Unit 4 - Lesson 1 - The Continent of the World

THE CONTINENT OF THE WORLD
"No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent"
-John Donne, English poet
4.6 billion years ago, Earth
formed from gas and dust. Heat
from gravitational forces and
impacts melted rocky minerals,
creating the crust. Tectonic
plates, driven by Earth's core
heat, shaped continents.
Through subduction, oceanic
crust sank beneath continental
crust, melted, and formed
magma, which cooled into rock,
creating early continents.
Volcanic islands grew and
merged over time, forming larger
land masses. Plate tectonics
continue today, driving Earth's
ever-changing landscape.
WANDERING CONTINENTS AND THEIR FEATURES
The Earth's continents were not always in

their current positions, according to geological
records. Most of the continents were near the
Equator about 480 million years ago. The
positions of the continents slowly changed over
millions of years due to tectonic activity until
around 240 million years ago, when nearly all of
the world's land masses were combined into a
gigantic supercontinent known as Pangaea.
Over 200 million years ago, this supercontinent
started to disintegrate, and the fragments that
broke off gradually evolved into the continents
we see today. The positions of the continents
have changed over time as a result of these
land masses" ongoing movement and shifting.
Continental shifting is
caused by tectonic plate
movement, with North America
and Europe drifting apart at
about 2.5 mm per year.
Geologists predict future land
changes, including the U.S.
possibly breaking into islands
and the formation of a new
supercontinent. Over time,
continents have been shaped
by tectonics, erosion, and
climate changes, yet they share
common features like
mountains, plains, and river
systems, with an average
elevation of 838 meters above
sea level.
THE SEVEN CONTINENTS
Earth's land is divided into seven main parts, known as continents. These are Asia, Africa, North America,
South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia, listed in descending order of size.
ASIA
the largest continent, has over 40 nations and more than

60% of the world’s population, with China and India being the
most populous. Most people live in urban or agriculturally rich
areas continent
The near rivers,hasplains, and coasts.
diverse climates,
from arctic Siberia
to tropical
Indonesia. Major
rivers like the
Ganges, Yangtze,
and Mekong rely on
monsoons and
snowmelt. Asia is
also home to over
AFRICA
the world's second-largest

continent, is over three times the
size of the U.S. and spans about
8,000 km from north to south. It
connects to Asia via Egypt’s
Isthmus of Suez. The Sahara, the
largest hot desert, dominates
North Africa, while the Nile, the
world's longest river, has
historically sustained Egyptian
civilization. Central Africa's
savannas host lions, elephants,
and giraffes, while rainforests
thrive along the Congo, Niger, and
Zambezi rivers. Most of Africa
consists of high plateaus with
NORTH AMERICA
the world's third-

largest continent,
stretches from Greenland
in the northeast to the
Aleutian Islands in the
northwest and the
Isthmus of Panama in the
south. The Rocky
Mountains dominate the
western region, while the
Cascade Range contains
some of the world's
youngest mountains. The
continent is home to
people from Greenland,
Canada, the U.S., Mexico,
SOUTH AMERICA
the world's fourth-

largest continent, stretches
from the Caribbean Sea to
the Antarctic Circle. It
connected to North America
three million years ago via
the Isthmus of Panama. Its
southernmost islands,
Tierra del Fuego, are just
1,120 km from Antarctica
and were named "Land of
Fire" after Native
Americans' small fires. The
region is home to Antarctic
ANTARCTICA
larger than Europe or
Australia, is the windiest,
driest, and iciest continent,
with no permanent human
population. Only scientists and
support staff work there due
to its extreme climate, where
temperatures can drop to -
73°C (-100°F). The continent
is ideal for research in
geology, oceanography, and
meteorology, especially
through ice core analysis.
Covered mostly in ice up to
3.2 km thick, Antarctica is also
EUROPE
the sixth-largest
continent, covers just 7% of the
world's land and is slightly
larger than Canada, yet has half
the population of South
America. It includes over 40
nations with major cities like
London, Paris, and Rome.
Surrounded by seas and
oceans, including the
Mediterranean, Black Sea,
Arctic Ocean, and Atlantic
Ocean, Europe's navigable
rivers like the Volga, Danube,
and Rhine have historically
A U S T RA L I A
Australia is the world's

smallest, flattest, and second-
driest continent after Antarctica.
Only Australia, eastern New
Guinea, and New Zealand are
found on the continent. With only
roughly 31 million people, it is the
continent with the lowest
population density. The Outback is
a desert region in the interior, and
the Great Dividing Range runs
along the east coast. Perth,
Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and
Adelaide are among the cities
along the southern and eastern
coasts where the majority of
people reside.
Earth's 148 million square kilometers of land consist of continents and non-
continental islands. However, oceans cover over 70% of the planet, with each continent
bordering at least one. Asia has the longest shoreline, but coastlines do not define
continental boundaries. Instead, a continent's limit is determined by its continental shelf,
a gently sloping area extending into the ocean.
Continental shelves define a continent's physical limit, extending into the ocean
while remaining part of the landmass. They mark the true boundary between land and
ocean, rather than coastlines.
ACTIVITY :
LOCATING PLACES IN THE MAP
Directions : Using a map, locate the following continents based on the

descriptions given below. Indicate the corresponding number to the
continent that the item refers to.
1. Smallest continent 9. Located directly south of Asia
2. The island continent 10. Located directly south of Asia,
3. The most countries 11. Located directly west of Africa
4. Has the longest coastline 12. Located directly south of Europe
5. Largest continent by area 13. Has the lowest population density
6. Home of the Amazon 14. Has the largest desert in the world
forest 15. Located directly north of Antarctica
7. Directly north of South
Africa
8. Has the highest point on
Earth

Unit 4 - Lesson 1 - The Continent of the World

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Unit 4 - Lesson 1 - The Continent of the World

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THE CONTINENT OF THE WORLD

The Earth's continents were not always in

the largest continent, has over 40 nations and more than

the world's second-largest

the world's third-

the world's fourth-

Australia is the world's

Directions : Using a map, locate the following continents based on the

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