Continents of planet Earth: names, short description. What is the mainland and what does it consist of

The mainland is a significant land mass, washed by seas and oceans. In tectonics, continents are characterized as areas of the lithosphere with a continental structure.

Mainland, continent or part of the world? What is the difference?

In geography, another term is often used for the mainland - the continent. But the concepts "mainland" and "continent" are not synonyms. Different countries have adopted different points of view on the number of continents, called continental models.

There are several such models:

In China, India, as well as in the English-speaking countries of Europe, it is generally accepted that they consider the 7 continents - Europe and Asia separately;
In Spanish-speaking European countries, as well as in South American countries, they mean division into 6 parts of the world - with a united America;
in Greece and some countries of Eastern Europe, a model with 5 continents is adopted - only those where people live, i.e. except Antarctica;
in Russia and the neighboring countries of Eurasia, they traditionally designate 4 - united in large groups, continents.

(The figure clearly shows different representations of continental models on Earth, from 7 to 4)

Continents

There are 6 continents on Earth. Let's list them in descending order by the size of the area:

- the largest continent on our planet (54.6 million sq. Km)
(30.3 million sq. Km)
(24.4 million sq. Km)
(17.8 million sq. Km)
(14.1 million sq. Km)
(7.7 million sq. Km)

They are all separated by the waters of the seas and oceans. Four continents have a land border: Eurasia and Africa are separated by the Isthmus of Suez, North and South America - by the Isthmus of Panama.

Continents

The difference is that the continents do not have a land border. Therefore, in this case, we can talk about 4 continents ( one of the continental models of the world), also in descending order of size:

AfroEurasia
America

Parts of the world

The terms "mainland" and "continent" have a scientific meaning, but the term "part of the world" divides the land on a historical and cultural basis. There are 6 parts of the world, but unlike the continents, Eurasia differs by Europe and Asia, but North and South America are defined together as one part of the world America:

Europe
Asia
America(both North and South), or New World
Australia and Oceania

When talking about parts of the world, they mean the islands adjacent to them.

The difference between the mainland and the island

The definition of the mainland and the island is the same - part of the land, washed by the waters of the ocean or seas. But there are significant differences.

1. Size... Even the smallest mainland, Australia, is significantly larger than the world's largest island, Greenland.

(Formation of the Earth's continents, a single continent of Pangea)

2. Education... All continents are of tiled origin. According to scientists, there was once a single continent - Pangea. Then, as a result of the split, 2 continents appeared - Gondwana and Laurasia, which later split into 6 more parts. The theory is confirmed by both geological surveys and the shape of the continents. Many of them can be put together like a puzzle.

Islands are formed different ways... There are those that, like the continents, are located on the wreckage of the most ancient lithospheric plates... Others are formed from volcanic lava. Still others are due to the activity of polyps (coral islands).

3. Habitability... All continents are inhabited, even the harsh climatic conditions Antarctica. Many islands still remain uninhabited.

Characteristics of the continents

- the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the land. Two parts of the world are located here at once: Europe and Asia. The border between them runs along the line of the Ural Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, as well as the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

This is the only continent that is washed by all the oceans. The coastline is indented, it forms a large number of bays, peninsulas, islands. The mainland itself is located on six tectonic platforms at once, and therefore the relief of Eurasia is incredibly diverse.

Here are the most extensive plains, the highest mountains (Himalayas with Mount Everest), the deepest lake (Baikal). This is the only continent where all climatic zones (and, accordingly, all natural zones) are represented at once - from the arctic with its permafrost to the equatorial with its sultry deserts and jungles.

¾ of the world's population lives on the mainland, 108 states are located here, of which 94 have the status of independent ones.

- the hottest continent on Earth. It is located on an ancient platform, so most of the area is occupied by plains, mountains are formed along the edges of the mainland. Africa is home to the longest river in the world, the Nile, and the largest desert, the Sahara. Climate types represented on the mainland are: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical.

Africa is usually divided into five regions: North, South, West, East and Central. There are 62 countries on the mainland.

It is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The result of the movement of tectonic plates has become a highly indented coastline of the mainland, with a huge number of bays, straits, bays and islands. The largest island is in the north (Greenland).

The Cordillera Mountains stretch along the west coast, and the Appalachians along the east coast. The central part is occupied by a vast plain.

All climatic zones, except for the equatorial one, are represented here, which determines the diversity of natural zones. Most of the rivers and lakes are located in the northern part. Largest river- Mississippi.

The indigenous population is Indians and Eskimos. Currently, 23 states are located here, of which only three (Canada, USA and Mexico) are on the mainland itself, the rest are on the islands.

It is washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The longest mountain system in the world stretches along the western coast - the Andes, or the South American Cordilleras. The rest of the mainland is occupied by plateaus, plains and lowlands.

This is the rainiest continent, as most of it is located in the equator zone. There is also the largest and most abundant river in the world - the Amazon.

The indigenous population is Indians. Currently, there are 12 independent states on the mainland.

- the only continent on the territory of which only 1 state is located - the Australian Union. Most of the mainland is occupied by plains, mountains are located only along the coast.

Australia is a unique continent with the largest number of animals and plants - endemic. The indigenous population is the Australian aborigines, or Bushmen.

- most southern mainland completely covered in ice. The average thickness of the ice cover is 1600 meters, the largest is 4000 meters. If the ice in Antarctica melted, the sea level would immediately rise by 60 meters!

Most of the mainland is occupied by an icy desert, life glimmers only on the coasts. Antarctica is also the coldest continent. In winter, temperatures can drop below -80 ºC (record -89.2 ºC), in summer - down to -20 ºC.

The article tells about how the mainland differs from the island, and the island from the mainland, shows the difference between

Ancient times

Life on our planet has existed for more than 3 billion years, compared to this period, tens of thousands of years - a very short period. Global development continents and their discovery took place 500 years ago, but few people know that in prehistoric times all our continents were together and formed a supercontinent called Pangea.

Now there are six of them, however, how does the mainland differ from the island, and the continent from the mainland? In this we will figure it out.

Definition

According to the generally accepted official definition, the mainland is an array crust, a significant part of which is located above the level of the World Ocean, the so-called land. And the rest is below ocean level. Because of this last fact islands can also be attributed to the continents, which are located at a close distance to them. There are 6 continents in total: Eurasia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Antarctica. Greenland is often mistakenly ranked among them, but this is not the case, it is a large island. How does this separation take place? How is the mainland different from the island? And why can Australia be counted among them, but Greenland is not?

Islands

According to the dictionary, an island is a piece of land that is surrounded on all sides by water, be it a river, lake, sea or ocean. It can also be constantly above the level of the reservoir or rise to the surface during periods of low tide, seasonal recessions, and more. If so, why isn't Australia an island? The thing is that islands are considered part of the continents if the latter are located within the underwater edge of the land. We figured out how the island differs from the mainland.

Island types

First of all, it is worth mentioning artificial ones, residents of the UAE are very keen on such an occupation, who can afford to spend huge amounts of money on creating coastal zone bulk islands. They are home to expensive hotels, golf courses, and other infrastructure elements. Also famous is the international Japanese built on an embankment in the sea. This was done for a reason: its place is located in a zone resistant to earthquakes and tsunamis, from which the Land of the Rising Sun has suffered greatly and suffered at all times.

Natural islands are divided into coral, volcanic, and wave and surf. There are also inhabited and uninhabited ones. The former are located in relative proximity to the continents and are inhabited by the indigenous inhabitants of various tribes, or have been mastered by people relatively recently. In the second, for various reasons or great remoteness, people do not live.

And volcanic ones are very dangerous due to the emission of poisonous gases. But these are usually noticeable from afar: there is no vegetation and life on them.

What is the difference between the mainland and the continent?

Differences can not be found here. The mainland and the continent are one and the same, therefore, when talking about land, you can use both of these words.

Private Island

If you have a large amount of money, then it is quite possible to buy a personal island somewhere off the coast of a hot country. True, the prices for them are exorbitant, and all the best and most convenient (for example, with fresh water sources) have already been dismantled. But nothing can prevent the discovery of new sources of drinking water.

Peninsula

A peninsula is a part of the land surrounded by water, which has a natural natural compound with the mainland. For example, such as Crimea, Kamchatka and others. Now we know how the mainland differs from the island.

Continent(from Latin continens, genitive continentis) - a large massif of the earth's crust, a significant part of which is located above sea level (land), and the rest of the peripheral part is below sea level. The continent also includes islands located on the underwater periphery. In addition to the concept of continent, the term continent is also used.

Terminology

Mainland- a vast expanse of land, washed by seas and oceans (or Land, land - as opposed to water or islands). In Russian, the words continent and continent have the same meaning.

From a tectonic point of view, continents are areas of the lithosphere with a continental structure of the earth's crust.

There are several continental models in the world (see below). On the territory of the post-Soviet space, the model of six continents with a divided America is adopted as the main one.

There is also a similar concept of a part of the world. The division into continents is carried out on the basis of separation by water space, and parts of the world are more of a historical and cultural concept. Thus, the continent of Eurasia consists of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. And part of the world America is located on two continents - South America and North America. In other cases, parts of the world coincide with the above continents.

The border between Europe and Asia runs along the Ural Mountains, then the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, the Kuma and Manych rivers to the mouth of the Don River and further along the shores of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The Europe-Asia border described above is not indisputable. This is just one of several options accepted in the world.

In geology, the continent is also often referred to as the underwater margin of the continent, including the islands located on it.

In English and some other languages, continent refers to both continents and parts of the world.

Continental models

In the world different countries the number of continents is estimated differently. Number of continents in different traditions

4 continents: Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia
5 continents: Africa, Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia
6 continents: Africa, Europe, Asia, America, Antarctica, Australia
6 continents: Africa, Eurasia, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia
7 continents: Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia

The seven continents model is popular in China, India, partly in western Europe and in English speaking countries.

The model of six continents with a united America (we call it “Parts of the World”) is popular in Spanish-speaking countries and parts of eastern Europe, including Greece with its five-continent model (five inhabited continents).

Comparison of area and population

Continent	Length (km from east to west, and from south to north, along the periphery)	Share of sushi	Population	Population share
Afroeurasia

Oceania

- the largest and only continent on Earth, washed by four oceans: in the south - the Indian, in the north - the Arctic, in the west - the Atlantic, in the east - the Pacific. The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9 ° W. d. and 169 ° W while part of the islands of Eurasia are located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the continent are in the Western Hemisphere. Eurasia stretches from west to east for 10.5 thousand km, from north to south - for 5.3 thousand km, with an area of 53.6 million km2. This is more than a third of the entire land area of the planet. The area of the Eurasian islands is approaching 2.75 million km2.

Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border line between Europe and Asia is most often drawn along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Emba River, the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma River, the Kumo-Manych depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the strait The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, the Strait of Gibraltar. This division has developed historically. Naturally, there is no sharp border between Europe and Asia. The continent is united by the continuity of the land, currently formed by tectonic consolidation and the unity of numerous climatic processes.

(English North America, French Amérique du Nord, Spanish América del Norte, Norteamérica, Ast. Ixachitlān Mictlāmpa) is one of the continents of planet Earth, located in the north of the Western Hemisphere of the Earth. North America is washed from the west by the Pacific Ocean with the Bering Sea, the Gulfs of Alaska and California, from the east by the Atlantic Ocean with the Labrador, Caribbean, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Mexico, and from the north by the Arctic Ocean with the Beaufort, Baffin, Greenland and Hudson Seas. From the west, the continent is separated from Eurasia by the Bering Strait. In the south, the border between North and South America passes through the Isthmus of Panama.

Numerous islands are also included in North America: Greenland, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the Aleutian Islands, Vancouver Island, the Alexander Archipelago and others. The area of North America with islands is 24.25 million km2, without islands 20.36 million km2.

(Spanish América del Sur, Sudamérica, Suramérica, port América do Sul, English South America, Dutch Zuid-Amerika, French Amérique du Sud, guar Ñembyamérika, Quechua Urin Awya Yala, Urin Amerika in) - southern continent America, located mainly in the Western and Southern Hemispheres of the planet Earth, however, part of the continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is washed in the west by the Pacific Ocean, in the east - by the Atlantic Ocean, from the north it is limited to North America, the border between the Americas runs along the Isthmus of Panama and the Caribbean Sea.

South America also includes various islands, most of which belong to the countries of the continent. The Caribbean territories belong to North America. The countries of South America that border the Caribbean - including Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana - are known as Caribbean South America.

The most important river systems in South America are the Amazon, Orinoco and Parana, with a total basin of 7,000,000 km2 (South America area 17,800,000 km2). Most of the lakes in South America are located in the Andes, the largest of which and the world's highest navigable lake is Titicaca, on the border of Bolivia and Peru. The largest in area is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, it is also one of the oldest on the planet.

In South America, there is the highest waterfall in the world - Angel. The most powerful waterfall, Iguazu, is also located on the mainland.

- the second largest continent on our planet Earth after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south.

Africa is also called the part of the world, consisting of the continent of Africa and the adjacent islands, the largest of which is the island of Madagascar.

The African continent is crossed by the equator and several climatic zones; its peculiarity is that it is the only continent stretching from the northern subtropical climatic zone to the southern subtropical.

Due to the lack of constant rainfall and irrigation on the denser continent - as well as glaciers or the aquifer of mountain systems - there is practically no natural regulation of the climate anywhere except on the coasts.

(from Latin austrālis - "southern") - a continent located in the Eastern and Southern hemispheres of our planet Earth.

The entire territory of the mainland is the main part of the state of the Commonwealth of Australia. The mainland is part of the world Australia and Oceania.

The northern and eastern coasts of Australia are washed by the seas of the Pacific Ocean: Arafur, Coral, Tasmanovo, Timor Seas; western and southern - Indian Ocean.

The large islands of New Guinea and Tasmania are located near Australia.

Along the northeastern coast of Australia for more than 2000 km stretches the well-known, the world's largest coral reef - the Great Barrier Reef.

(Greek ἀνταρκτικός - the opposite of Arctida) - a continent located in the very south of the Earth, the center of Antarctica roughly coincides with the southern geographic pole... Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland of Antarctica and adjacent islands.

Antarctica is the highest continent, its average height is 2040 meters. The mainland also contains about 85% of the planet's glaciers. There is no permanent population in Antarctica, but there are more than forty scientific stations belonging to different states and intended for research and detailed study of the characteristics of the continent.

Antarctica is almost completely covered with ice sheets, the average thickness of which exceeds 2500 meters. There are also a large number of subglacial lakes (over 140), the largest of which is Lake Vostok, discovered by Russian scientists in the 1990s.

Hypothetical continents

Kenorland

Kenorland is a hypothetical supercontinent, which, according to geophysicists, existed in the Neoarchean (about 2.75 billion years ago). The name comes from the Kenoran folding phase. Paleomagnetic studies indicate that Kenorland was at low latitudes.

Nuna

Nuna (Columbia, Hudsonland) is a hypothetical supercontinent that existed between 1.8 and 1.5 billion years ago (maximum assembly ~ 1.8 billion years ago). Its existence was suggested by J. Rogers and M. Santosh in 2002. Nuna dates back to the Paleoproterozoic era, making it supposedly the oldest supercontinent. It consisted of the precursor plateaus of the ancient platforms that were part of the earlier continents of Laurentia, Fennosarmatia, the Ukrainian Shield, the Amazon, Australia and possibly Siberia, the Sino-Korean platform and the Kalahari platform. The existence of the continent of Columbia is based on geological and paleomagnetic data.

Rodinia

Rodinia (from Russian Motherland or from Russian to give birth) is a hypothetical supercontinent, presumably existing in the Proterozoic - Precambrian eon. It originated about 1.1 billion years ago and disintegrated about 750 million years ago. At that time, the Earth consisted of one giant piece of land and one giant ocean, called Mirovia, also taken from the Russian language. Rodinia is often considered the oldest known supercontinent, but its position and shape are still the subject of controversy. After the collapse of Rodinia, the continents managed to once again unite into the supercontinent Pangea and disintegrate again.

Lavrussia

Lavrusia (Euramerica) is a Paleozoic supercontinent formed as a result of the collision of the North American (ancient continent of Laurentia) and East European (ancient continent of the Baltic Sea) platforms during the Caledonian orogeny. The names of Caledonia, "Old Red Continent", "Old Red Sandstone Continent" are also known. In the Permian period, it merged with Pangea and became its integral part. After the collapse of Pangea, it became part of Laurasia. It disintegrated in the Paleogene.

Gondwana

Gondwana in paleogeography is an ancient supercontinent that arose about 750-530 million years ago, for a long time localized around the South Pole, which included almost the entire land, now located in the southern hemisphere (Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia), as well as tectonic blocks of Hindustan and Arabia, which have now moved to the northern hemisphere and became part of the Eurasian continent. In the early Paleozoic, Gondwana gradually shifted northward and in the Carboniferous period (360 million years ago) merged with the North American-Scandinavian continent into the giant protocontinent Pangea. Then, during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago), Pangea again split into Gondwana and the northern continent of Laurasia, which were divided by the Tethys Ocean. 30 million years later, in the same Jurassic period, Gondwana gradually began to disintegrate into new (present) continents. Finally, all modern continents: Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica and the Indian subcontinent separated from Gondwana only at the end of the Cretaceous period, that is, 70-80 million years ago.

Pangea

Pangea (ancient Greek Πανγαῖα - "all-earth") is the name given by Alfred Wegener to the proto-continent that arose in the Paleozoic era. The giant ocean that washed Pangea from the Silurian period of the Paleozoic to the Early Mesozoic, inclusive, received the name Panthalassa (from ancient Greek παν- “all-” and θάλασσα “sea”). Pangea was formed in the Permian period, and split at the end of the Triassic (about 200 - 210 million years ago) into two continents: the northern continent - Laurasia and the southern continent - Gondwana. In the process of the formation of Pangea, mountain systems arose from the more ancient continents at the places of their collision, some of them have existed to our time, for example, the Urals or the Appalachians. These early mountains are much older than the relatively young mountain systems (the Alps in Europe, the Cordillera in North America, the Andes in South America, or the Himalayas in Asia). Due to erosion lasting for many millions of years, the Urals and Appalachians are low-rolling mountains.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a Middle Paleozoic continent located between Lavrusia and the Siberian platform. It stretches from the Turgai trough and the Turan lowland to the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts.

Laurasia

Laurasia is a supercontinent that existed as the northern part of the Pangea protocontinent (southern Gondwana) fault in the Late Mesozoic. It united most of the territories that make up the existing continents of the Northern Hemisphere today - Eurasia and North America, which in turn split from each other from 135 to 200 million years ago.

Pangea Ultima

It is assumed that in the future, the continents will once again gather in a supercontinent called Pangea Ultima.

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The study of the structure of our planet is the science of geology. Since it defines continents as land masses with a continental structure, the question of their number is in the competence of tectonics. Investigating the question of how many continents are on Earth, this branch of science identifies six areas isolated by water. This is due to the fact that the seas and oceans take up much more space on the planet's surface. While land accounts for about 30% (almost 150 million km²), the rest is water.

How many continents are there on Earth?

It is customary to divide the hard shell of the Earth into 6 continents: Eurasia, North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

The largest continent is Eurasia(54.6 million km²);
It is followed by the ancestral home of man - Africa(30.3 million km²);
American areas of the earth's crust occupy an intermediate position ( North- 24.4 million km², South- 17.8 million km²);
A huge space is occupied by a cold Antarctica(about 14 million km²);
And finally Australia characterized by the smallest size (7.7 million km²).

It should be noted that for more than 4 billion years of the existence of the Earth, the number of continents on it was different. Tectonic processes are carried out regularly, and therefore it is possible that next changes are coming in the distant future. And there will be no longer six continents, but more (or less).

Eurasia is the largest continent on the planet (54.6 million km²)

This area of the earth's crust occupies more than one third of the entire land area. Its conditional division into Asia and Europe is usually carried out along the straits, seas and mountains.

If in the south the border is determined by the straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, then in the north it is Ural mountains... In the middle part, the border runs along the basins of the Black and Azov Seas. From the outer borders, the huge continent is washed by all existing oceans. The diversity of the relief of Eurasia is determined by its location on 6 continental platforms. Due to such tectonic features, its coastline is characterized by its heterogeneity and a significant number of lithospheric formations.

In addition, the mainland boasts the presence of all climatic zones, which explains the diversity of natural habitats. The same equatorial belt in the south contrasts sharply with the arctic belt in the north. From interesting facts the presence of a chain can be noted highest mountains(Himalayan system) and the largest freshwater lake (Baikal). Vast plains, suffocating deserts, hot jungles - all this is present in Eurasia. Therefore, it is not surprising that most of the world's population lives here. Almost one hundred independent states are compactly located within the boundaries of its space.

Africa - the ancestral home of man (30.3 million km²)

This continent is not only the hottest on the planet, but also the most ancient in terms of the development of civilization.

This is the cradle of the person himself. It was here that the traces of the first ancestor of all people inhabiting the planet were found. Unlike the previous continent, Africa is located on the same lithospheric platform, which leads to some similarity of natural zones. The relief of the mainland is mostly represented by plains. For example, here you can find the largest desert in the world (Sahara).

Few mountains are represented only at the edges. And Africa also boasts the longest river (Nile), which flows through almost the entire continent. The variety of climatic zones here is much less than in the same Eurasia: from equatorial to subtropical. At the same time, the number of states present on the continent is quite large - over 60 countries.

North America - the find of the Florentine explorer (24.4 million km²)

This area of the earth's crust appeared on topographic maps relatively recently. Only a few centuries ago, its presence was discovered by a Florentine traveler named Amerigo. According to the tradition of the scientific community, the mainland later received his name. It has existed, however, for a long time. And its indigenous population were Eskimos (in the north) and Indians (everywhere). Europeans began to explore North America only in the 16th century.

The mainland is washed by three oceans: Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific.

Its coastline is characterized by the presence of a large number of different formations, which was the result of active tectonic processes. If the middle part is occupied mainly by plains, then along the edges of North America there are chains of picturesque mountains. In the east, it is the Appalachian system, in the west, the Cordillera.

In addition, the largest existing island on Earth (Greenland) is represented not far from the mainland. The variety of natural zones is due to the presence of almost all climatic zones. However, water resources are distributed extremely unevenly: most of the lakes and rivers are represented in the north. Another feature of North America is the placement of its states on a geographic map. Only 3 of the total (and in total - 23 countries) are located on the mainland. The rest of the states settled on small islands.

South America - an amazing find by Columbus (17.8 million km²)

This continent could well bear his name if he was not so confident that he opened another path to the already known India. Subsequently, in the footsteps of his route, European expeditions were sent, which discovered a new piece of land. Beginning in the 16th century, the colonial conquests of Europeans led to the displacement of the indigenous population (Incas). Now there are 12 countries on this earthly ledge. At the edges, the continent is washed by the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Most of the land is flat. However, there is also its own mountain system. The longest chain of mountains is called the Andes. They stretch along the entire coast in the West.

Another interesting feature South America is extremely frequent rains: in the equatorial zone over time formed the most abundant river system (Amazon with tributaries). Despite the presence of six climatic zones, the mainland is considered to be the wettest. Since most of it is located just in the equator zone. Among the curious facts is the dominance of the Romance languages in South American countries. Which looks quite natural, given the active development of local lands by European colonialists.

Antarctica is the southernmost part of the globe (about 14 million km²)

The characteristic feature of this continent is the ice crust on its surface. Moreover, its thickness in some places reaches 4 km. If we imagine that the ice cover of Antarctica will suddenly melt, then we need to prepare for a significant increase in the level (more than 50 m!) Of the world ocean. Due to the fact that the kingdom of ice is located on most of the land, the average temperature of the continent does not rise to a plus mark. Its average value is within -40 ºC. In such conditions, life exists only in the coastal area.

The smallest continent is washed by the waters of three oceans (with the exception of the 4th - the Arctic).

The Europeans discovered it much later than the others, although references to the "opposite Arctic" land were found even in the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Of the curious details, one can note the strongest solar radiation and the constancy of wind movement. Which certainly attracts researchers of alternative energy sources on Earth.

Australia is a selfish mainland (7.7 million km²)

It received a similar name for the fact that there is only one state within its borders. The country of the same name occupies an honorable sixth place among the giant states.

At the same time, only 22 million people live on its territory ... This is due to the continent's arid climate, which led to the formation of desert areas on most of the Australian platform. A few river systems and mountain ranges are found only along the edges of the coast. And it is washed by such oceans as: Indian (in the southwest) and the Pacific (in the northeast). A favorable climate for living is observed only in a small part of the territory.

At the same time, it is surprising that it is here that the largest number of so-called endemics is located: unique biological representatives of flora and fauna. As for the person, the Australian Bushman is considered to be the indigenous inhabitant. However, after the discovery of the continent at the beginning of the 17th century by European expeditions, other nationalities began to actively populate it. Now the state language The Commonwealth of Australia is considered to be a dialect of English.

Difference between island and mainland

There is one more question that needs to be clarified. How to distinguish the difference between an island and a mainland, given the similarity of their definitions? After all, both those and other land ledges are equally washed by water. However, there are still differences, let's try to list them:

Dimensions. The islands are much smaller in size. Even the largest of them is much inferior to the "small" Australia;
Education. Unlike the islands, the continents were formed as a result of the splitting of lithospheric plates. If at the dawn of the planet's existence there was a single indivisible continent, then cracks appeared that led to its division into parts. It can be easily detected even with the naked eye when looking at topographic map... The outlines of the edges of the continental plates are too similar to deny the obvious. They are very easy to mentally assemble, like jigsaw puzzles. The islands, on the other hand, sometimes have completely different reasons for their formation. For example, this may be due to the activity of marine polyps or volcanic eruptions;
Habitability. Unlike the crowded continents, not all islands are inhabited.

Continental models. How many continents are there?

Often people do not distinguish between the designations of the continent and the mainland, believing that they are synonyms. However, this is not the case, since the former include only those parts of the earth's land that do not have a land border.

Therefore, the two Americas are united into one American continent, and Africa, respectively, with Eurasia.

But such a division into 4 continents is not supported by all modern countries. Afro-Eurasia is recognized only by the English-speaking states with China and India. Also, not everyone agrees with the principle of division itself, suggesting to take other factors as a basis.

Historical and cultural concept of "part of the world", their names

If science deals with the difference between the concepts of "continent" and "continent", then history deals with the etymology of the origin of the "part of the world". It was she who determined the essential cultural difference between the above terms. In this case, the total amount (6 parts) they have the same. Eurasia was divided on a historical and cultural basis into Europe and Asia, and the two Americas, on the contrary, were united into the New World.

The territory of Oceania was added to Australia. For the rest, the usual picture remained, the writing of which people have been engaged in since ancient times. That is, long before scientific research... Only knowledge about the culture of the local population and its history were taken into account.

Video - Geography for children

Especially for children, simplified encyclopedias are compiled, with the designation of all geographical names. And the world map is characterized by the image of the already studied continents. For example, in an educational video you can see and hear not only the names of land areas, but also the animals living on them. Other interesting facts are also given in order to captivate the young viewer. For example, the geographic importance of the Amazon river system or the cold climate of Antarctica.

In another video, young listeners will learn not only how many continents are on Earth, but also how they differ from parts of the world. The children themselves ask Professor Pioneer their own questions, to which he then answers them. For example, he reveals the secret of the existence of a once united continent and predicts its formation in the future. It also lifts the veil over the mystery of the name of the Solomon Islands. And who will be a particularly attentive and patient spectator, he will wait detailed description the state of Tunisia.

Each of us has heard the word "mainland". It is often used in educational institutions, news, movies, and even conversations with friends or colleagues. But not everyone can give precise definition the word "mainland" and tell about its features. So let's learn together about what the continent is and what is its role in our world.

What is the mainland: definition

The mainland (continent) is a fairly large massif of the earth's crust, the largest part of which protrudes above the surface of the World Ocean. From which we can conclude that the continent is not only land, but also its part located under water (peripheral).

In the modern era, there are six continents: South America, North America, Eurasia, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica. The largest of these is Eurasia. It is located in all four hemispheres and occupies more than a third of the land area of our huge planet.

What does continental geography study? Continental geography studies natural landscapes the earth's surface, planetary laws, as well as the conditions for their emergence, distribution and development. When studying the geography of the continents huge role playing use geographic maps, which are subdivided into groups. For example, to study the geography of the continents, you need to familiarize yourself with the 3 main groups of maps: by the topic they are devoted to, by the coverage of the territory and by scale. In addition to maps, it is important to study aerial photographs and space images from satellites. To study the geography of continents, there are several research methods: cartographic, historical, observation method, physical, mathematical, chemical methods, as well as the method of space research.