The land that the land of the planet Earth occupies, and its majestic diversity

Our planet is called blue, because most of the surface is occupied by the water environment: oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. In general, the land of the planet Earth occupies only one third of its surface. But at the same time you can hear the name "Green planet", because only here (as far as is known at this stage of space exploration) there are conditions for life, as we know it, and different types of trees, bushes and grasses color the Earth in green shades .

What features of terrain has land

Thirty percent, which occupies the land of the planet, have their own characteristics, according to the specifics of the location, as well as associated with the movement of tectonic plates. The mountainous terrain, which exists at this stage of the Earth's existence, formed many hundreds, thousands and even millions of years ago in the collision of tectonic plates, and now occupies more than a third of the land area.

Deserts characteristic of the temperate zone and characterized by high air temperatures occupy a segment of twenty percent.

Also, the land of the planet is covered with dense forests, woodlands and savannahs, which can be located in the highlands. In total, there are about 50 percent of the land, where there are green areas, for example, tropical forests. A small (relatively) area is also found on glaciers: 10% - Antarctica, northern parts of Eurasia and North America.

Separation of land into continents

Now the land of the planet is divided into six large continents. The largest of these is Eurasia (55 million square kilometers), followed by Africa (30 million square kilometers), North America (20 million square kilometers), South America (18 million square kilometers), Antarctica (14 Million sq km) and Australia (8.5 million sq km). All figures are presented in a rounded form and taking into account the areas of the adjacent islands. Map of the continents will allow you to see and understand where a continent is located.

It is interesting that there is a theory about one super-matter. According to her, the current continents were earlier one whole.

This continent was called Pangea, and it was washed by one huge ocean, which the scientists called Pantalassa. The proof of this theory is that the edges of the continents can be combined, and they will virtually coincide without errors, and also that the movement of continents and islands is still fixed. It is negligible in planetary scales: only some ten centimeters a year, but still such a phenomenon is present.

More about large continents, islands and the oceans washing them

Eurasia is a continent that is washed by all the oceans of the world. In accounting for its area is the third largest island of Kalimantan. Because of its vast territory on the mainland, you can meet any weather and natural conditions on which the planet earth is capable, from severe winter to desert. It is noteworthy that this continent is divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. European is below all in terms of sea level among the rest of the world - 300 m (on average). In Asia, namely in its southwestern part, the world's largest peninsula is located - the Arabian, and the largest archipelago - the Great Sunda Islands - is also referred to the territory of Eurasia .

Africa is the mainland with its neighbor Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world. Everyone is famous for the largest desert in the world, called the Sahara. The continent is washed by two oceans - the Atlantic and the Indian. In the south of the continent lies the Mediterranean Sea, which divides Europe and Africa. It is noteworthy that Africa, as part of the world, is a place where more than 70% of the population is below the poverty line.

A single part of the world consisting of two continents

North and South America are two continents that together make up one part of the world - America. They are entirely located in the Western Hemisphere and are connected by the Isthmus of Panama. North America is the largest island in the world - Greenland, and the fifth largest - Baffin Island. Washed by its three oceans - the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific. South America - the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The smallest but no less outstanding continents

Antarctica is the highest (2400 meters above sea level on average) and the coldest (average temperature -70 ° C) continent on Earth, located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. In its territory, apart from the eternal ice, lies the South Pole, which practically coincides with the center of the continent. The Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans wash this land.

Australia is the smallest continent in the Southern Hemisphere, through which the Southern Tropic is almost in the middle. In this regard, it is the driest continent, on which there is still a place for small tropical forests and snow-capped peaks. Whole Australia is occupied by one country, called the continent, to which there is no analogue in our world. The territory of the mainland is adjacent to the second-largest island in the world - New Guinea.