What are the 7 Continents? From Biggest to Smallest List of the seven continents and the 5 oceans of the world. What are the 7 Continents? From Biggest to Smallest April 5, 2015 By Aparna 1 Comment Continents are the large land masses that we see on our earth. These hard land masses where people and other living organisms walk or crawl and make home are large in size, and are made up of many countries. There are also many small land masses which we call as islands, but continents are very large in size compared to these islands. So, what are the seven continents on Earth? There are seven continents on earth. Many people combine the two continents Asia and Europe into a single continent and call it Eurasia. Many others combine the two continents North America and South America into one and call it the American continent. But in general there are seven large land masses on earth, namely Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Let us see each of these continents in detail. Asia This is the first one that comes in to mind when you think about what are the 7 continents.

Asia is the largest continent on earth covering about 9 percent of the earth’s surface. It is also the most populated continent on earth, home to an estimated population of around 4.3 billion people. This large population makes it an important part of the world economy. Africa Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It is also the second largest continent in the world in terms of population. Africa is also referred to as the black continent by many. This large land mass comprises of 54 countries and is home to one billion people. About 15 percent of the world population leaves in this continent which constitute about 20 percent of the total land area. Africa lies in the center of the earth with equator passing through its center. The climate of Africa is largely tropical in nature. The northern and southern parts of Africa have temperate climatic conditions. Africa is also considered to be the birth place of mankind. The oldest fossils of Homo sapiens found till now have been from the eastern parts of this continent. This large and diverse continent is home to lot of endangered species. North America North America is a continent which lies wholly in the northern hemisphere.

It is bordered by Arctic Ocean in the north, Atlantic Ocean in the east, Pacific Ocean in the south and west, and South America and Caribbean Sea in the south east. North America lies almost wholly in the western hemisphere. North America covers almost 4.8 percent of the earth’s surface and comprises around 16.5 percent of the whole land area on earth. North America is home to nearly 565 million people. About 7.5 percent of the world’s population lives here. It is the third largest continent in the world by area and fourth largest continent by population. Most of the land and area of the continent is dominated by Canada, United States of America, Greenland and Mexico. There are also many smaller states in the Central America and Caribbean regions. South America South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere with most of its land area lying in the southern hemisphere and a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere. It has Pacific Ocean to its western side, Atlantic Ocean in the north and eastern side, and North America and Caribbean Sea in the North West side.

With an area covering 17,840,000 square kilometres and a population of more than 3 billion, South America is the fourth largest continent in terms of size and fifth in terms of population. South America is home to twelve sovereign states and two non sovereign states. South America is a continent which is diverse in terms of geography and biodiversity. The world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, angel falls is situated in Venezuela in South America. The Amazon River, which is the largest river in the world in terms of volume, is also in this continent. The Atacama Desert, which is the driest non polar place on earth, and the Amazon forest which is the largest rainforest on earth, is situated in this continent. It is also home to many interesting and unique species of animals such as anaconda, piranha, jaguar etc. The Amazon rainforests contains a major proportion of the earth’s species. Brazil is the largest country in South America occupying more than half of the continents land area and population. Antarctica People generally leave this out when they think what are the 7 continents. Antarctica is the southernmost continent of all. It is made of large permanent glaciers that surround the South Pole.

This is one of the most inhabitable places on earth. With a very small population of less than 5000 residents, Antarctica is the least populated continent on earth. It is also home to very few plant and animal species. Antarctica is also the coldest landmass on earth and much of this continent is made of permanent glaciers. Europe Europe is the second smallest continent in the world. It comprises the westernmost peninsula of the giant Eurasian continent. Covering almost 2 percent of the earth’s surface Europe takes 6.8 percent of the world’s total land area. Europe is home to almost 50 countries and is the third most populated continent in the world after Asia and Africa. About 11 percent of the world’s population lives in Australia. Russia is the largest country in Europe and Vatican City is the smallest. Europe is divided from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, black sea and the waterways connecting black sea and Aegean Sea. Europe is bordered by Arctic Ocean in the north side, Atlantic Ocean on the west side, Mediterranean Sea to the south and black sea and connected water ways on the south east.

Europe, especially ancient Greece is the birth place of the western culture. From early 15th century, Europe has been playing a predominant role in the global affairs. It is also where the industrial revolution started. Australia The continent of Australia is a single country continent. It is the sixth largest country by total area. It is also the smallest of all the seven continents. Because of its size, and isolated location, it is also called as island continent. Covering an area of 7617930 square kilometers, Australia lies in the Indo- Australian Plate. This continent is surrounded by Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Australia is one of the least populated continents and is rich in biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral reef in the world, is in Australia. It extends over 2000 kilometers in the north east coast of Australia. Australia is also home to world’s largest monolith, Mount Augustus. So, now you all know what are the 7 continents on Earth. Read ore about them to know each of them in detail. No related posts.

Continent Map | Map of Continents | Continent Size, Populations, Number of Countries - Worldatlas.com Antarctica - (0) All countries listed by continent here Notes: In some parts of the world students are taught that there are only six continents, as they combine North America and South America into one continent called the Americas. Other experts use only six continents by combining Europe and Asia into a continent called Eurasia. Americas: 42,075,000 sq km – pop: 972,005,000 Eurasia: 54,697,000 sq km – pop: 5,041,175,000 To convert km (kilometers) to miles ... multiply kilometers by: 0.621371 To Convert sq km (kilometers) to sq miles ... multiply kilometers by: 0.386102 Notes: The Caribbean Islands, Central America countries and Greenland are all considered part of North America. The Middle East is part of Asia.

Many modern atlases and geography experts now consider the long-established continent of Australia to be better defined as Australia/Oceania, which then combines and includes all of (Australia), the large island groups of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomons, and the countless volcanic and coral islands of the south Pacific Ocean, including those of Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. In short, OCEANIA is now one of the most diverse and fascinating areas on the planet. Special Cases: Hawaii is approximately 2,550 miles southwest of Los Angeles, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. Politically it is part of North America, but geographically it is not part of any continent. Turkey is officially, politically and geographically part of both the European and Asian continents. Its established dividing line between Asia and Europe is the Bosphorus Strait. European Russia is not a separate country, but rather the far western end of the Russian Federation. Most modern atlases and geography experts consider this landmass politically and geographically part of the continent of Europe.

The Russian Federation's established dividing line between Asia and Europe are the Ural Mountains Largest Continent: Ranking of Continents by Area, Size By Matt Rosenberg Updated January 16, 2016. The seven continents can be ranked in order of both size or area as well as population. The seven continents include Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Largest Continents in Area 1. Asia - 17,139,445 square miles (44,391,162 square km) 2. Africa - 11,677,239 square miles (30,244,049 square km) 3. North America - 9,361,791 square miles (24,247,039 square km) 4. South America - 6,880,706 square miles (17,821,029 square km) 5. Antarctica - About 5,500,000 square miles (14,245,000 square km) 6.

Europe - 3,997,929 square miles (10,354,636 square km) 7. Australia - 2,967,909 square miles (7,686,884 square km) Largest Continents in Population 1. Asia - 4,055,000,000 (Over 4 billion) 2. Africa - 1,108,500,000 (Over 1 billion) 3. Europe - 729,871,042 (including all of Russia) 4. North America - 522,807,432 5. South America - 379,919,602 6. Australia - 20,434,176 7. Antarctica - No permanent residents but up to 4000 researchers and personnel in the summer and 1000 in the winter. continue reading below our video World Continents Plus, there are more than 15 million people who don't live on a continent.

Almost all of these people live in the island countries of Oceania, a world region but not a continent . If you count six continents, with Eurasia as a single continent then it remains number one in area and number one in population. 7 Continents of The World, List of Names of Seven Continents Australia 7 Continents of The World There are seven continents of the world, covering 1/3rd area of the planet. Rest of the 2/3rd part of the globe is occupied by water. In the table to the right, these large pieces of landmass are arranged according to their area in kilometers. Also the population, Asia and Australia are the largest and smallest continents, respectively. Sr.No continent - National Geographic Society continent This map beautifully illustrates the continent of Australia. Map by Sean O'Connor Microcontinents In addition to the seven major continents, Earth is home to microcontinents, or pieces of land that are not geologically identified with a continent.

Major microcontinents include: Zealandia, in the South Pacific Ocean, whose land includes New Zealand and New Caledonia Madagascar, in the South Indian Ocean the Mascarene Plateau, in the South Indian Ocean, whose lands include the Seychelles and Reunion islands the Kerguelen Plateau, in the South Indian Ocean, whose lands include the Kerguelen Islands, a territory of France Jan Mayen, in the North Atlantic Ocean, a Norwegian island A continent is one of Earth’s seven main divisions of land. The continents are, from largest to smallest: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. When geographer s identify a continent, they usually include all the island s associated with it. Japan, for instance, is part of the continent of Asia. Greenland and all the islands in the Caribbean Sea are usually considered part of North America. Together, the continents add up to about 148 million square kilometers (57 million square miles) of land. Continents make up most—but not all—of the Earth’s land surface. A very small portion of the total land area is made up of islands that are not considered physical parts of continents.

New Zealand, French Polynesia, and the Hawaiian Islands are examples of land areas that are considered microcontinent s. These areas are usually grouped with culturally similar continents, but are geologic ally distinct . The ocean , divided into four major bodies of water, covers almost three-fourths of the Earth. The area of the ocean is more than double the area of all the continents combined. All continents border at least two oceans. Asia, the largest continent, has the longest series of coastline s.< Coastlines, however, do not indicate the actual boundaries of the continents. Continents are defined by their continental shelves. A continental shelf is a gently sloping area that extends outward from the beach far into the ocean. A continental shelf is part of the ocean, but also part of the continent. If continental shelves were included in the total land area, continents would make up more than one-third of the Earth’s surface. “Continent” has more than just a physical definition. To human geographers, the term is about culture . The continents of Europe and Asia, for example, are actually part of a single, enormous piece of land called Eurasia. But linguistic ally and ethnically, the areas of Asia and Europe are distinct.

The various cultural groups of Europe have more in common with one another than they do with cultural groups in Asia. Because of this, most geographers divide Eurasia into Europe and Asia. An imaginary line, running from the northern Ural Mountains in Russia south to the Caspian and Black Seas, separates Europe, to the west, from Asia, to the east. Building the Continents The Earth formed 4.6 billion years ago from a great, swirling cloud of dust and gas . The continuous smashing of space debris and the pull of gravity made the inside of the Earth heat up. As the heat increased, some of the Earth’s rocky materials melted and rose to the surface, where they cooled and formed a crust. Heavier material sank toward the Earth’s center. Eventually, the Earth came to have three main layers: the core , the mantle , and the crust . The crust and the top portion of the mantle form a rigid shell around the Earth that is broken up into huge sections called tectonic plate s. The heat from inside the Earth causes the plates to slide around on the molten mantle. Today, tectonic plates continue to slowly slide around the surface, just as they have been doing for hundreds of millions of years.

Geologist s believe the interaction of the plates, a process called plate tectonics , contributed to the creation of continents. Studies of rocks found in ancient areas of North America have revealed that the oldest known pieces of the continents began to form nearly 4 billion years ago, soon after the Earth itself formed. At that time, a primitive ocean covered Earth. Only a small fraction of the crust was made up of continental material. Scientists theorize that this material built up along the boundaries of tectonic plates during a process called subduction . During subduction, plates collide, and the edge of one plate slides beneath the edge of another. When heavy oceanic crust subduct ed toward the mantle, it melted in the mantle’s intense heat. Once melted, the rock became lighter. Called magma , it rose through the overlying plate and burst out as lava . When the lava cooled, it hardened into igneous rock . Gradually, the igneous rock built up into small volcanic island s above the surface of the ocean. Over time, these islands grew bigger, partly as the result of more lava flows and partly from the buildup of material scraped off descending plates. When plates carrying islands subducted, the islands themselves did not descend into the mantle.

Their material fuse d with that of islands on the neighboring plate. This made even larger landmasses—the first continents. The building of volcanic islands and continental material through plate tectonics is a process that continues today. Continental crust is much lighter than oceanic crust. In subduction zone s, where tectonic plates interact with each other, oceanic crust always subducts beneath continental crust. Oceanic crust is constantly being recycled in the mantle. For this reason, continental crust is much, much older than oceanic crust. Wandering Continents If you could visit the Earth as it was millions of years ago, it would look very different. The continents have not always been where they are today. About 480 million years ago, most continents were scattered chunks of land lying along or below the Equator . Millions of years of continuous tectonic activity changed their positions, and by 240 million years ago, almost all of the world’s land was joined in a single, huge continent. Geologists call this supercontinent Pangaea , which means “all lands” in Greek. By about 200 million years ago, the forces that helped form Pangaea caused the supercontinent to begin to break apart.

The pieces of Pangaea that began to move apart were the beginnings of the continents that we know today. A giant landmass that would become Europe, Asia, and North America separated from another mass that would split up into other continents. In time, Antarctica and Australia, still joined together, broke away and drifted south. The small piece of land that would become the peninsula of India broke away and for millions of years moved north as a large island. It eventually collided with Asia. Gradually, the different landmasses moved to their present locations. The positions of the continents are always changing. North America and Europe are moving away from each other at the rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) per year. If you could visit the planet in the future, you might find that part of the U.S. state of California had separated from North America and become an island. Africa might have split in two along the Great Rift Valley. It is even possible that another supercontinent may form some day. Continental Features The surface of the continents has changed many times because of mountain building, weathering , erosion , and build-up of sediment . Continuous, slow movement of tectonic plates also changes surface features.

The rocks that form the continents have been shaped and reshaped many times. Great mountain range s have risen and then have been worn away. Ocean waters have flood ed huge areas and then gradually dried up. Massive ice sheet s have come and gone, sculpting the landscape in the process. Today, all continents have great mountain ranges, vast plain s, extensive plateau s, and complex river system s. The landmasses’ average elevation above sea level is about 838 meters (2,750 feet). Although each is unique , all the continents share two basic features: old, geologically stable regions, and younger, somewhat more active region s. In the younger regions, the process of mountain building has happened recently and often continues to happen. The power for mountain building, or orogeny , comes from plate tectonics. One way mountains form is through the collision of two tectonic plates. The impact creates wrinkles in the crust, just as a rug wrinkles when you push against one end of it. Such a collision created Asia’s Himalaya Mountains several million years ago. The plate carrying India slowly and forcefully shoved the landmass of India into Asia, which was riding on another plate.

The collision continues today, causing the Himalayas to grow taller every year. Recently formed mountains, called coastal range s, rise near the western coasts of North and South America. Older, more stable mountain ranges are found in the interior of continents. The Appalachians of North America and the Urals, on the border between Europe and Asia, are older mountain ranges that are not geologically active. Even older than these ancient, eroded mountain ranges are flatter, more stable areas of the continents called craton s. A craton is an area of ancient crust that formed during the Earth’s early history. Every continent has a craton. Microcontinents, like New Zealand, lack cratons. Cratons have two forms: shield s and platform s. Shields are bare rocks that may be the roots or cores of ancient mountain ranges that have completely eroded away. Platforms are cratons with sediment and sedimentary rock lying on top. The Canadian Shield makes up about a quarter of North America. For hundreds of thousands of years, sheets of ice up to 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) thick coated the Canadian Shield. The moving ice wore away material on top of ancient rock layers, exposing some of the oldest formations on Earth.

When you stand on the oldest part of the Canadian Shield, you stand directly on rocks that formed more than 3.5 billion years ago. North America North America, the third-largest continent, extends from the tiny Aleutian Islands in the northwest to the Isthmus of Panama in the south. The continent includes the enormous island of Greenland in the northeast. In the far north, the continent stretches halfway around the world, from Greenland to the Aleutians. But at Panama’s narrowest part, the continent is just 50 kilometers (31 miles) across. Young mountains—including the Rockies, North America’s largest chain—rise in the West. Some of the Earth’s youngest mountains are found in the Cascade Range of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Some peaks there began to form only about a million years ago—a wink of an eye in Earth’s long history. North America’s older mountain ranges rise near the East Coast of the United States and Canada. In between the mountain systems lie wide plains that contain deep, rich soil . Much of the soil was formed from material deposited during the most recent glacial period . This ice age reached its peak about 18,000 years ago.

As glacier s retreated, streams of melted ice dropped sediment on the land, building layers of fertile soil in the plains region. Grain grown in this region, called the “breadbasket of North America,” feeds a large part of the world. North America contains a variety of natural wonders. Landforms and all types of vegetation can be found within its boundaries. North America has deep canyon s, such as Copper Canyon in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Yellowstone National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming, has some of the world’s most active geyser s. Canada’s Bay of Fundy has the greatest variation of tide levels in the world. The Great Lakes form the planet’s largest area of freshwater . In the U.S. state of California, giant sequoia s, the world’s most massive trees, grow more than 76 meters (250 feet) tall and nearly 31 meters (100 feet) around. Greenland, off the east coast of Canada, is the world’s largest island. Despite its name, Greenland is mostly covered with ice. Its ice is a remnant of the great ice sheets that once blanket ed much of the North American continent.

Greenland is the only place besides Antarctica that still has an ice sheet. From the freezing Arctic to the tropical jungle s of Central America, North America enjoys more climate variation than any other continent. Almost every type of ecosystem is represented somewhere on the continent, from coral reef s in the Caribbean to Greenland’s ice sheet to the Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada. Today, North America is home to the citizens of Canada, the United States, Greenland, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the island countries and territories that dot the Caribbean Sea and the western North Atlantic Ocean. Most of North America sits on the North American Plate. Parts of the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California sit on the tiny Juan de Fuca Plate. Parts of California and the Mexican state of Baja California sit on the enormous Pacific Plate. Parts of Baja California and the Mexican states of Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Jalisco sit on the Cocos Plate. The Caribbean Plate carries most of the small islands of the Caribbean Sea (south of the island of Cuba) as well as Central America from Honduras to Panama.

The Hawaiian Islands, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the Pacific Plate, are usually considered part of North America. South America South America is connected to North America by the narrow Isthmus of Panama. These two continents weren’t always connected; they came together only 3 million years ago. South America is the fourth-largest continent and extends from the sunny beaches of the Caribbean Sea to the frigid waters near the Antarctic Circle. South America’s southernmost islands, called Tierra del Fuego , are less than 1,120 kilometers (700 miles) from Antarctica. These islands even host some Antarctic birds, such as penguins, albatrosses, and terns. Early Spanish explorer s visiting the islands for the first time saw small fires dotting the land. These fires, made by indigenous people, seemed to float on the water, which is probably how the islands got their name—Tierra del Fuego means "Land of Fire." The Andes, the Earth’s longest terrestrial mountain range, stretch the entire length of South America. Many active volcano es dot the range. These volcanic areas are fueled by heat generated as a large oceanic plate, called the Nazca Plate, grinds beneath the plate carrying South America.

The central-southern area of South America has pampas , or plains. These rich areas are ideal for agriculture . The growing of wheat is a major industry in the pampas. Grazing animal s, such as cattle and sheep, are also raised in the pampas region. In northern South America, the Amazon River and its tributaries flow through the world’s largest tropical rain forest . In volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world. More water flows from it than from the next six largest rivers combined. South America is also home to the world’s tallest waterfall , Angel Falls, in the country of Venezuela. Water flows more than 979 meters (3,212 feet)—almost a mile. The falls are so high that most of the water evaporate s into mist or is blown away by wind before it reaches the ground. South American rain forests contain an enormous wealth of animal and plant life. More than 15,000 species of plants and animals are found only in the Amazon River basin . Many Amazonian plant species are sources of food and medicine for the rest of the world.

Scientists are trying to find ways to preserve this precious and fragile environment as people move into the Amazon basin and clear land for settlements and agriculture. Twelve independent countries make up South America: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. The territories of French Guiana, part of France, and the Falkland Islands, part of the United Kingdom, are also part of South America. Almost all of South America sits on top of the South American Plate. Europe Europe, the sixth-largest continent, contains just 7 percent of the world’s land. In total area, the continent of Europe is only slightly larger than the country of Canada. However, the population of Europe is more than twice that of South America. Europe has more than 40 countries and many of the world’s major cities, including London, England; Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Italy; Madrid, Spain; and Moscow, Russia. Most European countries have access to the ocean. The continent is bordered by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Caspian Sea in the southeast, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas in the south.

The nearness of these bodies of water and the navigation of many of Europe’s rivers played a major role in the continent’s history. Early Europeans learned the river systems of the Volga, Danube, Don, Rhine, and Po, and could successfully travel the length and width of the small continent for trade , communication , or conquest . Navigation and exploration outside of Europe was an important part of the development of the continent’s economic , social, linguistic, and political legacy . European explorers were responsible for colonizing land on every continent except Antarctica. This colonization process had a drastic impact on the economic and political development of those continents, as well as Europe. In the east, the Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia. The nations of Russia and Kazakhstan straddle both continents. Another range, the Kjølen Mountains, extends along the northern part of the border between Sweden and Norway. To the south, the Alps form an arc stretching from Albania to Austria, then across Switzerland and northern Italy into France. As the youngest and steepest of Europe’s mountains, the Alps geologically resemble the Rockies of North America, another young range. A large area of gently rolling plains extends from northern France eastward to the Urals.

A climate of warm summers, cold winters, and plentiful rain helps make much of this European farmland very productive. The climate of Western Europe, especially around the Mediterranean Sea, makes it one of the world’s leading tourism destinations. Almost all of Europe sits on the massive Eurasian Plate. Africa Africa, the second-largest continent, covers an area more than three times that of the United States. From north to south, Africa stretches about 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). It is connected to Asia by the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt. The Sahara, which covers much of North Africa, is the world’s largest hot desert . The world’s longest river, the Nile, flows more than 6,560 kilometers (4,100 miles) from its most remote headwater s in Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. A series of falls and rapids along the southern part of the river makes navigation difficult. The Nile has played an important role in the history of Africa. In ancient Egyptian civilization , it was a source of life for food , water, and transportation. The top half of Africa is mostly dry, hot desert.

The middle area has savanna s, or flat, grassy plains. This region is home to wild animals such as lions, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, cheetahs, and wildebeests. The central and southern areas of Africa are dominate d by rain forests. Many of these forests thrive around Africa’s other great rivers, the Zambezi, the Congo, and the Niger. However, trees are being cut down in Africa’s rain forests for many of the same reasons deforestation is taking place in the rain forests of South America and Asia: development for businesses, homes, and agriculture. Much of Africa is a high plateau surrounded by narrow strips of coastal lowlands. Hilly uplands and mountains rise in some areas of the interior. Glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania sit just miles from the tropical jungles below. Even though Kilimanjaro is not far from the Equator, snow covers its summit all year long. In eastern Africa, a giant depression called the Great Rift Valley runs from the Red Sea to the country of Mozambique. (The rift valley actually starts in southwestern Asia.) The Great Rift Valley is a site of major tectonic activity, where the continent of Africa is splitting into two.

Geologists have already named the two parts of the African Plate. The Nubian Plate will carry most of the continent, to the west of the rift; the Somali Plate will carry the far eastern part of the continent, including the so-called “ Horn of Africa .” The Horn of Africa is a peninsula that resembles the upturned horn of a rhinoceros. The countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia sit on the Horn of Africa and the Somali Plate. Africa is home to 56 countries but only 14 percent of the world’s total population. The area of central-eastern Africa is important to scientists who study evolution and the earliest origins of humanity. This area is thought to be the place where hominid s began to evolve. The entire continent of Africa sits on the African Plate. Asia Asia, the largest continent, stretches from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the western Pacific Ocean. There are more than 40 countries in Asia. Some are among the most-populated countries in the world, including China, India, and Indonesia. Sixty percent of the Earth’s population lives in Asia. More than a third of the world’s people live in China and India alone.

The continent of Asia includes many islands, some of them countries. The Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan are major island nations in Asia. Most of Asia’s people live in cities or fertile farming areas near river valley s, plains, and coasts. The plateaus in central Asia are largely unsuitable for farming and are thinly populated. Asia accounts for almost a third of the world’s land. The continent has a wide range of climate regions, from polar in the Siberia n Arctic to tropical in equatorial Indonesia. Parts of central Asia, including the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia, are dry year-round. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, depends on the annual monsoon s, which bring rain and make agriculture possible. Monsoon rains and snowmelt feed Asian rivers such as the Ganges, the Yellow, the Mekong, the Indus, and the Yangtze. The rich valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in western Asia is called the “ Fertile Crescent ” for its place in the development of agriculture and human civilization. Asia is the most mountainous of all the continents. More than 50 of the highest peaks in the world are in Asia.

Mount Everest, which reaches more than 8,700 meters (29,000 feet) high in the Himalaya range, is the highest point on Earth. These mountains have become major destination spots for adventurous travelers. Plate tectonics continuously push the mountains higher. As the landmass of India pushes northward into the landmass of Eurasia, parts of the Himalayas rise at a rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) every five years. Asia contains not only the Earth’s highest elevation, but also its lowest place on land: the shores of the Dead Sea in the countries of Israel and Jordan. The land there lies more than 390 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level. Although the Eurasian Plate carries most of Asia, it is not the only one supporting major parts of the large continent. The Arabian Peninsula, in the continent’s southwest, is carried by the Arabian Plate. The Indian Plate supports the Indian peninsula, sometimes called the Indian subcontinent . The Australian Plate carries some islands in Indonesia. The North American Plate carries eastern Siberia and the northern islands of Japan.

Australia In addition to being the smallest continent, Australia is the flattest and the second-driest, after Antarctica. The continent is sometimes called Oceania, to include the thousands of tiny islands of the Central and South Pacific, most notably Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia (including the U.S. state of Hawaii). However, the continent of Australi itself includes only the nation of Australia, the eastern portion of the island of New Guinea (the nation of Papua New Guinea) and the island nation of New Zealand. Australia covers just fewer than 8.5 million square kilometers (about 3.5 million square miles). Its population is about 31 million. It is the most sparse ly populated continent, after Antarctica. A plateau in the middle of mainland Australia makes up most of the continent’s total area. Rainfall is light on the plateau, and not many people have settled there. The Great Dividing Range, a long mountain range, rises near the east coast and extends from the northern part of the territory of Queensland through the territories of New South Wales and Victoria. Mainland Australia is known for the Outback , a desert area in the interior.

This area is so dry, hot, and barren that few people live there. In addition to the hot plateaus and deserts in mainland Australia, the continent also features lush equatorial rain forests on the island of New Guinea, tropical beaches, and high mountain peaks and glaciers in New Zealand. Most of Australia’s people live in cities along the southern and eastern coasts of the mainland. Major cities include Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide, all in Australia. Biologists who study animals consider Australia a living laboratory. When the continent began to break away from Antarctica more than 60 million years ago, it carried a cargo of animals with it. Isolated from life on other continents, the animals developed into creatures unique to Australia, such as the koala, the platypus, and the Tasmanian devil. The Great Barrier Reef, off mainland Australia’s northeast coast, is another living laboratory. The world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, it is home to thousands of species of fish, sponges, marine mammals, corals, and crustacean s. The reef itself is 1,920 kilometers (1,200 miles) of living coral communities.

By some estimates, it is the world’s largest living organism. Most of Australia sits on the Australian Plate. The southern part of the South Island of New Zealand sits on the Pacific Plate. Antarctica Antarctica is the windiest, driest, and iciest place on Earth. Antarctica is larger than Europe or Australia, but unlike those continents, it has no permanent population. People who work there are scientific research ers and support staff, such as pilots and cooks. The climate of Antarctica makes it impossible to support agriculture or a permanent civilization. Temperatures in Antarctica, much lower than Arctic temperatures, plunge lower than -73 degrees Celsius (-100 degrees Fahrenheit). Scientific bases and laboratories have been established in Antarctica for studies in fields that include geology , oceanography , and meteorology . The freezing temperatures of Antarctica make it an excellent place to study the history of Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Ice core s from the massive Antarctic ice sheet have recorded changes in Earth’s temperature and atmospheric gases for thousands of years. Antarctica is also an ideal place for discovering meteorite s, or stony objects that have impacted the Earth from outer space.

The dark meteorites, often made of metals like iron, stand out from the white landscape of most of the continent. Antarctica is almost completely covered with ice, sometimes as thick as 3.2 kilometers (2 miles). In winter, Antarctica’s surface area may double as pack ice builds up in the ocean around the continent. Like all other continents, Antarctica has volcanic activity. The most active volcano is Mount Erebus, which is less than 1,392 kilometers (870 miles) from the South Pole. Its frequent eruptions are evidence of hot, molten rock beneath the continent’s icy surface. Antarctica does not have any countries. However, scientific groups from different countries inhabit the research stations. A multinational treaty negotiated in 1959 and reviewed in 1991 states that research in Antarctica can only be used for peaceful purposes. McMurdo Station, the largest community in Antarctica, is operated by the United States. Vostok Station, where the coldest temperature on Earth was recorded, is operated by Russia. All of Antarctica sits on the Antarctic Plate. Term agriculture Noun line of latitude at 66.5 degrees south that encircles the continent of Antarctica.

arc part of the outline of a circle. atmosphere bay Noun body of water partially surrounded by land, usually with a wide mouth to a larger body of water. goods carried by a ship, plane, or other vehicle. cattle region that connects North America and South America, including the Isthmus of Panama. civilization coastal range Noun recently formed mountains found near the coast of continents, especially the western coasts of the Americas. coastline outer boundary of a shore. colonize to establish control of a foreign land and culture. communication sharing of information and ideas. complex thick layer of Earth that sits beneath continents. continental shelf tiny ocean animal, some of which secrete calcium carbonate to form reefs. coral reef rocky ocean features made up of millions of coral skeletons. core old, stable part of continental crust, made up of shields and platforms. crust crustacean Noun type of animal (an arthropod) with a hard shell and segmented body that usually lives in the water. culture learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods. debris remains of something broken or destroyed; waste, or garbage. deforestation destruction or removal of forests and their undergrowth.

descend to go from a higher to a lower place. desert Noun construction or preparation of land for housing, industry, or agriculture. distinct dust Noun microscopic particles of rocks or minerals drifting in space. Also called cosmic dust or space dust. economic having to do with money. ecosystem landmass including the continents of Europe and Asia. evaporate to change from a liquid to a gas or vapor. evolution change in heritable traits of a population over time. exploration study and investigation of unknown places, concepts, or issues. explorer person who studies unknown areas. extensive able to produce crops or sustain agriculture. Fertile Crescent region extending from the eastern Mediterranean coast through Southwest Asia to the Persian Gulf. flood water that is not salty. frigid to combine or meld together. gas Noun state of matter with no fixed shape that will fill any container uniformly. Gas molecules are in constant, random motion. geographer person who studies places and the relationships between people and their environments. geologic having to do with the physical formations of the Earth. geologist person who studies the physical formations of the Earth.

geology Noun study of the physical history of the Earth, its composition, its structure, and the processes that form and change it. geyser largest species of tree on Earth. glacial period time of long-term lowering of temperatures on Earth. Also known as an ice age. glacier physical force by which objects attract, or pull toward, each other. grazing animal animal that feeds on grasses, trees, and shrubs. Great Lakes Noun largest freshwater bodies in the world, located in the United States and Canada. Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Superior make up the Great Lakes. Great Plains grassland region of North America, between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. headwater biological family of primates, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, and their ancestors. Horn of Africa Noun large peninsula in northeast Africa, including the countries of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Also called the Somali Peninsula. ice age Noun long period of cold climate where glaciers cover large parts of the Earth. The last ice age peaked about 20,000 years ago. Also called glacial age.

ice core sample of ice taken to demonstrate changes in climate over many years. ice sheet rock formed by the cooling of magma or lava. Indian subcontinent landmass in south-central Asia carried by the Indian tectonic plate, including the peninsula of India. indicate characteristic to or of a specific place. industry activity that produces goods and services. iron chemical element with the symbol Fe. island to set one thing or organism apart from others. isthmus tropical ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush. laboratory place where scientific experiments are performed. Also called a lab. landform molten rock, or magma, that erupts from volcanoes or fissures in the Earth's surface. legacy Noun material, ideas, or history passed down or communicated by a person or community from the past. linguistic having to do with language or speech. magma substance used for treating illness or disease. metal category of elements that are usually solid and shiny at room temperature. meteorite a type of large continental island. mist solid material turned to liquid by heat. monsoon Noun seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing winds of a region. Monsoon usually refers to the winds of the Indian Ocean and South Asia, which often bring heavy rains.

landmass that forms as tectonic plates interact with each other. mountain range series or chain of mountains that are close together. navigation tectonic plate currently being formed in western Africa as the African Plate splits in two. ocean region including island groups in the South Pacific. oceanic crust thin layer of the Earth that sits beneath ocean basins. oceanography the way mountains are formed. Outback remote, sparsely populated interior region of Australia. pack ice large area of drift ice, or ice not attached to a shoreline. Pampas flat grasslands of South America. Pangaea supercontinent of all the Earth's landmass that existed about 250 million years ago. peninsula movement and interaction of the Earth's plates. platform Noun ancient rocks that formed as part of continental crust, now overlain with sediment and sedimentary rock, located in the interior of continents. polar having to do with the North and/or South Pole. Polynesia island group in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island. precious region Noun any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics. Regions are the basic units of geography. something that is left over.

remote research Noun scientific observations and investigation into a subject, usually following the scientific method: observation, hypothesis, prediction, experimentation, analysis, and conclusion. research station Noun structure or structures built for scientific study of the surrounding region, possibly including residential and lab facilities. rift valley tributaries, mouth, source, delta, and flood plain of a river. savanna type of tropical grassland with scattered trees. sea level Noun rock formed from fragments of other rocks or the remains of plants or animals. shield Noun ancient rocks that formed as part of continental crust and are located in the interior of continents. Siberia region of land stretching across Russia from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. snow precipitation made of ice crystals. snowmelt top layer of the Earth's surface where plants can grow. Somali plate tectonic plate currently being formed in eastern Africa as the African plate splits in two. sparse scattered and few in number. stable to be on both sides of an issue, area, or object. subduct to pull downward or beneath something. subduction process of one tectonic plate melting, sliding, or falling beneath another. subduction zone area where one tectonic plate slides under another.

summit to reach the highest point of a mountain. supercontinent ancient, giant landmass that split apart to form all the continents we know today. tectonic plate Noun massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth's lithosphere (crust and upper mantle). Also called lithospheric plate. terrestrial having to do with the Earth or dry land. theorize to formulate and propose a group of ideas to explain a scientific question. tide Noun rise and fall of the ocean's waters, caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. group of islands at the southern tip of South America. tourism the industry (including food, hotels, and entertainment) of traveling for pleasure. trade buying, selling, or exchanging of goods and services. tropical Adjective existing in the tropics, the latitudes between the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the south. unique depression in the Earth between hills. vast all the plant life of a specific place. volcanic island land formed by a volcano rising from the ocean floor. volcano Noun an opening in the Earth's crust, through which lava, ash, and gases erupt, and also the cone built by eruptions.

Which Continent Is the the World's Smallest? By Matt Rosenberg Updated August 10, 2016. There are seven continents in the world and Asia is the largest , but which one is the smallest? The answer is Australia and it is almost a fifth of the size of Asia. Europe is not far behind, though, as it has just over a million more square miles than Australia. If we are looking at population, Australia is also at the bottom of the list of continents with permanent residents. Of course, Antarctica is the least populated continent because only a few thousand researchers call it a temporary home. Just How Small is Australia? In terms of land area, the continent of Australia is the world's smallest continent. In total, it includes 2,967,909 square miles (7,686,884 square kilometers), which is slightly smaller than the country of Brazil as well as the contiguous United States. Europe is the second smallest continent in area at 3,997,929 square miles (10,354,636 square kilometers).

Antarctica is the third smallest continent in area at approximately 5,500,000 square miles (14,245,000 square kilometers). When it comes to population, technically Australia is the second smallest continent. If we exclude Antarctica, then Australia is the smallest. We might say that Australia is the smallest populated continent. Antarctica - Has no permanent residents though up to 4000 researchers and personnel live there in the summer and 1000 stay through the winter. Australia - 39,506,070 (all of Oceania) South America - 413,869,568 (Population count as of 2015 via the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) .) But Australia is Also the Largest... Australia is an island since it's surrounded by water but it is also large enough to be considered a continent. Though technically a continent, Australia may be considered the largest island in the world. In most cases, Greenland is accepted as the largest in the world . The country of Australia is the world's sixth-largest country on earth. Australia is the largest country that is entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.

Australia is also the largest country without land borders. Among the inhabited continents, Australia has the driest continent. Australia's Relationship to Oceania Is Australia part of Oceania? This is a question of much debate and it depends on your definition of Oceania. Oceania refers to the Pacific island region of the world that includes all of the small islands near Australia. It can be divided many ways and quite often, Australia is included in a sub-group of Oceania known as Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). Quite often, when referring to this southern Pacific region, people will use the term 'Australia and Oceania' rather than adding Australia into Oceania. What are the continents in order from smallest to largest? | Reference.com What are the continents in order from smallest to largest? A: Quick Answer From smallest to largest, the seven continents are Australia, Europe, Antarctica, South America, North America, Africa and Asia. Asia is nearly six times the size of Australia. Full Answer The order of the continents from smallest to largest by human population, however, is Antarctica, Australia, South America, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Asia dominates the rest of the list; its population is larger than that of the other six continents combined. Antarctica has a permanent human population of zero due to its extraordinarily harsh weather. It is the coldest, driest and windiest continent. Only temporary human populations live in Antarctica for the purpose of research. 7 Continents of the World and the 5 Oceans List List of the seven continents and the 5 oceans of the world. 7 Continents of the World and the 5 Oceans List 7 Continents and 5 Oceans of the World – Updated on January 17th, 2017: Our planet Earth, where all of us live is one of the most diverse planets known to human being. Though there have been so much advances in the astronomy over the years, we have never been able to find a planet as diverse as earth which is home to millions of living organisms like our mother earth is. In the millions and zillions of stars and planets which comprise our universe, our earth is of the size less than the size of the point of a needle. But for us, the small living beings on this planet, this is a very huge home.

Our earth is made up of large land masses known as continents and water bodies known as oceans. The earth has not been like this always as how we see it now. Millions of years before there were only one large land mass and a large ocean surrounding it. Later on the land mass started to split and drift apart surrounded by ocean on all sides. This process is still going on. Now we have 7 continents and 5 oceans which are home to all of us and millions of other living organisms. Let us learn about each of these seven continents and five oceans that make up our planet earth. The 7 Continents of The World Continents are the large land masses that we see on our earth. These hard land masses where people and other living organisms walk or crawl and make home are large in size, and are made up of many countries. There are also many small land masses which we call as islands, but continents are very large in size compared to these islands. There are 7 continents on earth. Many people combine the two continents Asia and Europe into a single continent and call it Eurasia. Many others combine the two continents North America and South America into one and call it the American continent.

But in general there are seven large land masses on earth, namely Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. You must be wondering to know what are the 7 Continents of the World. You can get all the 7 continents of the world maps as well. Details are as follows! Before we get into talking in detail about the 7 Continents of the World, you should know a bit of its area and other needful details first. For that we have created a table which would get you all the required details on the go. Kindly follow the table given below and know more about our Continents. Africa Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It is also the second largest continent in the world in terms of population. Africa is commonly referred to as the black continent by many. This large land mass comprises of 54 countries and is home to one billion people. About 15 percent of the world population lives in this continent, which constitutes about 20 percent of the total land area. Africa lies in the centre of the earth with the equator passing through its centre. It is the only continent that stretches from the northern temperate to the southern temperate zones.

The climate of Africa is largely tropical in nature. The northern and southern parts of Africa have temperate climatic conditions. Africa is also considered to be the birth place of mankind. The oldest fossils of Homo sapiens found till now have been from the eastern parts of this continent. This large and diverse continent is home to lot of endangered species. Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Indian Ocean to the south east, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast all along the Sinai Peninsula, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Madagascar and a large number of archipelagos are part of the continent. The population of Africa is the youngest in the whole world. About 50% of the residents in the continent are younger than 19 years of age. Antarctica Antarctica is the southernmost continent of all. The geographic south pole of the earth is contained in this continent. It is made of large permanent glaciers that surround the South Pole. This is one of the most uninhabitable places on earth. With a very small population of less than 5000 residents, Antarctica is the least populated continent on earth. It is also home to very few plant and animal species.

Antarctica is also the coldest landmass on earth and much of this continent is made of permanent glaciers. Around 98% of the continent is covered by ice of about 1.9 kilometres thick. Antarctica is the fifth largest among the seven continents. It is actually double the size of the whole of Australia. It is known to be the driest, coldest, and also the windiest continent. It has the highest elevation among all the continents, and is considered to be a complete desert. The temperature here is known to have reached -89 degrees as well. Only cold adapted organisms have the capacity to survive in this continent. Due to the hostile environment and the lack of resources, this continent was largely neglected and isolated. Asia Asia is the largest continent on earth covering about 9 percent of the earth’s surface. It is also the most populated continent on earth, home to an estimated population of around 4.3 billion people. This large population makes it an important part of the world economy. Asia is located mostly in the northern and eastern hemispheres of the earth. It covers around 30% of the total land area, and is known to be home to the earliest human populations.

Around 60% of the planet’s human population were in this continent. This continent is known for the large size, dense settlements, and also the vast area of barely populated regions. The boundaries of Asia are not very clearly defined. There is actually no geographical separation as such between Asia and Europe. The two continents form a large landmass which is popularly called Eurasia. On the east of Asia you have the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean to the south and Arctic Ocean to the north. The continent is known for its vast diversity in terms of culture, environments, ethnic groups, economics, historical background, and also the government systems. Australia The continent of Australia is a single country continent. It is the sixth largest country by total area, and is also the smallest of all the seven continents. Because of its size, and isolated location, it is also called as island continent. Covering an area of 7617930 square kilometres, Australia lies in the Indo- Australian Plate. This continent is surrounded by Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Australia is one of the least populated continents and is rich in biodiversity. The Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral reef in the world, is in Australia.

It extends over 2000 kilometres in the north east cost of Australia. Australia is also home to world’s largest monolith, Mount Augustus. Officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, the country is an Oceanian country. It comprises the whole of Australia, the island of Tasmania, and also a large number of other smaller islands. The countries neighbouring Australia are East Timor, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea to the north, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands on the north-east, and New Zealand on the south-east. Australia was mainly inhabited by the indigenous Australians for around 40,000 years before the British first came to settle here. They had over 250 language groups then. Today, Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and a well developed one too. It is the 12th largest economy in the world, and has the fifth-highest per capita income in the world. It is ranked among the highest in terms of provisions like quality of life, education, health, economic freedom, and also the protection of political rights and liberties. Europe Europe is the second smallest continent in the world. It comprises the westernmost peninsula of the giant Eurasian landmass.

Covering almost 2 percent of the earth’s surface Europe takes 6.8 percent of the world’s total land area. Europe is home to almost 50 countries and is the third most populated continent in the world after Asia and Africa. About 11 percent of the world’s population lives in Australia. Russia is the largest country in Europe and Vatican City is the smallest. Russia has got territory in both the continents of Europe and Asia, and it takes up around 40% of the land area of Europe. Europe is divided from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, black sea and the waterways connecting black sea and Aegean Sea. Europe is bordered by Arctic Ocean in the north side, Atlantic Ocean on the west side, Mediterranean Sea to the south and black sea and connected water ways on the south east. Europe, especially ancient Greece is known to be the birth place of the western culture. From the early 15th century, Europe has been playing a predominant role in the global affairs. It is also where the industrial revolution started.

The countries of Europe had been controlled by the Americas, some parts of Africa, Oceania, and a large majority of the countries in Asia all through the times between the 16th and the 20th centuries. Western Europe had been subject to a lot of radical cultural, economic, and social changes due to the Industrial Revolution that began in Great Britain. By the year 1900, Europe contributed to about 25% of the total world population. The World Wars were both concentrated around Europe, and that led to a decline in the dominance of the continent in world affairs by the time the world came on to the 20th century. Politics and economics had been affecting the countries largely leading to several changes all throughout history. Nowadays, the European Union has started having an influence over the member countries. North America North America is a continent which lies wholly in the northern hemisphere. It is bordered by Arctic Ocean in the north, Atlantic Ocean in the east, Pacific Ocean in the south and west, and South America and Caribbean Sea in the south east. North America lies almost wholly in the western hemisphere.

North America covers almost 4.8 percent of the earth’s surface and comprises around 16.5 percent of the whole land area on earth. North America is home to nearly 565 million people. About 7.5 percent of the world’s population lives here. It is the third largest continent in the world by area and fourth largest continent by population. Most of the land and area of the continent is dominated by Canada, United States of America, Greenland and Mexico. There are also many smaller states in the Central America and Caribbean regions. South America South America is a continent located in the western hemisphere with most of its land area lying in the southern hemisphere and a relatively small portion in the northern hemisphere. It has Pacific Ocean to its western side, Atlantic Ocean in the north and eastern side, and North America and Caribbean Sea in the North West side. With an area covering 17,840,000 square kilometres and a population of more than 3 billion, South America is the fourth largest continent in terms of size and fifth in terms of population. South America is home to twelve sovereign states and two non sovereign states. It is generally considered to be a subcontinent of the Americas.

South America is a continent which is diverse in terms of geography and biodiversity. The world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, angel falls is situated in Venezuela in South America. The Amazon River, which is the largest river in the world in terms of volume, is also in this continent. The Atacama Desert, which is the driest non polar place on earth, and the Amazon forest which is the largest rainforest on earth, is situated in this continent. It is also home to many interesting and unique species of animals such as anaconda, piranha, jaguar etc. The Amazon rainforests contains a major proportion of the earth’s species. Brazil is the largest country in South America occupying more than half of the continents land area and population. Most of the population in this country is concentrated near the eastern or western coasts. The far south regions and the interior regions are just sparsely populated. The western part is dominated by the mighty Andes Mountains. The eastern part ahs got both highland regions and also lowlands. The major rivers flowing through the continent like Parana, Amazon, and Orinoco flow in this part.

Through regular interactions of the indigenous people with the immigrants and conquerors from Europe, and the slaves from Africa, the continent’s cultural and ethnic outlook came to be formed. After being colonised for long periods in history, Spanish and Portuguese came on to become the most spoken languages here. Western traditions are followed in several parts. The Five Oceans Up to now we were discussing only about the land masses on earth which covers only 30 percent of the earth’s surface. The larger portion of the earth’s surface is covered by water. 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, out of which over 96 percent is salt water in our oceans. These large water bodies which surround the continents are called oceans. Though they are all interconnected, they are generally divided into 5 Oceans, namely, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Antarctic Ocean. Know what are the 5 Oceans of the Planet earth and get more deeper into them. Just like the available Continents, we should know more about all the big Oceans available on the Planet earth. Get all the 5 major Oceans along with all the details to describe what are the 5 Oceans of the Word and much more.

Following table would let you know more about these giant Oceans. Rank Arctic The sea around North pole containing the water of Greenland sea. Check out all the detailed reports about each of these 5 Oceans of the World. If you don’t know about any, we have enlisted all the names of the 5 oceans so that you can get more about them easily. Pacific Ocean The largest of all the oceans is the Pacific Ocean. It is located between the western coastlines of the American continents and eastern coast lines of Asia and Africa. Arctic Ocean lies to the north of Pacific Ocean and Antarctic Ocean in the south. Covering about 165,200,000 square kilometres the Pacific Ocean has the longest total shore line of about 135,663 kilometres. The Pacific Ocean covers 46% of the total water surface of the Earth, and covers more than a third of the total surface area. It is actually larger than all the land area combined. The water in the ocean represents around 50.1% of the total oceanic water on earth. The ocean can be demarcated as the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean with the equator passing through the middle.

The deepest point on the earth, the Mariana Trench, is in the North Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is known to be the most peaceful one. Atlantic Ocean Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world with an area of 106,400,000 square kilometres. It is bordered by Americas in the west and Africa and Europe in the east. Atlantic Ocean consists of the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Like Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean also reaches out to Arctic Ocean in the north and Antarctic Ocean in the south. Up to 15th century the Indian Ocean and eastern Atlantic Ocean were the only known voyaged seas in the world. It was the route for spice trade and colonisation. The ocean is home to a lot of marine species, including the sperm whale which is the largest living toothed animal. The equator divides the ocean in to the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean. The area north of the equator, between Africa and South America, is referred to as Central Atlantic. The water in this part is very different from the waters in the northern part, which is between Europe and North America. The Atlantic Ocean is known to be the saltiest.

The processes of evaporation, precipitation, river inflow, and sea ice melting are the major contributors to the salinity. The water in North Atlantic circulates in a clockwise direction, whereas the water in the South Atlantic circulates in an anti-clockwise direction. This is due to the Coriolis Effect. This ocean is also the second youngest among all oceans. Before 30 million years ago, it did not even exist. Indian Ocean Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world. Covering an area of around 73,556,000 square kilometres, Indian Ocean has been home to a rich variety of human kind throughout the world history. Indian Ocean is bordered by eastern coast of Africa, the shores of Middle East and India in the north. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean by south East Asia and Australia. Indian Ocean is also rich in exotic plan and animal species. Around 20% of all the water on the Earth’s surface is in the Indian Ocean. It is the youngest of all the major oceans on the earth. It is a major sea route that connects Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia with the Americas and Europe.

Around 40% of the world’s offshore oil production is known to come from the Indian Ocean. The different bordering countries largely exploit the beach sands that contain a rich amount of heavy minerals. The India Ocean is known to be quite warm, which keeps the production of phytoplanktons low. As such, there is limited life in this ocean. The Mumbai port is the chief trading port in India on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and is known to be the Gateway of India. The Port of Singapore is the busiest. There are a lot of other ports as well. The Indian Ocean encompasses a large number of bays, gulfs, and straits as well. Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of all the oceans in the world. It clovers and area of around 13,986,000 square kilometres. This is almost the size of the whole of the country of Russia. Arctic Ocean lies mostly in the Arctic Circle. Artic Ocean is surrounded by the Eurasian and north American continents. It includes the Hudson Bay, the North Sea and Barents Sea. For most of the time of the year, this sea is covered with ice often thick as up to hundreds of feet.

Even during the summer season most of the ocean remains impassable. Located in the Northern Hemisphere, the ocean is generally considered to be the northernmost part of the total World Ocean. The salinity and the surface temperature vary according to the seasons because the ice cover freezes and melts periodically. On an average, it has the lowest salinity among all the oceans because of the lower amount of evaporation, flow of heavy freshwater from rivers and streams, and also a limited connection to the other oceans around it. The main countries bordering the Arctic Ocean are Russia, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Greenland, and the United States. It includes a large number of bays, straits, and other tributary water bodies. The deep sea North Polar Basin is divided in to the two oceanic basins, the Amerasian Basin and the Eurasian Basin, by the Lomonosov Ridge, and underwater ridge in the Arctic Ocean. The deepest point in the ocean is the Like Deep in the Eurasian Basin. Relatively little plant life is found in this ocean. Mainly Phytoplanktons are available. It houses a number of endangered marine species as well.

Antarctic Ocean Antarctic Ocean covering an area of around 20,327,000 square kilometres is the fourth largest ocean in the world. It is also referred by many as the southern ocean as it is located near to the South Pole. Antarctic Ocean has a great influence on the earth’s weather patterns. It joins the waters of Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean with a persistent easterly current. The cold, northward flowing waters in the Antarctic mix with the warmer waters of the subantarctic in the ocean zone. This ocean is considered to be the youngest of all oceans, geologically. There are a wide variety of marine animals that exist and rely on the phytoplankton in the Antarctic Ocean. This area is rich for a number of marine species. The Antarctic Ocean is a storehouse of natural resources. It contains giant oil and gas fields and valuable minerals as well. What is the smallest continent in the world? | Reference.com What is the smallest continent in the world? A: Quick Answer The smallest continent in the world is Australia/Oceania, with an area of approximately 8,112,000 square kilometers.

Australia/Oceania, also called Australasia/Oceania, consists of different islands, including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Micronesia, Vanuatu and Samoa. Full Answer Australia is the largest of these different islands. There are six different climate types in Australia/Oceania, which range from deciduous forest to dry desert climates, as well as various types of plant life. In tropical regions, there are mangroves and palm trees. However, in dry desert regions, one finds plant life like cacti. There are seven continents in the world. From the largest to the smallest in size, they are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia/Oceania.

Question: Which of the seven is the smallest (in area) continent?
Answer: Australia