Discovering the Unique Features of Earth's Seven Continents

1. The 7 Continents

2. 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.

3. 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!

4. AFRICA • Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. • The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea also border the continent. • Is the 2nd largest of the continents making up about 20% of the Earth’s land. • Has the 2nd largest population. • Made up of 53 countries. • Is divided into 8 regions.

5. AFRICA • Contains the longest river, the Nile, which flows North. • Has the largest desert, the Sahara

6. Antarctica • Is the 5th 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Europe • Is only bigger than Australia, takes up about 6% of the land mass • Has the 3rd 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 that helps the countries work together to deal with trade and the economy. European Union This site will tell you more about the European Union.

11. North America • Is the 3rd largest continent, about 16% of the land on earth • Has the 4th 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.

12. South America • Is the 4th largest continent, about 12% of the land mass • Has the 5th largest population • Contains 12 countries • Has some major natural landforms, the Amazon River, Andes Mountains, and the rainforest

13. Review • The Seven Continents are: • Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America • Can you label where the continents and Oceans are? • Label the continent map