The 7 Continents
On Earth, the land is broken into large pieces. These pieces are separated by large bodies of water called oceans. We call some of these pieces of land continents. A continent is an area of land. Some continents are surrounded by oceans, and other continents are connected to other continents.
On Earth these continents were once part of one massive land mass known as Pangea. The continents continue to move! 3
4
5
Tectonic Plates! The earth has three layers, the core, the mantle, and the crust.! The crust is made up of tectonic plates which shift and move on top of the mantle.! The movement of the tectonic plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity. Faults are areas along the crust that damaged due to the plate movement. 6
7
San Andreas Fault 8
9
! Prime Meridian! LONGITUDE 10
Equator LATITUDE! 11
On Earth we have 7 continents. They are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.!!!!!!! Let s discover what is unique about each continent!
AFRICA " Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. " The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea also border the continent. " Is the 2 nd largest of the continents making up about 20% of the Earth s land. " Has the 2 nd largest population. " Made up of 53 countries. " Is divided into 8 regions.
AFRICA! Contains the longest river, the Nile, which flows North.! Has the largest desert, the Sahara
! Africa is home to Egypt. 15
AFRICAN ANIMALS Giraffe Herds of Elephant Gorillas Cheetah Rhino Chameleons 4 of 5 fastest animals live here. The Cheetah, wildebeest, lion, Thomson s gazelle.
Antarctica! Is the 5 th largest continent, about 9% of Earth s land.! The only people that live here are scientists.! The Southern Ocean surrounds all sides of the continent.! Is covered mostly by ice.! Has the coldest and windiest climate on the planet.
Antarctica s Animals There are many different kinds of animals that are in Antarctica. These are the most common. Penguins A penguin is a bird that can not fly although they can swim. Their wings are designed to be like flippers to glide through the water. Seals Their fat protects them from the cold. They live on the ice but can be under water for up to an hour.
Asia! Is the largest continent, about 30% of the land! Has the highest population of all the continents! Contains 44 countries! Borders Europe and Africa on the West! Borders the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean on the South and East
Asia! Mt. Everest, the world s tallest mountain is located in Nepal in Asia.! China and India are counties that have the highest population in the world! The Ural Mountains separate Asia and Europe! Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines are just some of the island countries that are a part of Asia
Asian Animals Panda Orangutans Tiger Camels
Australia! Is the smallest continent, about 5% of the land mass! Has the smallest population! Is made up of a single country, Australia.! Australia is about the same size as the 48 connected United States
Australian Animals Dingo Koala Platypus Kangaroo
Europe! Is only bigger than Australia, takes up about 6% of the land mass! Has the 3 rd largest population! Contains 46 countries! The Atlantic Ocean is located to the West.! The Mediterranean Sea is located to the South
! In Europe there is the European Union. It is a government structure that helps 28 of the European countries work together to deal with trade and other aspects of the economy more effectively. Their common money system includes the euro. 1 euro equals $1.11 as of 9.5.15. 25
European Animals These are just a couple of the animals that you can find across Europe. Because the climate is similar to North America, there are many similar animals on each continent. Wildcats Wild Goats
North America! Is the 3 rd largest continent, about 16% of the land on earth! Has the 4 th largest population! Contains 23 countries including Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America! Includes Central America! Both the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean border this continent.
! North America was inhabited by over 500 Native American tribes before the Europeans arrived on the shores.! Natives had traveled across Asia to North America on the land bridge. 28
29
North American Animals These are just a few of the animals that North America has. Many areas have different weather in North America. Each of these areas has its own kind of animals. Bear Coyote Moose
Before the Panama Canal was built, North and South America were connected by land. To get to the Pacific Ocean by boat, you would have to sail around South America. 31
32
33
34
35
36
South America! Is the 4 th largest continent, about 12% of the land mass! Has the 5 th largest population! Contains 12 countries! Has some major natural landforms, the Amazon River, Andes Mountains, and the rainforest! Has the most diversity of climate, biomes, and wildlife
South American Animals Toucan Anaconda Marmoset Anteater
Resources Adapted from the work of Amy TerAvest and Crystal Polk http://geography.pppst.com/continents.html! www.britannica.com