Continents of planet Earth: names, brief description. What is a continent and what does it consist of?

Consists of water and land. The World Ocean accounts for 70.8% of the Earth's surface, which is 361.06 million km2, and the land share is 29.2%, or 149.02 million km2.

The entire landmass of the Earth is conventionally divided into parts of the world and continents.

Continents of the Earth

continents, or continents- these 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 juts out into an ocean or sea and is surrounded on three sides by water is called peninsula. The largest peninsula on Earth is the Arabian (its area is 2,732 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(eg Canadian Arctic Archipelago). Based on their origin, the islands are divided into:

• continental - large islands that have separated from the continents and are located on the underwater edge 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 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 is 2000 km long).

Parts of the world

In addition to dividing the land into continents, in the course of cultural and historical development there was another division 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. The islands of the Pacific Ocean, far removed from the continents, form a special group called Oceania. The largest of them is Fr. New Guinea (area - 792.5 thousand km 2).

Geography of continents

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

Currently, there are five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and since 1996, by decision of the Commission on Geographical Names, the Southern. More information about the oceans will be provided in the next section.

Table 1. General information about the continents

Characteristics			North America	South America	Australia	Antarctica
Area, million km 2 without islands with islands
Coastline, thousand km
Length, km: from North to South from west to east
Extreme points
northern	m. Chelyuskin 77°43" N	m. Ben Sekka 37°20" N	Cape Murchison 71°50"N	m. Gapyinas 12°25" N	m. York 10°41" S	Sifre 63° S
	m. Piai 1° 16" Media.	m. Igolny 34°52" S.Sh.	m. Maryato 7° 12" N	m. Frowerd 53°54" juli.	m. South-East 39°11" S.
western	M. Roka 9°34" W	m. Almadi 17°32" W	Prince of Wales m. 168°00" W.	m. Parinhas 81°20" W	m. Steep Point 113°05" E.
eastern	m. Dezhneva 169°40" W.	m. Ras Hafun 51°23" E.	m. St. Charles 55°40" zl.	m. Cabo Branco 34°46" W.	m. Byron 153°39" E.

MAINLAND
or continent, a large landmass (as opposed to smaller islands) surrounded by water. There are seven parts of the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica) and six continents: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica. Some large islands are similar in size to continents and are sometimes called "mainland islands". Among them, the most famous are Greenland, New Guinea, Kalimantan and Madagascar. The continents are surrounded by shallow ocean zones - shelves, with depths usually not exceeding 150 m.

CONTINENTS AND THEIR SIZES

The names of parts of the world and continents have different origins. The ancient Greeks called all the lands to the west of the Bosphorus Europe, and to the east of it Asia. The Romans divided their eastern (Asian) provinces into Asia and Asia Minor (Anatolia). The name "Africa", also of ancient origin, applied only to the northwestern part of the continent and did not include Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. Ancient geographers theorized that there would be a large continent to the south (Terra Australis - the southern land) that would balance the vast land masses to the north, but this was not discovered until the 17th century. Its original name "New Holland" was later changed to "Australia". By the 18th century include the first guesses about the existence of Antarctica (which means “the antipode of the Arctic”), but the discovery and exploration of this continent dates back only to the 19th-20th centuries. In contrast to Australia, the existence of America was not predicted by anyone, and when it was discovered, it was mistaken for part of China or India. The term "America" ​​first appeared on the map of Martin Waldseemüller (1507), who named the New World in honor of the geographer and explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci was probably the first to realize that a new continent had been discovered. The term “mainland” itself in its modern meaning appeared in England in the 17th century. The continents account for 94% of the land area and 29% of the planet's surface area. However, not the entire area of ​​the continents is land, since there are large inland seas (for example, the Caspian), lakes and areas covered with ice (especially in Antarctica and Greenland). Continental boundaries have often been the subject of controversy. Residents of Great Britain, for example, traditionally separated their island state from the mainland of Europe, which, in their opinion, began from Calais. The boundaries of parts of the world and continents have always caused headaches for geographers. Europe and Asia are delimited by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, but further south the border becomes less clear and is again defined only in the Greater Caucasus. Further, the border runs along the Bosphorus, dividing Turkey into the European part (Thrace) and the Asian part (Anatolia, or Asia Minor). A similar problem arises in Egypt: the Sinai Peninsula is often classified as Asia. From a geographical point of view, all of Central America, including Panama, is usually added to North America, but politically it is often practiced to classify all territories located south of the United States as Latin America.
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
The word "continent" comes from the Latin continens (continere - to stick together), which implies structural unity, although not necessarily in relation to land. With the development of the theory of lithospheric plate tectonics in geology, a geophysical definition of continental plates as opposed to oceanic plates arose. These structural units have completely different structure, power and development history. Continental crust, made up of rocks that are predominantly silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al), is lighter and much older (some areas are over 4 billion years old) than oceanic crust, which is made up mostly of silicon (Si). and magnesium (Mg) and is no more than 200 million years old. The boundary between the continental and oceanic crust runs along the foot of the continental slope or along the outer boundary of the shallow shelf that borders each continent. The shelf adds 18% to the area of ​​the continents. This geophysical definition emphasizes the well-known differences between such “mainland islands” as the British, Newfoundland and Madagascar, from the oceanic ones - Bermuda, Hawaii and Guam.
History of the continents. During the long evolution of the Earth's crust, the continents gradually expanded due to the accumulation of lava and ash from volcanic eruptions, the intrusion of molten magma from rocks such as granite, and the accumulation of sediments originally deposited in the ocean. The constant fragmentation of ancient land masses - the "proto-continents" - predetermined the drift of the continents, as a result of which they periodically collided. Ancient continental plates were firmly connected along these contact lines, or “sutures,” forming a complex mosaic (“patchwork”) of structural units that make up modern continents. In eastern North America, such a suture zone can be traced from Newfoundland to Alabama. Fossils found in rocks to the east of it are of African origin, which is evidence of the separation of this area from the African continent that occurred (about 300 million years ago). Another suture zone, marking the collision of Europe with Africa approximately 100 million years ago, can be traced in the Alps. Another suture runs along the southern border of Tibet, where the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian subcontinent and in geologically recent times (about 50 million years ago) the Himalaya mountain system was formed.

The theory of lithospheric plate tectonics today is as generally accepted in geology as, for example, the law of universal gravitation in physics. "African-type" rocks and fossils have been found in many places in the eastern Americas. The suture zones are clearly visible in satellite images. The speed of upward movements can be measured where mountains, resulting from the collision of continents, still continue to rise. These rates do not exceed 1 mm per year in the Alps, and in some parts of the Himalayas they are more than 10 mm per year. The logical consequence of the considered mechanism of mountain building is continental rifting and spreading of the ocean floor. Fragmentation of the earth's crust is a widespread phenomenon, clearly visible in satellite images. The main fault lines, called lineaments, can be traced both in space - thousands of kilometers, and in time - to the most ancient stages of geological history. When both sides of the lineament are strongly displaced, a fault is formed. The origin of the largest faults has not yet been fully established. A computer model of a network of faults suggests that their formation is associated with changes in the shape of the globe in the past, which, in turn, was predetermined by fluctuations in the speed of rotation of the Earth and changes in the position of its poles. These changes were caused by a number of processes, among which the most significant influence was exerted by ancient glaciations and the bombardment of the Earth by meteorites. Ice ages recurred approximately every 250 million years and were accompanied by the accumulation of significant masses of glacial ice near the poles. This accumulation of ice caused an increase in the speed of rotation of the Earth, leading to a flattening of its shape. At the same time, the equatorial belt expanded in diameter, and the spheroid seemed to shrink at the poles (i.e., the Earth became less and less like a ball). Due to the fragility of the earth's crust, a network of intersecting faults has formed. The speed of the Earth's rotation changed dozens of times during one ice age. In the early stages of Earth's history, the planet was intensively bombarded by asteroids and smaller objects - meteorites. It was uneven and, apparently, led to a deviation of the axis of rotation and a change in its speed. The scars from these impacts and the craters left by the "celestial guests" are visible everywhere on the lower planets (Mercury and Venus), although on the earth's surface they are partially masked by sediment, water and ice. These bombardments also contributed to the chemical composition of the continental crust. Because falling objects tended to concentrate near the equator, they added mass to the outer edge of the globe, significantly slowing its rotation rate. In addition, throughout geological history, any powerful outpourings of volcanic lava in one of the hemispheres or any mass movements contributed to a change in the inclination of the axis of rotation and the speed of rotation of the Earth. It has been established that lineaments are weakened zones of the continental crust. The earth's crust can bend like window glass under the pressure of gusts of wind. All of it is actually cut by faults. Along these zones, minor movements occur all the time, caused by the tidal forces of the Moon. As the plate moves toward the equator, it comes under increasing stress, both due to tidal forces and changes in the Earth's rotation rate. These stresses are most pronounced in the central parts of the continents, where rifting occurs. Zones of young rifting occur in North America from the Snake River to the Rio Grande River, in Africa and the Middle East - from the Jordan River Valley to Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa (Malawi). In the central regions of Asia there is also a rift system passing through Lake Baikal. As a result of long-term processes of rifting, continental drift and their collisions, the continental crust was formed in the form of a “patchwork quilt”, consisting of fragments of different ages. It is interesting to note that on every continent at the present time there seem to be rocks from all geological epochs. The basis of the continents is the so-called. shields composed of ancient strong crystalline rocks (mainly granite and metamorphic series), which belong to various Precambrian eras (i.e. their age exceeds 560 million years). In North America, such an ancient core is the Canadian Shield. At least 75% of the continental crust was formed 2.5 billion years ago. Areas of shields covered by sedimentary rocks are called platforms. They are characterized by flat, flat terrain or gently undulating arched hills and basins. When drilling for oil beneath sedimentary rocks, crystalline basement is sometimes exposed. Platforms are always an extension of ancient shields. In general, this core of the continent - the shield together with the platform - is called the craton (from the Greek krtos - strength, fortress). Fragments of young folded mountain belts are attached to the edges of the craton, usually including small cores (“fragments”) of other continents. Thus, in North America, in the eastern Appalachians, “shards” of African origin are found. These young components of each continent provide clues to the history of the ancient shield and, apparently, develop essentially in the same way as itself. In the past, the shield also consisted of mountain belts, which are now leveled to almost flat or only moderately dissected relief by erosion. A similar leveled surface, called peneplain, is the result of erosion-denudation processes that occurred more than half a billion years ago. Basically, these leveling processes took place under conditions of tropical crust formation. Since the main agent of such processes is chemical weathering, the result is the formation of a sculptural plain. In the modern era, only bedrock is represented on the shields, remaining after rivers and glaciers destroyed and carried away ancient loose sediments. In younger mountain belts, uplifts were often repeated along the edges of cratons, but there was not enough time for the formation of peneplain, so a series of stepped erosion surfaces formed instead.
Continental rifting. The most impressive result of young rifting is the Red Sea rift between the Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa. The formation of this rift began ca. 30 million years ago and is still happening. The opening of the Red Sea depression continues to the south in the East African Rift Zone and to the north in the Dead Sea area and the Jordan Valley. The biblical tale of the collapse of the walls of Jericho is likely based on fact, since this ancient city lies within the main drop zone. The Red Sea represents the "young ocean". Although its width is only 100-160 km, the depths in some areas are comparable to oceanic ones, but what is most noteworthy is that there are no remains of continental crust there. Previously, it was believed that a rift was similar to a destroyed arch with a fallen top (“key”) stone. Numerous studies have not confirmed this assumption. It has been established that the two edges of the rift seem to be moved apart, and the bottom consists of hardened “oceanic” lava, which is currently largely covered by young sediments. This is the beginning of seafloor spreading, a geological process that results in the formation of oceanic-type crust (Ocean floor spreading is considered as strong evidence in favor of the theory of plate tectonics.) All deep oceans have this type of crust, and only shallow seas like the Hudson or Persian Gulf underlain by continental crust. In the early days of plate tectonics, the question was often asked: if continental rifts and ocean floors expand during spreading, shouldn't the globe itself expand accordingly? The mystery was solved when subduction zones were discovered - planes inclined at approximately 45°, along which oceanic crust is pushed under the edge of the continental plate. At a depth of approx. 500-800 km from the Earth's surface, the crust melts and rises again, forming magma chambers - reservoirs with lava, which then erupts from volcanoes.
Volcanoes. The locations of volcanoes are closely related to the movement of lithospheric plates, and three types of volcanic zones are distinguished. Subduction zone volcanoes form the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Indonesian Arc, and the Antilles Arc in the West Indies. Such volcanoes of subduction zones are known as Fuji in Japan, St. Helens and others in the Cascade Mountains of the USA, Montagne Pelee in the West Indies. Inland volcanoes are often confined to fault or rift zones. They are found in the Rocky Mountains from Yellowstone National Park and the Snake River to the Rio Grande River, as well as in East Africa (for example, Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro). Volcanoes of mid-ocean fault zones are found on the oceanic islands of Hawaii, Tahiti, Iceland, etc. Both inland and mid-ocean volcanoes (at least the largest of them) are associated with deep-lying “hot spots” (rising convective jets) in the mantle. As the overlying plate shifts, a chain of volcanic centers appears, arranged in chronological order. These three types of volcanoes differ in the nature of volcanic activity, the chemical composition of the lava and the history of development. Only lava from subduction zone volcanoes contains large volumes of dissolved gases, which can lead to catastrophic explosions. Other types of volcanoes can hardly be called "friendly", but they are much less dangerous. Note that only the most general classification of eruptions is possible, since the activity of the same volcano proceeds differently each time and even individual phases of one eruption may differ.
The surface of the continents. The relief features of the continents are studied by the science of geomorphology (geo is a derivative of the name of the Greek goddess of the Earth Gaia, morphology is the science of forms). Landforms can be of any size: from large ones, including mountain systems (such as the Himalayas), giant river basins (Amazon), deserts (Sahara); to small ones - sea beaches, cliffs, hills, streams, etc. Each relief form can be analyzed from the point of view of structural features, material composition and development. It is also possible to consider dynamic processes, which mean physical mechanisms that caused changes in relief shapes over time, i.e. predetermined the modern appearance of the relief. Almost all geomorphological processes depend on the following factors: the nature of the source material (substrate), structural position and tectonic activity, as well as climate. The largest landforms include mountain systems, plateaus, depressions and plains. Mountain systems have undergone crushing and compression during the movement of plates, and erosion-denudation processes currently prevail there. The land surface is gradually destroyed by frost, ice, rivers, landslides and wind, and the products of destruction accumulate in depressions and plains. Structurally, mountains and plateaus are characterized by ongoing uplifts (from the point of view of the theory of plate tectonics, this means heating of deep layers), while depressions and plains are characterized by weak subsidence (due to cooling of deep layers).

There is a compensation process, the so-called. isostasy, one of the results of which is that as mountains are destroyed by erosion processes, they experience uplift, and on the plains and in depressions where sediment accumulates, there is a tendency to sink. Under the earth's crust is the asthenosphere, consisting of molten rocks, on the surface of which lithospheric plates “float”. If some part of the earth's crust is overloaded, it will "sink" (sink into molten rock), while the rest of it will "float" (rise). The main reason for the uplift of mountains and plateaus is plate tectonics, but erosion-denudation processes in combination with isostasy contribute to the periodic rejuvenation of ancient mountain systems. Plateaus are similar to mountains, but they are not crushed as a result of collision (collision of plates), but are raised as a single block and are usually characterized by horizontal occurrence of sedimentary rocks (as, for example, is clearly visible in the outcrops of the Grand Canyon in Colorado). Another geological process that plays a very important role in the long history of continents, eustasy, reflects global fluctuations in sea level. There are three types of eustasy. Tectonic eustasy is caused by changes in the shape of the seafloor. During rapid subduction, the width of the ocean basin shrinks and sea levels rise. The ocean basin also becomes shallower due to thermal expansion of the oceanic crust when seafloor spreading suddenly accelerates. Sedimentary eustasy is caused by the filling of the ocean basin with sediments and lava. Glacioeustasy is associated with the removal of water from the oceans during continental glaciations and its release during the subsequent global melting of glaciers. During periods of maximum glaciation, the area of ​​continents increased by almost 18%. Of the three types considered, glacioeustasy played the most important role in human history. On the other hand, the effect of tectonic eustasy was the most long-lasting. Periodically, the level of the World Ocean rose, and as a result, large parts of the continents were flooded. The exception was the mountains. These global floods are called "thalassocratic" (from the Greek thlassa sea and krtos - strength, power) phases of the Earth's development. The last such flood occurred ca. 100 million years ago, during the era of dinosaurs (some living organisms of that time preferred an aquatic lifestyle). Marine sediments of that time with characteristic fossil organisms discovered in inland areas indicate that North America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic was flooded by the sea. Africa was divided into two parts by a shallow strait crossing the Sahara. Thus, each continent was reduced to the size of a large archipelago. Completely different conditions existed in eras when the ocean floor sank. The sea retreated from the shelves, and the land expanded everywhere. Such eras are called “epeirocratic” (from the Greek peiros - continent, land). The alternation of epeirocratic and thalassocratic phases determined the main course of geological history and left traces in the main features of the relief of each continent. These phenomena also had a great impact on the animal and plant world. The course of evolution of both the physical and biological world was also determined by changes in the area of ​​the oceans. During the thalassocratic phases, an oceanic climate was formed with moisture-saturated air masses penetrating onto the land. As a result, the average temperature on Earth was at least 5.5°C higher than today. Glaciers existed only in very high mountains. Conditions on all continents were more or less uniform, the land was covered with lush vegetation, which contributed to the development of soils. However, land animals experienced severe stress due to overpopulation and separation, unlike their marine counterparts, who flourished in the vast expanses of significantly increased shelf areas. During the epeirocratic phases, the opposite situation developed. The area of ​​the continents increased, and new habitats were ideal for the existence of large animals such as dinosaurs. The largest land area occupied approx. 200 million years ago, which favored the evolution of these creatures. In the climatic conditions of that time, with a high “continentality index,” deserts and red sediments were widespread and mechanical erosion predominated. Modern relief is closely dependent on geological history. The appearance of the Alps or Himalayas indicates a young uplift: these mountains are typical collision structures. The Great Interior Plains of North America and northern Eurasia are overlain by predominantly subhorizontal sedimentary formations that were deposited during repeated global marine transgressions throughout geological history. In turn, they are covered by a thin moraine cover (sediment from ice ages) and loess (products of particularly strong winds, usually blowing in the direction from large ice sheets to their periphery). It is interesting to note that the plains of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres look completely different. Brazil, South Africa and Australia invariably amaze with their exotic landforms. The modern era represents an epeirocratic phase in the history of the Earth with increasing differentiation of individual continents and increasing climatic contrasts. But why is there a difference between the northern and southern continents? The answer to this question is provided by plate tectonics. All northern continents were moved apart over considerable distances and over the past almost 200 million years have slowly moved northward. As a result of this drift, they moved from tropical and subtropical latitudes to temperate and arctic ones. From those distant times, red-colored soils, typical of hot, dry climate conditions, were inherited, and many existing landforms could not have formed under modern climatic conditions. In the recent geological past, vast areas of these continents were covered with glaciers. The history of the development of the southern continents was completely different. They experienced the last glaciation 250 million years ago, being part of the pre-existing continent of Gondwana. Since then, they have gradually shifted north (i.e., towards the modern equator), so that many modern landforms in these regions are inherited from colder climatic conditions. The Northern Hemisphere has 48% more land area than the Southern Hemisphere. This distribution has a profound impact on the climate, causing greater continentality in the north and greater oceanicity in the south.
Rates of erosion-denudation processes. Research has shown that in many regions of the world there are ancient land areas - cratons, which are outcrops composed of ancient sedimentary formations, which are often cemented with the bedrock by silica and form strong, quartz-like covers. This cementation occurred during the formation of sculpted plains in tropical and subtropical conditions. Once formed, such a relief-armoring shell could then exist without change for millions of years. In mountainous regions, rivers cut through this durable cover, but fragments of it are often preserved. Subhorizontal watersheds in the Appalachians, Ardennes, and Urals represent remnants of pre-existing sculpted plains. Based on the age of such ancient residual formations, the average rate of denudation over a long time interval was calculated to be ca. 10 cm per million years. The surfaces of the Earth's ancient cratons have absolute heights of 250-300 m, so to cut them down to modern sea level would require approx. 3 billion years.
LITERATURE
Le Pichon K., Franshto J., Bonnin J. Plate tectonics. M., 1977 Leontiev O.K., Rychagov G.I. General geomorphology. M., 1979 Ushakov S. A., Yasamanov N. A. Continental drift and climates of the Earth. M., 1984 Khain V. E., Mikhailov A. E. General geotectonics. M., 1985

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

A continent is a significant landmass washed by seas and oceans. In tectonics, continents are characterized as sections of the lithosphere that have a continental structure.

Continent, continent or part of the world? What is the difference?

In geography, another term is often used to designate a continent - a continent. But the concepts “mainland” and “continent” are not synonymous. Different countries have different views on the number of continents, called continental models.

There are several such models:

• In China, India, as well as in the English-speaking countries of Europe, it is generally accepted that there are 7 continents - they consider Europe and Asia separately;
• In Spanish-speaking European countries, as well as in the countries of South America, they mean division into 6 parts of the world - with a united America;
• in Greece and some countries of Eastern Europe, a model with 5 continents has been adopted - only those where people live, i.e. except Antarctica;
• in Russia and the neighboring Eurasian countries they traditionally designate 4 continents, united in large groups.

(The figure clearly shows different representations of continental patterns on Earth, from 7 to 4)

Continents

There are 6 continents in total on Earth. We list them in descending order by area size:

1. - the largest continent on our planet (54.6 million sq. km)
2. (30.3 million sq. km)
3. (24.4 million sq. km)
4. (17.8 million sq. km)
5. (14.1 million sq. km)
6. (7.7 million sq. km)

All of them are separated by the waters of the seas and oceans. Four continents have a land border: Eurasia and Africa are separated by the Isthmus of Suez, North and South America by the Isthmus of Panama.

Continents

The difference is that the continents do not have a land border. Therefore, in this case we can talk about 4 continents ( one of the continental models of the world), also in descending order by size:

1. AfroEurasia
2. America

Parts of the world

The terms “mainland” and “continent” have a scientific meaning, but the term “part of the world” divides the land according to historical and cultural criteria. There are 6 parts of the world, only unlike the continents, Eurasia differs in Europe And Asia, but North and South America are defined together as one part of the world America:

1. Europe
2. Asia
3. America(both Northern and Southern), or New World
4. Australia and Oceania

When we talk about parts of the world, we also mean the islands adjacent to them.

Difference between a mainland and an island

The definition of a continent and an island is the same - a part of land washed by the waters of the ocean or seas. But there are significant differences.

1. Size. Even the smallest continent, Australia, is significantly larger in area than the world's largest island, Greenland.

(Formation of the Earth's continents, a single continent Pangea)

2. Education. All continents are of tiled origin. According to scientists, there once existed a single continent - Pangea. Then, as a result of the split, 2 continents appeared - Gondwana and Laurasia, which later split into 6 more parts. The theory is confirmed by both geological research and the shape of the continents. Many of them can be put together like a puzzle.

Islands are formed in different ways. There are those that, like continents, are located on the fragments of ancient lithospheric plates. Others are formed from volcanic lava. Still others are a result of the activity of polyps (coral islands).

3. Habitability. All continents are inhabited, even the harsh climatic conditions of Antarctica. Many islands still remain uninhabited.

Characteristics of the continents

- the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the land. There are 2 parts of the world located here: Europe and Asia. The border between them runs along the line of the Ural Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

This is the only continent that is washed by all the oceans. The coastline is indented; it forms a large number of bays, peninsulas, and islands. The continent itself is located on six tectonic platforms at once, and therefore the relief of Eurasia is incredibly diverse.

Here are the most extensive plains, the highest mountains (the Himalayas with Mount Everest), the deepest lake (Baikal). This is the only continent where all climatic zones (and, accordingly, all natural zones) are represented at once - from the Arctic with its permafrost to the equatorial with its sultry deserts and jungles.

The mainland is home to ¾ of the planet's population; there are 108 states, of which 94 have independent status.

- the hottest continent on Earth. It is located on an ancient platform, so most of the area is occupied by plains, mountains form along the edges of the continent. Africa is home to the longest river in the world, the Nile, and the largest desert, the Sahara. Climate types present on the mainland: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical.

Africa is usually divided into five regions: North, South, West, East and Central. There are 62 countries on the mainland.

It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The result of the movement of tectonic plates was a highly indented coastline of the mainland, with a huge number of bays, straits, bays and islands. The largest island is in the north (Greenland).

The Cordillera Mountains stretch along the western coast, and the Appalachians along the eastern coast. The central part is occupied by a vast plain.

All climatic zones are represented here, except the equatorial one, which determines the diversity of natural zones. Most rivers and lakes are located in the northern part. The largest river is the Mississippi.

The indigenous population is Indians and Eskimos. Currently, there are 23 states here, of which only three (Canada, USA and Mexico) are on the mainland itself, the rest are on the islands.

It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Along the western coast stretches the longest mountain system in the world - the Andes, or South American Cordillera. The rest of the continent is occupied by plateaus, plains and lowlands.

This is the rainiest continent, since most of it is located in the equator. The largest and most abundant river in the world, the Amazon, is also located here.

The indigenous population are Indians. Currently, there are 12 independent states on the mainland.

- the only continent on whose territory there is only 1 state - the Commonwealth of Australia. Most of the continent is occupied by plains, mountains are located only along the coast.

Australia is a unique continent with the largest number of endemic animals and plants. The indigenous population is the Australian Aborigines, or Bushmen.

- the southernmost continent completely covered with ice. The average thickness of the ice cover is 1600 m, the greatest thickness is 4000 meters. If the ice in Antarctica melted, the level of the world's oceans would immediately rise by 60 meters!

Most of the continent is occupied by an icy desert; life glimmers only on the coasts. Antarctica is also the coldest continent. In winter, temperatures can drop below -80 ºC (record -89.2 ºC), in summer - down to -20 ºC.

It seems that everything is similar even by definition. This is a large land mass, washed on all sides by oceans. But many scientists explain the difference between a continent and a mainland based on the theory of continental drift, which was presented in 1912 by the German geophysicist and meteorologist Alfred Lothar Wegener.

Continental drift theory

The essence of the theory is that a long time ago, during the Jurassic period, 200 million years ago, all continents were a single landmass. And only then, under the influence of tectonic forces, they were divided among themselves.

The structure of the continents can serve as proof. Just look at the map to see: the relief of the western coast of Africa fits perfectly with the relief of the eastern coast of South America. The flora and fauna of the continents, which are separated by thousands of kilometers, are also similar. For example, the flora and fauna of North America and Europe. Wegener outlined his theory in the book “The Origin of Continents and Oceans.”

To be fair, it should be said that his idea had many critics. But by the end of the 60s of the 20th century, as a result of numerous studies, the theory turned into the doctrine of plate tectonics, which makes it possible to separate concepts such as continent and continent.

Continents

There are six continents on Earth:

• Eurasia is the largest of the continents, with an area of ​​54.6 million square meters. km.
• Africa is the hottest continent, with an area of ​​30.3 million square meters. km.
• North America is a continent with the most indented coastline with many bays and islands, with an area of ​​24.4 million square meters. km.
• South America is the rainiest continent, with an area of ​​17.8 million square meters. km.
• Australia is the flattest continent, with an area of ​​7.7 million square meters. km.
• Antarctica is the southernmost and at the same time the coldest continent, with an area of ​​14.1 million square meters. km.

Continents

Unlike continents, there are only 4 continents on Earth. Continent means “continuous” in Latin. Therefore, it is unlikely that Europe and Africa can be called separate continents, because they are separated by the artificially created Suez Canal.

The same goes for North and South America. They were separated in 1920 by the Panama Canal. It is interesting that the idea of ​​connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through the narrowest isthmus was born back in the 16th century, since the benefits of this for trade and navigation were obvious. However, King Philip II of Spain “cut down” the project, declaring: “What God has united, man cannot separate.” However, over time, common sense prevailed, and one continent was divided into two continents - North and South America.

There are four continents on the planet:

• Old World (Eurasia and Africa).
• New World (North and South America).
• Australia.
• Antarctica.

The theory of continental drift and history allow us to answer the question “A continent and a mainland - what is the difference?” is a large area of ​​land washed by water. A continent is a continuous area of ​​land washed by water, which may include continents connected by land.

A continent is a large land surface that is washed on all sides by oceans or seas.

How many continents are there on Earth and their names

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

One of the largest is Eurasia, it occupies more than 54 million square meters. It contains 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 shores you can see a large number of large and small bays, islands of varying 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 makes up almost a third of the entire planet, living in 108 countries.

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

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

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 North America. It is washed on all sides by the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic oceans. 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 local inhabitants 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 ranks on the surface of the planet there are more than 17 million square meters. It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and also has the longest mountain system. The rest of the surface is predominantly plateau or plains. Among all parts, South America is the rainiest. Its indigenous inhabitants 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 were to completely melt, 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- occupied area of ​​more than 7 million square meters. This is the only continent with only 1 state. Plains and mountains occupy the main area; they are located along the entire coast. Australia is home to the largest number of large and small wild animals and birds, and it also has the greatest diversity of vegetation. The indigenous people are the Aborigines and Bushmen.

Australia

How many continents on Earth are there 6 or 7?

There is an opinion that their number is not 6, but 7. The area located around the South Pole is made up of huge blocks of ice. Currently, many scientists call it another continent on planet Earth. But there is no life at this South Pole, 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 residents of China, they believe that their total number is 7; residents of these countries call Asia and Europe separate continents. The Spaniards, when they mention the continents, name all the surfaces of the world associated with America. And the residents of Greece say that there are only 5 continents on the planet, because only people live on them.

What is the difference between an island and the mainland

Both definitions are a larger or smaller area of ​​land, washed on all sides by water. 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 lithospheric plates. Others were created due to volcanic eruptions. There are also those species that emerged from polyps, they are also called “coral islands”.
3. Its habitability. There is life on absolutely all six continents, even on the coldest one - Antarctica. But most of the islands remain uninhabited to this day. But on them you can meet animals and birds of a wide variety of species, and see plants hitherto unknown to man.