hudson. They connect the Atlantic basin with the Arctic.

The seas make up about 16% of the total ocean area. The basin area is just over 91.5 million square meters. km. Majority Atlantic seas are inland, and only a small part of them are coastal (up to 1%).

Arctic Ocean

It has the smallest water area on the planet. It is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. Occupied territory - 14.75 million square meters. km. At the same time, the volume of the basin is about 18.1 million cubic meters. km of water. The deepest point is considered to be the depression of the Greenland Sea - 5527 m.

The relief of the bottom of the water area is represented by the margins of the continents and a large shelf. The Arctic Ocean is conditionally divided into the Arctic, Canadian and European basins. Distinctive feature the water area is a thick ice cover, which can persist all 12 months of the year, constantly drifting. Due to the harsh cold climate, the ocean is not as rich in fauna and flora as the rest. Nevertheless, important trade shipping routes pass through it.

Indian Ocean

It occupies one fifth of the world's water surface. It is noteworthy that each name of the oceans has either a geographical or theological background. The only difference is the Indian Basin. Its name has more of a historical background. The ocean was named after the first Asian country that became known to the Old World - in honor of India.

The water area covers an area of ​​76.17 million square meters. km. Its volume is about 282.6 million cubic km. It washes 4 continents and borders the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It has the widest basin in the world's water spaces - more than 10 thousand kilometers.

Eurasian continent

It is the largest continent on the planet. Eurasia is located predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere. In terms of territory, the continent occupies almost half of the world's land. Its area is about 53.6 million square meters. km. The islands occupy only 5% of Eurasia - less than 3 million square meters. km.

All oceans and continents are interconnected. As for the Eurasian continent, it is washed by all 4 oceans. The border line is strongly indented, deep-water. The mainland is composed of 2 parts of the world: Asia and Europe. The boundary between them runs along Ural mountains, the Manych, Ural, Kuma, Black, Caspian, Marmara, Mediterranean seas and a number of straits.

South America

Oceans and continents in this part of the planet are located mainly in the Western Hemisphere. The continent is washed by the Atlantic and Pacific basins. It borders North America through the Caribbean Sea and the Isthmus of Panama.

The mainland includes dozens of medium and small islands. Most of the inland water basin is represented by such rivers as the Orinoco, Amazon and Parana. Together they make up an area of ​​​​7 million square meters. km. The total area of ​​South America is about 17.8 million square meters. km. There are few lakes on the continent, most of them are located near the Andes mountains, for example, Lake Titicaca.

It is worth noting that on the territory of the mainland there is the highest waterfall in the world - Angel.

North America

It is located in It is washed by all oceans except Indian. The coastal area includes the seas (Bering, Labrador, Caribbean, Beaufort, Greenland, Baffin) and St. Lawrence, Hudson, Mexican). North America has common boundaries from the South via the Panama Canal.

The most significant island systems are the Canadian and Alexandrian archipelagos, Greenland and Vancouver. The continent covers an area of ​​more than 24 million square meters. km, excluding islands - about 20 million square meters. km.

African mainland

In terms of territorial area, it ranks second after Eurasia, with which it borders in the northeast. It is washed only by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The largest coastal sea is the Mediterranean. It is noteworthy that Africa is both a continent and part of the world.

In this region of the planet, oceans and continents cross several climatic zones and the equator at once. In turn, Africa stretches from the northern to the southern subtropical belt. That is why the level of precipitation is extremely low here. Hence there are problems with fresh water and irrigation.

Mainland Antarctica

It is the coldest and most lifeless continent. It is located at the South Pole of the Earth. Antarctica, like Africa, is a continent and part of the world. All adjacent islands belong to the territorial possessions.

Antarctica is considered the highest continent in the world. Its average height fluctuates around 2040 meters. Most of the land is occupied by glaciers. There is no population on the mainland, only a few dozen stations with scientists. There are about 150 subglacial lakes within the continent.

Australian mainland

The continent is located in the Southern Hemisphere. The entire territory that it occupies belongs to the state of Australia. Washed by such seas of the Pacific and indian ocean like Coral, Timor, Arafura and others. The largest adjacent islands are Tasmania and New Guinea.

The continent is part of the part of the world referred to as Australia and Oceania. Its area is about 7.7 million square meters. km.

Australia has 4 time zones. In the northeast of the mainland, the coast is represented by the world's largest coral reef.

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. Far from the mainland, the islands of the 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 information about the oceans will be given in the next section.

Table 1. General information about the continents