Name all the continents of the earth. How many continents in the world and their names

Our home planet Earth consists of continents that are washed by oceans. Scientists believe that our planet was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and life, 600 million years after the formation of the planet. Since then, it has been constantly changing.

The entire surface of our planet is made up of water and land. Water takes up more 2/3 surface of the Earth, and the solid part accounts for only 29% . The landmass consists of continents and islands. The water part of the surface is divided into oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.

How many continents are on Earth and what are they called?

The mainland is part of the solid surface of our planet, which is washed by water from all sides. Sometimes these parts of the Earth are called continents. The continents are distributed fairly evenly. There are six in total. They are called Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica.

IMPORTANT: Not so long ago, scientists doubted that there were only six continents. Recent studies show that their number today can be replenished with another continent.

EURASIA. The largest continent on Earth is Eurasia. Its area occupies 36% the entire solid surface and is about 55 million square kilometers. Ural mountains divide the continent into two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The largest part of Eurasia is occupied by Russia.

The mainland was originally called Asia. This term was coined by the German encyclopedist Alexander Humboldt at the end of the 18th century. The term appeared in the scientific literature in the 1880s at the suggestion of an Austrian geologist Edward Suess.

The mainland was formed after the split of the protocontinent Laurasia into two parts: North America and Eurasia.

Eurasia a few facts:

• Tibet is the highest point in the world
• The Dead Sea Depression is the lowest point in the world
• Oymyakon is the coldest point in the world
• Bosphorus is the narrowest strait in the world
• Eurasia is the birthplace of large civilizations
• All climatic zones are located in Eurasia
• The population of Eurasia 4.5 billion Human ( 75% population of our planet)

AFRICA. Africa is the second largest continent on Earth. The area of ​​this continent is 30 million square kilometers ( 6% sushi). Most scientists agree that Africa is the cradle of our civilization.

Term "afri" introduced by the inhabitants of ancient Carthage. They called them people who lived near their city. Most likely the term comes from the Phoenician word afar — dust. The Romans, who defeated Carthage, named their new province Africa. After that, Africa began to be called the nearby lands, and later the entire continent.

INTERESTING: Some scientists believe that the name Africa could come from the Latin word aprica (solar). Historian Lion African believed that the term could be formed from the Greek word «φρίκη» (cold). Letter «α-» added at the beginning of this term translates as "without" — « without cold". Russian science fiction writer and paleontologist Ivan Efremov believed that the word came from an ancient language Ta-Kem(other Egyptian. "Afros" - foam country).

The future mainland Africa occupied a supercontinent gondwana central location. When the plates of this continent parted, Africa took on its modern shape.

The most unique place in Africa is undoubtedly the desert. Sahara. In terms of area, it occupies 9 million square kilometers (larger than the US) and covers ten countries. At the same time, every year the territory of the desert grows. Most of the desert is not occupied by sand, but by stones and pebbles.

The Sahara is the hottest desert in the world (its surface can warm up to 80 degrees), but underneath there is a huge underground lake ( 375 square kilometers). Thanks to which you can find oases in the Sahara.

Africa a few facts:

• There are places in Africa where no man has set foot before.
• On this continent there are tribes with the highest and lowest inhabitants of the Earth
• Health care in African countries is at the lowest level. Because of this, the average life expectancy on this continent 48-50 years
• In Africa they speak 2000 languages. The most popular of them is Arabic
• This continent has large reserves of gold and diamonds. Half of all gold is mined in Africa
• Before 80% Africa's GDP comes from agriculture. The most popular crops grown are cocoa, coffee, dates, peanuts and rubber trees.

NORTH AMERICA . North America is located in the northern part of the Western Hemisphere. The area of ​​this continent is 20 million kilometers2. Moreover, almost the entire territory of the mainland is divided between Canada and the United States. Although the mainland consists of territories 24 countries. The continent was discovered in 1502 year.

America is believed to have been discovered by an Italian traveler. Amerigo Vespucci. The mainland was named after him. This was proposed by German cartographers Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringman. The first map of the world, in which this continent was designated as America, appeared in 1507 year.

North America

INTERESTING: There is evidence that Vespucci was not the discoverer of this continent. Long before him, the Scandinavian Vikings, led by their legendary leader, did it. Eric the Red. V 986 year they reached the shores of America. But it is believed that the Vikings knew in advance where to sail. So, they learned about the new lands from someone else.

Like all other continents, North America was formed after the breakup of supercontinent plates. Initially, parts of the plates that form modern North America were part of a supercontinent. Pengea. Then she broke away from him Laurasia and from this proto-continent North America and Eurasia were formed.

North America a few facts:

• This continent includes the largest island on our planet - Greenland
• Hawaiian mountain Mauna Ke and is considered the highest in the world. Its height is 2000 meters higher than Chomolungma
• The largest administrative building in the world is considered Pentagon
• The largest popcorn plant in the world is located in the US state of Iowa.
• The average inhabitant of the continent spends 90% your free time indoors

SOUTH AMERICA . A continent that is predominantly located in the Western and Southern hemispheres of our planet. The mainland takes about 18 million square kilometers. Above lives on it 400 million Human.

During the Cretaceous period, the supercontinent split Pangea. broke away from him gondwana. This proto-continent then broke up into Africa, Australia, Antarctica and South America.

Part of South America discovered Columbus. It was he who was the first European to suggest the presence of a large mainland.

South America

South America a few facts:

• The largest country in South America is Brazil
• The largest river in the world flows through this continent - Amazon
• The largest waterfall in the world is located in South America Angel
• Bolivian capital city La Paz considered the highest mountain capital in the world
• V Chile the Atacama desert is located, in which there is never rainfall
• V Paraguay duels are still allowed
• South America is home to the largest beetles in the world - lumberjack beetles, the largest butterflies - agrippins, the smallest monkeys - marmosets and the most poisonous frogs - the red-backed poison frog.

AUSTRALIA. A continent located in the Eastern and Southern hemispheres of our planet. Its entire territory is occupied by one country. Which has the same name - Australia.

The mainland was discovered by Dutch navigators in the 17th century. V. Janszon in 1606 discovered the presence of new land in coral sea. It was a peninsula, which was later named Cape York. The sailors determined that this piece of land is only a small part of it. And they named her Unknown South Land (Terra Australis Incognita). When legendary James Cook fully explored these lands, their name was reduced to "Australia".

The area of ​​this continent is 8 million kilometers. Or 5% of the total land area. A third of the territory of the mainland is desert.

Australia some facts:

• The continent has a very low population density. Because of this, it is indicated not by the number of people per square kilometer, as in other continents, but by the number of square kilometers per person.
• Australia has the longest road in the world. It is 145 km long and runs through the Nullarbor Desert.
• The Dingo Fence is the longest fence in the world. Its length (5400 km) is twice as long as the Great Wall of China

ANTARCTICA. Name "Antarctica" derived from the word «ἀνταρκτική» (gr. opposite the arctic). The term first appeared in a book Aristotle "Meteorology". The mainland was discovered by Russian sailors F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev v 1820 year. In 1890, the continent was given the official name "Antarctica". It was made by a Scottish cartographer John Bartholomew.

Antarctica a few facts:

• The mainland, according to the 1959 Antarctic Convention, does not belong to any of the countries. Only scientific activities are allowed here.
• Scientists have found traces of tropical life in the glaciers of the continent. Remains of palm trees, araucaria, macadamia, baobab and other heat-loving plants
• More than 35,000 tourists visit Antarctica every year. They observe seal, whale and penguin colonies, go snorkeling and visit science centers
• Two major marathons are held on this continent: the Antarctic Ice and McMurdo

SEVENTH CONTAINER . Periodically, the media inform that scientists have "discovered" a new, seventh continent. Most often, this education includes New Zealand, Caledonia and nearby islands. They are located on the same plate, which was once part of the supercontinent. gondwana. The plate area is 4.9 million square kilometers, and it fully meets the requirements of the continent.

How many parts of the world are on Earth and what are they called?

Parts of the world are established historical and cultural formations, which, along with continents, include islands and other parts of the land. At the same time, two continents - America - can enter one part of the world. But, also, one continent can enter two parts of the world. On the continent of Eurasia are such parts of the world as Europe and Asia.

Today it is customary to distinguish six parts of the world:

• Europe
• America
• Antarctica
• Australia and Oceania

But, in addition to such a conditional division, our planet is divided into "New World" and "Old world". The "Old World" includes Europe, Asia and Africa. That is, those parts of the world that were known to the ancient Greeks. During the period of great geographical discoveries, America, Australia and other parts of the land appeared on the world map. Which were opened after 1500. They are referred to as the "New World".

How many continents are there on Earth and what are they called?

Very often, people get confused at the mention of the word mainland and continent. Is there a difference between these concepts? Today, these terms are considered synonymous. And the continents and continents are huge land masses that are washed by water from all sides. Therefore, it is customary to distinguish six continents. The ones we talked about in the first section of this article. Namely:

• North America
• South America
• Antarctica

INTERESTING: The above model is used by Russian geographers. In India, China, Western Europe and some English-speaking countries, seven continents. They refer Europe and Asia to different continents. In Spanish-speaking countries, Greece and Eastern European countries, North and South America are combined into a single continent. In addition, some scientists use a model of the earth consisting of four continents: Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia.

How many oceans are on planet Earth and what are they called?

Oceans are the largest bodies of water on our planet. They wash the continents and make up about 2/3 the surface of the planet ( 360 million square kilometers). As in the case of continents, there are several options for dividing the oceans.

• The ancient Romans called the word "oceanus" all the "big" waters that washed the territory known to them. In doing so, they highlighted:
• oceanus germanicus or Oceanus Septentrionalis- North Sea
• oceanus britannicus- strait of the English Channel

Today, scientists divide the oceans into four parts:

QUIET. The largest and deepest ocean. Occupy about 50% the entire surface of our planet. Name "Quiet" gave the ocean Ferdinand Magellan. He crossed it in four months and did not encounter any obstacles.

Pacific Ocean a few facts:

• The deepest point on the earth's surface Challenger Abyss
• The Pacific Ocean is home to the world's largest landform. Great Barrier Reef
• Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean on a primitive raft, proving that ancient people could travel long distances
• More than half of all aquatic biomass is located in the Pacific Ocean
• In the northern part of the ocean there is a "big garbage patch". This accumulation of human waste products ranges from 700 thousand to 115 million km²

ATLANTIC . The second largest is the Atlantic Ocean. From 92 million square kilometers of its surface 16% found in seas, bays and straits. For the first time this ocean was called the Atlantic Herodotus. The Greeks believed that mediterranean sea, which belongs to this ocean, stood Atlas and held the sky on his shoulders.

Atlantic Ocean a few facts:

• In the center Belize Atoll there is a huge underwater hole. This picturesque place seems bottomless. But, in fact, its depth 120 meters
• The ocean passes through all the climatic zones of our planet
• The Atlantic Ocean is the area with the most difficult navigation. They call her "Bermuda Triangle". Thanks to adventure literature and cinema, she was endowed with mythical power.
• Through this ocean Gulfstream- a warm current that warms European countries

INDIAN. It occupies one fifth of the oceans. The western part of the Indian Ocean was called by the ancient Greeks by the Eritrean Sea. But, later this part of the World Ocean was called the Indian Sea. Final name for the Indian Ocean "Oceanus Indicus" gave Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD.

Indian Ocean interesting facts:

• This ocean is considered the first of the officially discovered
• It is believed that this ocean has the lowest fish catch
• Washed by the waters of this ocean, the island states of the Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka are called by many an ideal place to relax.
• Considered the warmest ocean on our planet

ARCTIC . The smallest and less deep ocean on Earth. Its area does not reach 14 million square kilometers. Was separated into a separate ocean in 1650 geographer Varenius and named Hyperborean(other Greek. Βορέας - the mythical god of the north wind). In most countries it is called Arctic.

Arctic Ocean interesting facts:

• All ocean resources are divided between Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark and Norway
• More than 25% of oil reserves are in the waters of this ocean
• Icebergs are the main hallmark of this ocean.

INTERESTING: In some literature, you can find the name of another one - the fifth ocean. He is called Southern and placed around Antarctica. But, neither experts nor navigators consider part of the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to be a real ocean. The last attempt to introduce the Southern Ocean on the geographical maps of the world failed in 20 00 year. The International Hydrographic Organization has not ratified the resolution on the allocation of this part of the World Ocean to an independent entity.

Map of continents and oceans on planet earth

Video. Travel around the planet, continents and oceans

It seems that everything they have is similar even by definition. This is a large landmass, washed on all sides by oceans. But what is the difference between the continent and the mainland, many scientists explain based on the theory of continental drift, which was presented in 1912 by the German geophysicist and meteorologist Alfred Lothar Wegener.

Continental drift theory

The essence of the theory is that a long time ago, in the Jurassic period, 200 million years ago, all the continents were a single dry land. And only then, under the influence of tectonic forces, they were divided among themselves.

The structure of the continents can serve as evidence. It is enough to look at the map to see that the relief of the western coast of Africa fits perfectly with the relief of the eastern coast of South America. The flora and fauna of the continents, which are separated by thousands of kilometers, are also similar. For example, the flora and fauna of North America and Europe. Wegener outlined his theory in his book The Origin of Continents and Oceans.

In fairness, it should be said that his idea had many critics. But by the end of the 60s of the XX century, as a result of numerous studies, the theory turned into the doctrine of plate tectonics, which makes it possible to separate such concepts as the mainland and the continent.

Continents

There are six continents on Earth:

• Eurasia is the largest of the continents, with an area of ​​54.6 million square kilometers. km.
• Africa is the hottest of the continents, with an area of ​​30.3 million square kilometers. km.
• North America is the continent with the most indented coastline with many bays and islands, with an area of ​​24.4 million square meters. km.
• South America is the rainiest continent, with an area of ​​17.8 million square kilometers. km.
• Australia is the most flat continent, with an area of ​​7.7 million square meters. km.
• Antarctica is the southernmost and at the same time the coldest continent, with an area of ​​14.1 million square kilometers. km.

Continents

Unlike the continents, there are only 4 continents on Earth. Continent in Latin means "continuous". Therefore, it is unlikely that Europe and Africa can be called separate continents, because they are separated by an artificially created Suez Canal.

The same goes for North and South America. They were separated in 1920 by the Panama Canal. It is interesting that the idea to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through the narrowest isthmus was born in the 16th century, since the benefits of this for trade and navigation were obvious. However, the King of Spain, Philip II, "cut down" the project, saying: "What God has connected, man cannot separate." However, over time, common sense won, and one continent was divided into two continents - North and South America.

There are four continents on the planet:

• Old World (Eurasia and Africa).
• New World (North and South America).
• Australia.
• Antarctica.

The theory of continental drift and history allow answering the question "Continent and mainland - what's the difference?". is a large piece of land surrounded by water. A continent is a continuous piece of land washed by water, which may include continents connected by land.

A continent is a very large area of ​​land. This concept is more of an agreement, and not some kind of definition that falls under precise criteria. Since scientists have different views on what can be considered a continent, their number fluctuates - it all depends on what criteria a particular specialist uses. Geographers distinguish between 4 and 7 different continents on Earth.

What is a continent?

The main settlement agreement of geographers established the definition of the continent as "a large, continuous land surface, separated from others by water spaces." But in this case, it is impossible to single out 7 continents, since not all of them have clear boundaries between themselves.

There is also a definition established by the "Glossary of Geology", which is published in the USA and consists of the main terms used in geology. The glossary states that a continent is a vast body of land, including land and a continental shelf.

Interesting fact: Africa is the second largest continent. This is the home of the Nile, the longest river in the world. The largest desert in the world is also in Africa, the Sahara. Ninety-five percent of the world's diamonds and over 50% of the world's gold are mined in Africa.

There are also several other criteria:

• Land areas above sea level;
• Various volcanic and rock formations;
• A crust that is much thicker than an oceanic crust.

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How many continents are there?

As it has already become clear, the answer to the question is not universal. So in the world community there are different approaches.

Seven Continents Model

The seven continents model is adopted in most English-speaking countries, including the UK, India, Australia, China, Pakistan, the Philippines, and parts of Western Europe.

Six Continents Model

The model of six continents with a single Eurasia is mainly used in Russia, Eastern Europe and Japan.

Model of six continents with united America

The model of six continents with a united America is adopted in Spain, Greece, Latin America, Portugal, Italy, Romania, France and its former colonies.

Five Continents Model

The model of five continents is obtained by excluding Antarctica as uninhabited land. Adopted by the United Nations and the Olympic Charter (therefore there are 5 rings on the Olympic flag)

Interesting Facts: Until 1840, Antarctica was called Terra Australis Incognita (which means “unknown southern land”). Antarctica is the driest, windiest, emptiest, and also the coldest place on the planet.

Thus there is a division in the world scientific community.

Related materials:

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History of the discovery of continents

The very first borders between continents began to be drawn by ancient Greek sailors. They gave the names of Europe and Asia to the territories that are on both sides of the shipping lanes of the Aegean, the Dardanelles, the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Black Sea.

The designations were at first applied only to the immediate coasts, and only much later were they extended to include the hinterland. At the same time, the border cannot be called complete, since the sailors could only draw it to the end of the shipping lanes, and also the ancient Greek geographers failed to draw the border between Eurasia, since no convincing landscape element was found for separation.

Interesting Facts: North America is the only continent where there are all types of climate - tropical, dry, continental, temperate and polar. North America was named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. North America has the highest average per capita income of any other continent, and the average per capita food intake is also greater than other continents.

The ancient Greeks also pondered whether Africa (then called Libya) should be considered an extension of Asia, or whether it was another part of the world. The idea of ​​an Africa separate from Asia won the debate. So the world became tricontinental.

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Christopher Columbus sailed from the ports of Europe across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, bound for Asia, but he landed in the West Indies. Thus began the long journey of European exploration of two new continents - North and South America. But it is worth noting that Columbus did not fully believe that he had discovered new lands, for him it was only Asia.

Interesting Facts: The largest reserve of ice is located on the territory of Antarctica - as much as 75%. It is assumed that the thickness of the ice reaches 4 km! Antarctica also contains about 70% of the world's fresh water.

But already in 1501, Amerigo Vespucci and Gonzalo Coelho decided to conduct an expedition and go around the southern end of Asia in order to reach the Indian Ocean, passing through the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. But on the way they stumbled upon Brazil, and along its coast they made a grand journey south.

Then they realized that Asia could not extend so far, so on their arrival in Europe, Vespucci published a report called Mundus Novus ”(“ New World ”). In it, he wrote: “I was able to find a continent in the southern regions, where more people and animals live than in Europe, Asia, or Africa,” this is the first recorded evidence where America acquires the status of a continent.

Interesting Facts: Asia is the largest continent on Earth, it covers a third of the earth's surface. The largest cave in the world is located in Asia. Most of the world's religions originated in Asia.

At the end of the 18th century, a gradual separation of North and South America began in the scientific world - thus from that moment appeared model 5 continents. This view was not very popular among geographers, so the 4 continents model prevailed for most of the 19th century.

Interesting Facts: Europe is the only continent where there are no deserts. Germany is the most populous country in Europe, while London and Paris are the most populous cities in Europe. Both World Wars took place mainly in Europe.

Europeans discovered Australia in 1606, but for some time considered it to be part of Asia. By the end of the 18th century, some geographers began to call it an independent continent, which made it the sixth in a row (the model was not popular).

The continents of the Earth are huge tracts of land on which people live, flora and fauna develop. They have the same structure from a geological point of view, but in everything else they are fundamentally different from each other. It is thanks to these parts of the world that our planet got its name - Earth.

Classification

With full confidence, we can say that the continents of the Earth are a haven for all living things (with the exception of fish and marine animals). They are huge tracts of land, which are surrounded on all sides by the waters of the oceans. These can be bays, seas, as well as the oceans themselves. On the territory of the continents there are reservoirs of a different kind, which are filled with fresh water. These are rivers, lakes, swamps, etc. All continents have a different climate, natural features, including fauna and flora, as well as a population that makes up the unity and individuality of each part of the world. Among the continents today, six are distinguished: Eurasia, Africa, Northern Australia and Antarctica. Eurasia is divided into Europe and Asia - these are two parts of the world.

Origin and history

The word "continent" itself comes from the Latin continere, which means "to stick together." Such a strange name for land areas separated from each other by hundreds of miles was chosen for a reason. Geologists have established that in prehistoric periods (which could last for billions of years, replacing each other), all the land of the Earth was one. There were no divisions into continents, water washed one large part of the world. The first continents of the Earth were formed as a result of global catastrophes that mankind did not find in its lifetime. Also in the world of scientists, there are often disputes that the location of the continents in the ancient era, in the Middle Ages, was different from today. This is associated with the maps that were compiled by travelers of that time. However, this fact does not have proper confirmation, since it is believed that people could be mistaken due to the fact that they were not able to see the structure of the planet from space.

America and its features

South and North America are distinguished as two different continents. The inhabitants of this region themselves unite them into one whole. Perhaps this is due to the fact that large areas of land that are located in were discovered and mastered by Europeans at the same time. Therefore, America is a multicultural, versatile and very interesting continent. In the west of our planet, there is both a very cold climate and an extremely hot one. There are permanent glaciers in the north of Canada, and no one has ever seen snow in the areas of Colombia and Brazil. Almost all of America is a haven for tourists and travelers. There are a lot of interesting places, entertainment and much more.

More details about the west of our planet

Represented by two states: Canada and the United States of America. Both are characterized by a continental climate, which only in the south turns into a subtropical one. Most of the continent is covered with greenery: in the north there are coniferous reserves, in the south there are deciduous trees and palm trees. People constantly come to these countries both as tourists and for permanent residence. There are many beautiful cities and natural treasures.

South America is more colorful in terms of its cultural heritage and population. The overwhelming majority of countries are Spanish-speaking, Portuguese, Creole, and French are less common. The continent is part of ethnic Latin America, which also includes the states of the central part of the mainland. All of America is washed by the east, the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Caribbean Sea, located in the equator.

Mystery of our planet - Antarctica

The sixth part of the world was discovered in 1820, after many hypotheses began to repeat about its existence. From that time to the present day, these lands have been uninhabited. There are no cities and countries, not even rivers and plants, since the entire mainland is covered with a thick layer of eternal ice. Thanks to the ice, Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth, with an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. However, these measurements were made taking into account glaciers, in fact, the land that lies under them is below sea level. Due to the fact that these places have long been uninhabited, scientists constantly conduct their experiments here. On the territory of Antarctica, they study the features of the local climate, study the relief, and also build new hypotheses about lands that are at an inaccessible depth.

Australia is small but remote

If you look at the continents of the Earth on a map, you will undoubtedly see Australia, which is located between the Indian and Pacific oceans, among islands and straits. To the north of it is Eurasia, to the south - Antarctica. Australia itself, as well as the islands that are in its environment, are united in the Commonwealth of Australia and are very developed and progressive states. Now these territories are inhabited by both the descendants of local aborigines and immigrants from Northern Europe. In Australia, everyone speaks English, here the culture and customs are familiar to a European person. The local nature and relief are sometimes breathtaking. Due to the fact that volcanoes erupted here for a long time, there are many desert fields, canyons and mountains.

Europe and Asia - the center of the world

Eurasia is the largest piece of land in the world. Most of this vast continent is occupied by Russia, to the south, west and east of it are other states. Part of the world is located between four oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. Many different Mongoloid, Semitic and others live here. The climate and natural features are also varied. In Eurasia, there are many resorts, museum cities, recreation and entertainment areas for every taste. Each country deserves special attention and is characterized by its history, traditions and characteristics.

called the term "mainland"), as a rule, is defined as a very large land mass, surrounded on all sides by water, and including a number of independent states. However, when it comes to the number of continents on Earth, experts are not always unanimous. Depending on the criteria used, there may be four, five, six or seven continents. Sounds weird, right? Let's see how things really are!

Definition of "Continent"

The Glossary of Geology, published by the American Geoscience Institute, defines a continent as one of the major land masses, including land and the continental shelf. Other characteristics of the continent include:

• Land areas that are elevated in relation to the surrounding ocean floor;
• Variety of rocks, including volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary;
• A crust that is thicker than the surrounding oceanic crust. For example, continental crust can vary in thickness from about 29 to 45 km, while oceanic crust is typically about 6 km thick;
• Clearly defined boundaries.

This last characteristic is the least well defined, according to the Geological Society of America, leading to confusion among experts as to how many continents there are. Moreover, there is no global governing body to develop a consensus definition.

How many continents are there really?

Examples of continental earth models

Using the criteria defined above, many geologists say that there are six continents or continents: Africa, Antarctica, Australia, North and South America, and Eurasia. The same model for dividing the main land areas of the planet is common in the former Soviet countries, including Russia. In US schools, as a rule, they teach that there are seven continents: Europe, North America and South America. In many parts of Europe, students are taught that there are only six continents, combining North and South America into one continent.

Why such difference? From a geological point of view, Europe and Asia are one big continent. The split into two separate parts comes more from a geopolitical point of view, as Russia covers a vast area of ​​Asia and has historically and politically been isolated from Western European powers such as Britain, Germany and France.

Recently, some geologists have begun to argue that a "new" continent called Zeeland should be added to the list. According to one theory, this land is located off the east coast of Australia. New Zealand and several smaller islands are the only peaks above water; the remaining 94 percent of the continent is hidden under the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Other ways of dividing land: regions, parts of the world and tectonic plates

Geographers, to simplify their work, usually delimit the lands of the planet into regions, and not continents or parts of the world. The official list of countries by region divides the world into eight regions: Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania.

There is also a similar concept of "part of the world", according to which all continents are divided into six main parts of the world: Asia, Africa, America, Europe, Australia and Oceania, Antarctica. As we can see from this list, Eurasia is divided into two parts (Europe and Asia), while North and South America are merged into one (America).

You can also divide major landmasses into tectonic plates, which are large slabs of hard rock. These plates are composed of continental and oceanic crusts and are separated from each other by fault lines. There are 15 tectonic plates in total, seven of which are approximately 16 million square kilometers or more in size. Not surprisingly, they roughly correspond to the shape of the continents that lie on their surface.