The following table lists the approximate land area, highest elevation, and lowest

elevation of the world's continents, including Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe,
North America, and South America, according to the World Atlas.

Approximat Approximat Percentag Elevation, feet and meters

e e e
land area land area of total
Area sq. km sq. mi. land area Highest Lowest
WORLD 148,647,000 57,393,000 100.0% Mt. Everest, Dead Sea, Israel-
Tibet-Nepal, Jordan, 1,349 ft.
29,035 ft.  below sea level
(8,850 m)1 (–411 m)
AFRICA 30,065,000 11,608,000 20.2 Mt. Lake Assal,
Kilimanjaro, Djibouti, 512 ft.
Tanzania, below sea level
19,340 ft. (–156 m)
(5,895 m)
ANTARCTICA 13,209,000 5,100,000 8.9 Vinson Lowest land
Massif, point hidden
Ellsworth within Bentley
Mts., 16,066 Subglacial
ft.  Trench2
(4,897 m)
ASIA (includes 44,579,000 17,212,000 30.0 Mt. Everest, Dead Sea, Israel-
the  Tibet-Nepal, Jordan, 1,349 ft.
Middle East) 29,035 ft. below sea level
(8,850 m) (–411 m)
AUSTRALIA 8,112,000 3,132,000 5.3 Mt. Lake Eyre,
(includes Kosciusko, Australia, 52 ft.
Oceania) Australia, below sea level
7,310 ft. (–12 m)
(2,228 m)
EUROPE (the 9,938,000 3,837,000 6.7 Mt. Elbrus, Caspian Sea,
Ural Mountains in Russia/Georgi Russia/Kazakhst
Russia form the a, 18,510 ft. an 92 ft. below
boundary between (5,642 m) sea level (–28 m)
Europe and Asia)
NORTH 24,474,000 9,449,000 16.5 Mt. Death Valley,
AMERICA(inclu McKinley, Calif., 282 ft.
des Central Alaska, below sea level
America and the 20,320 ft.  (–86 m)
Caribbean) (6,194 m)
SOUTH 17,819,000 6,879,000 12.0 Mt. Valdes
AMERICA Aconcagua, Peninsula,
Argentina,  Argentina 131 ft.
22,834 ft.  below sea level
(6,960 m) (–40 m)
1. The 1954 elevation of Everest, 29,028 ft. (8,848 m) was revised on Nov. 11, 1999, and
now stands at 29,035 ft. (8,850 m).
2. Bentley Subglacial Trench itself (ice, not land) is –8,327 ft. below sea level (–2,538 m).

The Lines on a Map

You can't see them, but they're there. Points and lines on a map define
not only where you are, but also when you're there. Navigators still rely
on these imaginary lines to get where they are going. You can use
them, too.

The Antarctic Circle

The Antarctic Circle lies three-quarters of the way between the equator
and the South Pole.

The Arctic Circle

Three-quarters of the way between the equator and the North Pole lies
the Arctic Circle. Above this line is the Arctic region, where nights last
for 24 hours in the middle of winter. It is known as the Land of the
Midnight Sun because in summer the sun never sets.

DEW Line

The DEW (distant early warning) line is a 3,000-mile line of radar

stations north of the Arctic Circle. It should notify the U.S. and Canada
of the approach of enemy planes or missiles.

The Equator

This imaginary circle goes around the middle of the earth for 24,902
miles. It divides the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern
Hemisphere and is exactly half way between the North and South
Poles.
 The International Date Line

An imaginary line where the date changes one day when passed. It is
one day earlier east of the line than it is on the west.

Meridians

Imaginary lines that run north and south on a map from pole to pole.
Meridians express degrees of longitude, or how far a place is away
from the prime meridian. The prime meridian runs through
Greenwich, England. Longitude is used together with latitude to form a
grid on which it is possible to locate any place on the earth.

Parallels

Imaginary lines that run east and west on a map. Parallels represent
degrees of latitude, or how far a place is away from the equator. The
equator's latitude is 0° and the poles are 90° south and north. One
degree of latitude equals about 69 miles.

The Tropic of Cancer

A parallel line of latitude that is a quarter of the way from the equator to
the North Pole. During the summer solstice, the sun is directly
overhead.

The Tropic of Capricorn

This line of latitude is a quarter of the way from the equator to the South
Pole. During the winter solstice, the sun is directly overhead.

The Hemispheres

The equator divides the earth into two halves, or hemispheres. The
Northern Hemisphere is the half of the earth between the North Pole
and the equator. The Southern Hemisphere is the half of the earth
between the South Pole and the equator.

The earth can also be broken up another way: into the Eastern
Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. The Western Hemisphere
includes North and South America, their islands, and the surrounding
waters. The Eastern Hemisphere includes Asia, Africa, Australia, and
Europe.