SEVEN CONTINENTS

BY:Mark Jay M. Oliveros

 Land Ocean
Did you know that
approximately 70% of the
Earth’s surface is covered 30%

by water alone and the

other 30% are covered by
land?
70%
 This land has been divided into seven main
areas. Each area is called a continent.
 The seven continents are Asia, Australia, Africa,
Antarctica, North America, South America and Europe.
It is seen that each continent has a special shape.
Some of these continents are connected while the
water separates others.
 ASIA
Asia being the largest of the continents covers
around one-third of the world’s total land area. Asia
is known for its vast size and incomparable character.
 It stretches all the way east from Japan to the
Southeast Arabian Peninsula, which is more than 8500
kilometers away. It encompasses the entire climate
and expanse, be it the equatorial rain forest or the
arctic tundra.
 We also get to see the highest and the lowest points of
the Earth’s surface in Asia. The highest being, Mount
Everest (8,848 meters) and the lowest is the shore of the
Dead Sea (397 meters below sea level).
 AFRICA
Africa is the second largest of the continents,
covers around 22% of the world’s land area. The
Equator intersects it and the expansive landmass
covers the Sahara, which is the world’s largest desert,
and the Nile, the longest river on earth, as well as 53
nations.
 Most of Africa is a desert region.

Namib Desert Kalahari Desert Libyan Desert Sahara

 This continent is basically divided into three regions,
which are the Northern Plateau, the Central and
Southern Plateau, and the Eastern Highlands. This
includes plains, swampy coastal regions, lush tropical
forests with Savannah’s and hilly plateaus inland.
 It is the home for many exotic large mammals, which
include the zebras, giraffes, gazelles, elephants,
hippopotamuses, and rhinoceroses, antelopes and
carnivores such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and panthers.
 NORTH AMERICA
North America is around twice the size of Europe.
America has irregular coastline with many prominent
offshore islands, including Greenland, which is the
largest island in the world.
 The North American wildlife was once abundant but
after people started inhabiting this land, the numbers
have decreased.
 More than 1,700 species of birds live and breed on
this continent.
 SOUTH AMERICA
South America is the fourth largest continent of the
world although it contains less than 12% of the
world’s population.
 The Andes, world’s second largest mountain range is
seen in South America. The second largest river –
Amazon also runs through South America.
 The lowland consists mainly of the Amazon Basin, which
is covered in the equatorial region. These areas are of the
wet tropical climate and have a dense cover of rain forest.
It is the home for many exotic animals.
 EUROPE
Europe is the fifth largest of the continents. It is
also known as “Europa”. Europa was the daughter of
Phoenix in Greek mythology.
 The Ural Mountains, the Ural River, part of the
Caspian Sea, and the Caucasus Mountains forms the
main boundary between Europe and Asia. Lots of
geographers also see the two continents as one and
call it EURASIA.
 Europe has a more or less a radial pattern of drainage.
Most streams flow outward from the core of the
continent.
 ANTARCTICA
Antarctica the sixth largest of the continents, is
ice bound through out the year.
 The marine life is rich and it includes krill, a shrimp
like organism that is a food source for large numbers
of whales in the surrounding waters.
 Antarctica has no trees, flowering plants, or
grasses. The vegetation is limited to about 350
species, which mostly encompass lichens, mosses
and algae.
 Antarctica is a true desert due to its extreme cold
climate making it the coldest, windiest, and driest
continent. It’s average temperature is around -50oC
(-58oF), and the land is swept by hurricanes and the
annual rainfall is only around 50 millimeters a year.
 AUSTRALIA
Australia is the smallest of the seven continents.
 The interiors of the continent are predominantly
plains. The Southeast and the Southwest plains are the
most densely settled areas of Australia.