The Seven Continents

A continent is a large landmass on Earth. The Earth has seven continents. The continents in order from largest to smallest are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

Asia is the largest continent, which covers about 30% of the Earth's land area. More people live in Asia than anywhere else in the world.

Africa is the world's second largest continent. This continent is located on the equator and has a variety of climates. The Sahara Desert is located in Africa, which is the world's hottest dry desert.

North America is a continent located entirely in the Northern and Western Hemisphere. It is made up of the United States, Canada, Greenland, the Caribbean Islands, and the many countries that make up Central America.

South America is the fourth largest continent in size with a population of 385 million. South America is home to the Amazon River and the world's highest waterfall called Angel Falls.

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent. It is the Earth's most southern continent, and is made up of 98% ice. This continent does not have any permanent residents, but rather is used by scientists and researchers from all over the world.

Europe is considered the birthplace of western civilization. At times European powers controlled most of the world. This continent is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is divided from Asia by the Ural Mountains stretching to the Caspian Sea.

Australia is the smallest continent. It is sometimes referred to as part of the continental group called Oceania, which includes New Zealand and other Pacific Islands. The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aboriginals and Torres Strait

Islander people. Australia is home to koala, kangaroo, and more. The Great Barrier Reef--the largest coral reef in the world—is located off the coast of Australia.

Image summary: A simplified world map showing the seven continents labeled as North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica. It is a basic educational diagram used to identify the primary landmasses of Earth.

Asia Part 1

Asia is the world's largest continent because it has the biggest land area. In fact, this continent alone covers 30% of the Earth's land area. More people live in Asia than any other continent.

About 60% of the world's human population live in Asia, which is about 4.4 billion people. Asia also has the most populous cities, meaning that it has the biggest cities in the world. The largest city is Shanghai in China.

Within Asia, there are 48 countries. Each country has its own set of government and way of living. The largest country by size of landmass is Russia, with the smallest being Maldives. The climate of Asia varies from arctic temperatures in Russia, to tropical climates in South-East Asia.

Some key features of Asia include Mount Everest, which is the world's tallest mountain. The lowest point on the Earth is also found in Asia, which is the Dead Sea.

Image summary: A simplified black-and-white outline map of the Asian continent and surrounding islands. It is a basic illustrative map used for geographical reference, with no data or analytical results to report.

Asia Part 2

The continent of Europe, along with Asia, form the world's largest landmass called Eurasia, however the two continents are divided by the Ural Mountains.

Due to the different climates within Asia, there are many animals. In areas with a cold climate, one can find snow leopards and polar bears. In the more tropical areas, monkeys, tigers, and Komodo dragons can be seen. The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard.

Asia is the largest continent, with 4.4 billion people, which means that there are many ethnic groups and languages. In fact, there are more than 2,300 different languages recognized within Asia. India is the second largest country in Asia. In India there are more than 850 native languages used and spoken in conversation on a daily basis!

Image summary: A simplified world map with a stippled pattern highlighting the region of Northern and Central Asia. The image serves as a geographic reference to indicate a specific global area.

main religions practiced within Asia are Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Africa Part 1

Africa is the world's second largest continent. The continent of Africa covers about 20.4% of the world's total land which is larger than the U.S.A, Canada, and India combined! With 54 countries within Africa, there are about 1 billion people living on this continent.

Image summary: A simplified black-and-white line drawing of the continent of Africa, divided into various regions by irregular boundaries. It is a conceptual map, with no data or analytical result to report.

The largest country in Africa is Algeria, however the most populous country is Nigeria with more than 185 million people living there. The island known as Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, and is located in the Indian Ocean.

One key feature of Africa is the Nile River, which is the longest river in the entire world! The Nile River has two main water sources, but the mouth of the Nile is in Egypt, which is a country located in northern Africa. The highest mountain in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro which is located in Tanzania.

The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is the world's largest hot desert. The climate is extremely arid in this region.

Africa Part 2

More than half of Africa is covered by grassland or savannah. Central Africa contains rainforests and coastal plains. Southern Africa lies mainly on a plateau.

Africa contains some of the world's largest mammals including the African elephant, the world's tallest animal, the giraffe, and the world's fastest animal, the cheetah. The cheetah can run up to 70 miles per hour. Also interesting, the Cape Floral region in South Africa has the most plant varieties in the world!

Africa is considered the “cradle of humankind.” Many powerful kingdoms existed in Africa in early history and in the Middle Ages. Africa has also had a long history of slave trade. Between the 5 superscript th and 19 superscript th century more than 30 million slaves were traded in various slave trades. In the late 19 superscript th century, Europeans started conquering and colonizing Africa.

Today there are more than 3,000 people groups that live in Africa. Each people group has their own language and culture. Many Africans speak several native languages as well as another European language.

North America Part 1

North America is the third largest continent. It is located entirely on the Northern and Western Hemisphere. North America includes the United States of America, Canada, Greenland, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America.

Image summary: A black and white outline map of North America, showing the general contours of the continent including Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It is a simplified illustrative map with no data or analytical results to report.

The longest river in North America is the Missouri River, which flows through seven states in the U.S.A. The highest mountain in North America is Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley), which is in Alaska. The Great Lakes are shared by Canada and the United States. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes, and is the third largest lake in the world.

North America is home to many endangered species such as the American bison, the banana bat, and the cougar.

The most populous city in North America is Mexico City, with around 21.3 million people living there. However more than half of the population of North America--about 322 million people--live in the United States.

North America Part 2

North America was first populated when people moved across the Bering

Sea between Siberia and Alaska. Indigenous people lived in clusters from small family groups to large empires all across the whole continent. European explorers arrived in large groups after

Image summary: A simplified world map in an oval projection, with North America shaded in a dotted pattern. This is a schematic illustration used to highlight a specific geographic region.

Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492.

Before the Europeans arrived, the indigenous and Native

Americans were the people who lived on the continent.

Today the biggest Native American groups are the Cherokee,

Navajo, and Iroquois. In Mexico the largest indigenous group are the Mayans.

English is the language most widely spoken throughout North America. Canada has two languages, English and French. In Central America, Spanish is the most common language.

South America Part 1

South America is the fourth largest continent based on size. This continent is located in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is made up of 12 countries and 3 dependencies.

Image summary: A simple black and white outline map of the world, with South America highlighted by a dotted pattern. The purpose of the image is to visually isolate South America from the other continents.

About 385 million people live on this continent. Brazil is the largest country in South America with a landmass that covers almost half of the continent. Almost half of this continent's population live in Brazil.

The Amazon River runs through South America. This river is the second longest river in the world. The Amazon actually carries more water than the world's 10 biggest rivers combined! The highest waterfall in the world, known as Angel Falls, is located in South America in the country of Venezuela.

South America is home to tapirs, piranhas, anacondas, and the endangered jaguar. The giant tortoise, found in the Galapagos Islands, can weight up to 500 pounds. In the Andes Mountains, llama are found in the wild, however llamas are often used in the form of domesticated livestock.

South America Part 2

The first inhabitants of South America can be traced back to 9000 B.C. One of the earliest known civilizations occurred in Peru. The largest group of indigenous people were the Incas. The Inca Empire lasted from 1438 to 1533 when they were conquered by the Europeans. South America was colonized by the late 15th century by conquistadors mainly from Spain and Portugal. There are still Incas today, as well as several other groups such as the Arawaks, and Caribs, however they are diminishing in numbers.

Throughout South America, the most common language spoken is Spanish. However, in Brazil people speak Portuguese. Suriname was colonized by the Dutch, so the official language is still Dutch. In South America, many people speak English as a second language.

Image summary: A black and white line drawing of the continent of South America, showing its general outline and internal borders. It is a simple map intended for illustrative or educational purposes.

The most populous city in South America is Sao Paulo, Brazil. The southern most city in the world is actually located on the continent of South America. This city, called Ushuaia is located on the Argentinian part of the Tierra de Fuego.

Antarctica Part 1

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent. It is made up of about 98% ice, with an average ice thickness of about 1.9 kilometers deep. Antarctica is the world's most southern continent. It contains the South Pole, and is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. Surrounded by the Southern Ocean, Antarctica is considered an icy desert because it receives very little rainfall each year. With temperatures dropping to an average of -10 degrees, and winds as high as 218 miles per hour, Antarctica is the least inhabited continent on Earth. In fact, there are no permanent residents living on Antarctica. Only a few thousands people stay each year to do research in research stations spread throughout the continent.

Image summary: A simple black-and-white outline map of the continent of Antarctica. It is a geographic illustration with no data or analytical results to report.

Antarctica has the highest average elevation of all seven continents. The highest mountain is Mount Vinson. In parts of northern Antarctica, there are a few areas that have little or no ice for parts of the year. One will find Tundra vegetation, which includes small shrubs, mosses, and grass.

Antarctica Part 2

Overall, there are not many animal species living on this continent. Whales and seals can be found in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. The Emperor penguin, which is the tallest and heaviest of all the penguin species, is the only penguin species found breeding on this continent. Emperor penguins live in colonies of several thousand, and feed on krill, fish, and squid. It is estimated that there are nearly 5 million penguins living on Antarctica.

Antarctica was explored by James Cook in 1773. He was a British explorer who is recognized as the first to cross the Antarctic Circle and circumnavigate the continent. In 1911, Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole. In 1961 the Antarctic Treaty was signed by 53 countries which decided that Antarctica is to be used for peaceful purposes only. Scientists and researchers are sent to Antarctica from various countries each year.

Image summary: A black and white photograph showing four people standing in a snowy, barren landscape, looking toward a small conical tent with a flagpole and flags. It is a documentary image depicting an expedition camp in a polar or alpine environment.

Europe Part 1

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and Mediterranean Sea to the south.

Image summary: A simple black-and-white line drawing of a map of Europe. It is a stylized illustration with no data or analytical result to report.

Europe is made up of 50 countries with more than 742 million people living throughout. Europe is divided from Asia by the Ural Mountains stretching up to the Caspian Sea. About 11% of the world's population lives in Europe. The country with the largest population is Germany. Russia spans both Europe and Asia, with more than 11 million people living in the city of Moscow alone.

Europe, and in particular, ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of western civilization. Europe has played a significant role in global affairs throughout history. Between the 16 superscript th and 20 superscript th centuries, European powers controlled at times, the Americas, almost all of Africa, and the majority of Asia.

Europe Part 2

Europe lies mainly in the temperate climate zones. The main natural vegetation across this continent is mixed forest. Common agricultural produce that are farmed are wheat, potatoes, olives, grapes, and oranges.

One can find deer, rabbits, lizards, and hedgehogs throughout Europe. In Northern Europe, one might even spot a reindeer.

Key features include the European Alps, the Rhine Falls, and the Danube River. The Danube River is the most important commercial waterway in Europe. Some of the main tourist attractions include Big Ben in England, the Eiffel Tower in France, Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Acropolis in Greece, Mont Blanc in Switzerland, and Colosseum in Rome.

Australia Part 1

Australia is the smallest continent

Some refer to this continent as part of the continental group, Oceania, which includes not only Australia, but New

Zealand and other Pacific Islands.

Image summary: A simple line drawing map of Oceania, depicting Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand. It is a basic illustrative map with no data or analytical result to report.

Australia has a diverse landscape with deserts, known as the "outback," in the center, tropical rainforests in the northeast, and mountain ranges in the southeast. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world and is located just off the northern coast of Australia. It is home to 1500 species of fish, sea turtles, the seahorse, stingray, sharks, and more.

Australia is home to animals such as the koala, kangaroo, emu, kookaburra, and the platypus. Australia has over 750 different reptile species, which is more than any other place in the world.

The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous rock art is the longest tradition in the world. This form of art is still practiced by some indigenous peoples in Australia today.

Australia Part 2

Dutch explorers discovered Australia in 1606. In 1770, British explorer, James Cook, reached Australia. Great Britain claimed the eastern half of the continent. A gold rush began in Australia in the 1850's which boosted the population. However, the population density is the lowest in the world today.

Australia does not have an official language, however English is most commonly spoken. Sydney, Australia is the largest city with more than 4.5 million people living there. It is also a diverse and multicultural population, with more than 250 different languages spoken.

There are many islands that make up what is known as Oceania. These islands, such as New Zealand are included with Australia, otherwise they would be left out. While there are many islands surrounding Australia, New Zealand is the only island with a big economy. Auckland is a large city on New Zealand with about 1.6 million inhabitants.

Image summary: A simplified world map outline where Australia is the only region filled with a dotted pattern. The image highlights Australia's geographic location relative to the rest of the world.

Amundsen and his crew looking at the Norwegian flag at the South Pole, 1911.

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