Continents.pptVIP

Continents There are 7 continents in the world. The 7 continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antartica, Europe and Oceania (in order of size). Europe and Asia are sometimes considered a single continent, Eurasia. A continent is distinguished from an island or a peninsula not merely by greater size but also by geological structure and development. All the continents except Antartica are wedge-shaped, wider in the north than in the south All land rising above sea level in the continent area amounts to about 29% of the earth’s total area. More than two-thirds of the continental land area lies north of the equator. In 1960s geologist began to uncover proof that continents not only float, they also travel, or drift laterally. The land-sea patterns of today have evolved from continental landmasses drifting, colliding, then torn apart and recombined over the course of hundreds of millions of years. The continental landmasses will continue to change for as long as the planet contains the heat energy required to drive the movement of its crustal plates. Continents Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. Africa has the Nile River, the worlds longest, and the massive Sahara Desert, theworlds largest.  Africa is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeastextremity by the Isthmus of Suez (transected by the Suez Canal). Africas largest country is Sudan and its smallest country is the Seychelles, an archipelago off the east coast of the continent. The smallest nation in Africa is The Gambia.  Africa ranges from tropical to sub-tropical climates. Its northern half is primarily desert or arid,while its central and southern areas contain both savannah plains and very dense jungle(rainforest) regions.  Africa boasts perhaps the worlds largest combination of highest density and freedom range ofwild animal populations and diversity,