There are seven continents of different sizes spread across the surface of the Earth, stretching in different directions and bearing the burden of natural and man-made structures and human creations. Some of the continents are connected and some are not, and together they cover 29% of the Earth, while the remaining 71% is water.
Although there is still debate as to how many continents there are, most agree that there are seven. Their names are: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America and Antarctica. Interestingly, most of these continents begin with the letter A.
In the past, all these continents were joined into one common landmass called Pangea. Tectonic movements within the plate caused it to rupture, causing parts of the plate to break apart and separate. Even today, the two continents, North America and Europe, are drifting apart at a rate of 70 millimeters per year.
The highest point on Earth is Mt. Everest, which is 8,848 meters high, with the deepest point being the Mariana Trench with a depth of about 11 kilometers.
In the rest of the text, discover the most important facts about each continent, what they look like, what makes them special and what their main features are.
1. EUROPE
– Europe is a continent that shares its landmass with Asia and they are separated from each other by the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Lake
– the surface of Europe is 10,180,000 km 2 and has almost 800 million inhabitants
– Europe is surrounded by bodies of water on three sides: the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean
– the highest peak of this continent is Elbrus, an inactive volcano in the Caucasus, whose height exceeds 5000 meters
– the largest rivers in Europe are the Danube, Odra, Dnieper, Loire and Don and the longest river is the Volga
– in the north of Europe are the so-called Scandinavian countries and their names are Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark
– the smallest country in the world is located in Europe, in Italy, and is called the Vatican
– Europe is also home to the longest railway route in the world, the Trans-Siberian Railway.
– one of the largest European cities is Moscow, Russia, which is nicknamed the “port of the five seas” because it is connected to the five seas by rivers and canals that pass through the city
– the most numerous animal species in Europe are roe deer, hedgehog, wild boar, frog and marmot
– three quarters of all potatoes grown in the world grow in Europe
2. ASIA
– the largest of all seven world continents is Asia and covers almost one third of the Earth’s surface. The size of the continent exceeds 45 million square kilometers
– 60% of the world’s population lives in Asia and that’s more than 4 billion people
– the largest country in the world, Russia is located in Asia
– the two most populous countries in the world are also in Asia, namely China and India
– the highest peak in the world is located on the Asian continent and it is Mt. Everest, which is 8,848 meters high, and the remaining nine highest peaks in the world are also located in Asia
– Asia is home to almost all major religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism
– the most famous Asian animals are tiger, panda, rhinoceros, python and yak
– China is home to the only man-made structure that can be seen from space – the Great Wall of China
– the world’s deepest depression, the Dead Sea, is located in Asia
– the deepest lake in the world is Lake Baikal and it is also located in Asia
– the highest mountain range, the Himalayas, is part of the Asian mountain range
3. AFRICA
– Africa is the second largest continent with an area of more than 30 million square kilometers
– in Africa there is also the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, but also the world’s longest river – the Nile
– The hottest country in Europe, Ethiopia, is located on the African continent
– research has shown that the African continent is the place of origin of Homo sapiens, which then spread throughout the world
– the African continent is very rich in minerals, so more than 50% of the gold and more than 90% of all diamonds in the world were mined there
– the world’s largest reserves of cocoa beans are found in Africa, where over 60% of chocolate comes from
– the most famous African animals are the elephant, lion, tiger, zebra, giraffe and mongoose
4. AUSTRALIA
– the smallest continent in the world is actually an island because it is surrounded by water on all sides and its area is 8.5 million square kilometers and only 39 million people live on it
– Australia is often called “down under” because it is completely south and completely below the equator
– Australia got its name from the Latin word “south”, which fully corresponds to its location
– There are 14 times more sheep than people in Australia, which is evident when you find out that Australia is the world’s leading producer of wool.
– in Australia there is the largest coral reef in the world. It is called the Great Coral Reef and it is up to two thousand kilometers long
– two thirds of Australia is uninhabited desert
– the most famous Australian animals are emu, kangaroo and platypus
– Australia is home to a fascinating five hundred different species of eucalyptus
5. NORTH AMERICA
– North America occupies almost 25 million square kilometers and was named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci
– the North American continent has five time zones, making it the only such continent in the world
– North America is also home to the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior
– North America has the highest population density compared to the rest of the world at 23 inhabitants per square kilometer
– in addition to having the highest per capita income in the world, North Americans also have the highest average food intake
– The USA, the world’s largest economy, is located on this continent
– North America is the world’s largest producer of corn and soybeans
– the most important North American animals are moose, bear and eagle
6. SOUTH AMERICA
– the continent of South America covers an area of 17,840,000 km2, where the world’s longest river, the Amazon, flows for up to 6,440 kilometers, surrounded by the Amazon rainforest.
– South America is home to the largest salt lake in the world, while the largest abundant lake is Titicaca
– this continent is home to the largest producer of coffee in the world, Brazil
– the South American Andes are the second highest mountain range
– Portuguese and Spanish are the main languages of South America
– South America is rich in various animal species and is home to the largest and almost longest snake in the world – the green anaconda. The largest anaconda ever seen was 14 meters long
7. ANTARCTICA
– Antarctica is a special continent in many ways because it is the highest, coldest, driest and windiest continent that is also uninhabited
– Antarctica is often called the “white continent”
– in Antarctica it is light for half the year and the entire continent is in darkness for half the year
– the lowest temperature in the world was measured in Antarctica, namely -89 C
– it is so cold in Antarctica that there are no animals and the largest land animal is an insect only 1 cm long. Antarctica is home to penguins, of which there are many.
– the only trace of people on this continent are the built research bases where the scientists are based