Ответы на вопросы ‘заморский земли рима управляемый наместнниками’

Древние материки. Официальная версия — Истории Земли

Первым заметил это загадочное географическое явление британский философ Фрэнсис Бэкон. Его наблюдения, правда, без всяких комментариев, были опубликованы еще в 1620-м, в труде «Новый органон». Несколькими десятилетиями позже, в 1658-м, Пласе, аббат и ученый, выдвинул теорию, согласно которой Новый Свет в давние времена был единым целым со Старым. Их разъединение произошло вследствие стихийного бедствия, получившего название «всемирный потоп». Европейский научный мир согласился с этой гипотезой.

Еще через два столетия Син-дер-Пеллегрини из Италии сделал первую попытку реконструкции былого облика Земли. Согласно его карте, Америка и Африка соединены и представляют собой один континент.

Свел воедино все гипотезы с данными и изложил идею материкового дрейфа немец-метеоролог Вегенер в 1915 году. Публикации его трактата «Происхождение материков и океанов» предшествовало пятилетнее скрупулезное изучение данных, собранных палеонтологами, географами и геологами. Они позволили ему прийти к выводу, что когда-то в древности наша планета имела только один континент и всего один океан. Первый был назван ученым Пангеей, второй – Панталассой (по-гречески «пан» значит общий, «Гея» — земля, «таласса» — океан, море). Вегенер считал, что в период между 250 и 200 млн. лет тому вращение Земли разорвало единый материк на осколки, которые под действием дальнейшей ротации планеты расползались на те места, которые им свойственны нынче.

Ученое сообщество того времени гипотезу Вегенера сочло антинаучным бредом. Немец не сумел назвать причины дрейфа континентов и точно определить природу движущих сил. К тому же, само перемещение материков не было зафиксировано, так что доказательной базы, как сочли оппоненты ученого, у Вегенера не было абсолютно. Желая найти подтверждения своей теории, немец в 1930-м снарядил экспедицию в Гренландию. К сожалению, во время изучений он погиб.

Лавразия и Гондвана

Через четыре десятилетия океанографической ассамблеей в Токио теория материкового дрейфа стала официально признанной. Более поздние изыскания даже позволили точнее назвать дату раскола Пангеи: 225 млн. лет назад. Сначала осколков было только два: образовались Лавразия, северный суперконтинет, и Гондвана – южный. Она разорвали и общий океан, который разделился на Тихий и Тетис. Первый существует и поныне, второй исчез с лица Земли 6-7 млн. лет тому. От него остались только моря: Средиземное, Черное с Азовским, Каспийское и почти высохшее Аральское. Последующее дробление материков длилось еще около ста миллионов лет. Лик Земли менялся неоднократно. И есть подтвержденные данные, что некоторые материки планетой были утрачены.

Пацифида, она же – Му

Туземцы полинезийских островов рассказывают очень интересные предания, которые заинтересовали не только этнографов, но и геологов с географами. Согласно этим легендам, земля их обитания когда-то была большой. Но потом бог по имени Увоке опустил на страну посох, и земля стала уходить под воду.

Конечно, предания не могут быть строго научным доказательством, но в качестве косвенного подтверждения существования в прошлом континента на месте группы островов они очень интересны. Материк получил имя Пацифида; во многих источниках он фигурирует также с «родным» названием, данным туземцами – Му. Остатки континента археологи и геологи обнаружили в Новой Зеландии и Австралии, в Антарктиде и Америки. А сохранившиеся до сих пор устные предания о погибшем континенте могут говорить о том, что процесс его разрушения закончился не так давно.

Еще одним доказательством существования Пацифиды могут служить гигантские постройки на острове Пасхи. По мнению ученых, такая колоссальность избыточна для столь небольшого клочка земли. Да и при том количестве населения, которое обитает сейчас на острове, возвести эти сооружения просто невозможно.

Новые, весьма убедительные доводы в пользу существования континента Му, были обнаружены в 1997-м американскими геологами. Фрагменты коры на Аляске, в Скалистых горах и в Калифорнии не типичны для общей структуры североамериканского континента. К слову, аналогичные геологические аномалии имеются и в Антарктиде, и в Австралии – словом, на всей суше, омываемой Тихим океаном. И они остались от распада Гондваны, частью которой была и Пацифида, раздробившаяся на небольшие острова и основной территорией ушедшая под воду.

По мнению геологов, загадочный континент Му первым откололся от южного праконтинента, и за тысячелетия миграции его осколки отдрейфовали веерообразно по всему миру. Они присоединились к обеим Америкам, частично расширили Австралию с Новой Зеландией и «пришвартовались» к вечным льдам Антарктиды.

Тайна Индийского океана: Лемурия

Современные ученые считают, что в каждом из существующих ныне океанов «прячется» погибший континент, оставив потомкам только жалкие осколки некогда существовавшей суши. Материк, ушедший под воды Индийского океана назван Лемурией. Своим именем он обязан приматам лемурам, обитающим в мадагаскарских лесах. А сами животные получили прозвание от римлян: у них лемуром назывался дух, остающийся после смерти человека. Огромные проникновенные глаза зверьков так поразили в 16 столетии европейцев, что они присвоили им это почетное «звание».

Чуть позже родственные приматы нашлись на юго-востоке Азии и в Индии. Столь странное распределение животных толкнуло ученых на поиски причины формирования ареала их распространения. Эти приматы плавать не умеют, да и расстояния слишком велики, чтобы преодолеть их без механических или хотя бы подручных средств. Так что объяснить разнообразие их мест обитания можно только тем, что в прежние времена лемуры жили на одном континенте, который после раздробился на отдельные участки суши.

Лемурия, по предположениям ученых, тоже откололась от Гондваны. Но, в отличие от Пацифиды, практически полностью ушла под воду. Мадагаскар – единственный обособленный участок суши, оставшийся от континента. Остальные осколки прибились к существующим ныне материкам.

Дополнительным доказательством предположения является то, что коренные мадагаскарцы телосложением и строением черепа более близки к индонезийцам. И это несмотря на то, что их ближайшими соседями являются представители негроидной расы.

Гиперборейская Арктида

Легендарная Гиперборея известна человечеству преимущественно по древнегреческим мифам. Впрочем, у скандинавов тоже встречаются описания страны, во многом совпадающие с греческими легендами. В частности, упоминается завидное долгожительство, удивительная телесная мощь и хорошее знакомство с науками – в первую очередь с астрономией.

У греков местонахождение Гипербореи наиболее точно описывает Плиний: «за Аквилоном», да еще там, где по полгода светит солнце. Исследователи склоняются к тому, что описываемые земли были частью Лавразии, которая почти полностью опустилась на дно Ледовитого океана. Во время своего существования она соединяла Евразию с той сушей, что сейчас называется Новым Светом.

В современности от Гипербореи осталось немного: остров Врангеля да Новосибирские острова. Причем затонула Арктида не так уж давно. Теоретически – между ста и пятью тысячами лет назад. Причиной ее исчезновения считаются катаклизмы, объясняемые разными причинами. Одна из версий – продолжающийся дрейф материков. Другая – потрясения, обусловившие потоп. Третья – ледниковый период (тут мнения разнятся: одни исследователи связывают исчезновение Арктиды с его началом, другие – с отступлением ледникового панциря).

Официальная наука в основном отрицает наличие Арктиды. Хотя определенные доказательства существовавшего некогда материка на этом месте признают даже наиболее скептически настроенные ученые светила.

Что скрывает Атлантика

Затонувший континент, чье название знакомо, наверное, каждому грамотному человеку – Атлантида. Вокруг нее накручено множество легенд, историй и теорий, которые смело можно отнести к конспирологическим. Твердо сказать, что Атлантиды никогда не существовало, мешают исторические данные. Все же Платон считается достаточно серьезным ученым в Древней Греции, пусть и был ограничен уровнем науки, существовавшей в те времена. А знаменитый афинянин довольно подробно описывал гигантский остров, располагавшийся 11 тысяч лет назад (совсем недавно с точки зрения истории) где-то на просторах Атлантического океана.

Ученый философ даже приводит некоторые ориентиры, по которым тогда можно было бы добраться до неведомой страны. Кроме того, и в его трудах, и в работах его современников встречаются упоминания о войнах, которые атланты вели с известным на тот момент миром. И если в отношении Афин завоевательские намерения не увенчались успехом, то другие страны не смогли устоять перед напором этого народа. Очень впечатляющи в диалогах Платона описания освободительного марша греков против оккупантов, покоривших соседей.

Да и описания катастрофы, постигшей Атлантиду, не ограничиваются только древнегреческими летописями. В разных вариациях они упомянуты и у других народов, пусть и не назывались атлантами.

Впрочем, официальная наука считает, что Атлантида – сплошная аллегория. Под ней Платон подразумевал Персию, которая была постоянным соперником Греции на политической арене. Однако придется признать, что где-то под волнами одноименного океана все же скрываются остатки материка, оторвавшегося во время дрейфа континентов: по расчетам ученых, в это сторону должен был мигрировать достаточно весомый кусок праматерика, в который миллионы лет назад была объединена суша. Так что если у ученых когда-нибудь найдутся средства и время для тщательного обследования дна Атлантического океана, они наверняка найдут там много интересного и неожиданного.

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90000 Continents of The World — Geography for Kids 90001 90002 Continents are very large landmasses found on Earth. The Earth has seven such continents. They are (from largest in size to the smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. 90003 90004 List of Continents in the World 90005 90006 Asia 90007 90002 Asia is the world’s largest and most populous continent on Earth. It covers 30% of the Earth’s land area. Asia hosts about 60% of the world’s current human population.The continent of Europe along with Asia form the world’s largest landmass, Eurasia, however these two continents on land are divided by the Ural mountains which stretch right up to the Caspian Sea. By water, it is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the South by the Indian Ocean and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. 90003 90006 Africa 90007 90002 Africa is the second-largest and also the second most populated continent in the world, after Asia. The continent of Africa covers 20.4% of the world’s total land area.Africa has a population of 1 billion which accounts for about 14.72% of the world’s human population. Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to its north, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the northwest. Africa is widely regarded to be the continent where humans originated. Africa is located on the equator and experiences a number of climate changes. It is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate regions.90003 90006 North America 90007 90002 North America is the third largest continent. It occupies 16.5% of the planet’s land area. In 2008, its population was estimated at nearly 529 million people. It is the fourth most populous continent after Asia, Africa and Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, and to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea. 90003 90006 South America 90007 90002 South America is the fourth largest continent in terms of area.It is also the fifth most populous continent after Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. South America is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean. South America includes 12 independent countries — Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela and French Guiana. South America is home to the world’s highest waterfall, the largest river by volume, the longest mountain range, the world’s largest rainforest, the driest place on earth and many other geographical wonders.90003 90006 Antarctica 90007 90002 Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in area. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages about 1.6 kilometers in thickness. It is the coldest, driest and windiest continent. Antarctica is considered a desert, with only 8 inches of rainfall in a year. There are no permanent residents on this island, but only a few thousands of people, who live here at the research stations found across the continent. Temperatures in Antarctica can drop to as low as -89 degrees Celsius.Antarctica is home to a variety of penguin species who have adapted to these harsh conditions. This region is also vital for the survival of the ecosystem. 90003 90006 Europe 90007 90002 Europe by convention, is one of the world’s seven continents divided from Asia by the Ural mountains stretching right up to the Caspian Sea. It is the world’s second-smallest continent by surface area. It covers about 6.8% of the Earth’s surface area. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the south east.Europe is the third most populous continent after Asia and Africa, with a population of 733 million, about 11% of the world’s population. 90003 90006 Australia 90007 90002 Australia is the smallest and lowest-lying human-inhabited continent on Earth. As Australia is mostly on a single landmass, it is also referred to as an «island» continent, surrounded by oceans. The continent of Australia also includes nearby islands Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands, and the Raja Ampat Islands, geologically.90033 90034 Project: 90035 90003 90037 90038 Find out five things each continent is known for geographically. Like South America is known for the Amazon Forest, The Amazon River etc. 90039 90038 Which countries form a part of North America? 90039 90038 Which country is the largest in terms of area, in Asia? 90039 90044.90000 Continents of the World: Africa | The Americas | Asia | Australia / Oceania | Europe 90001 90002 All our continents 90002 Image: nationsonline.org 90002 90005 What actually is a continent, and how many are there? 90006 90002 What does the dictionary say? 90002 Continent, noun, [kɒn.tɪ.nənt] one of the seven large landmasses on the Earth’s surface, surrounded, or mainly surrounded, by sea and usually consisting of various countries. 90009 [1] 90010 90011 The Continents 90002 Africa, the Americas, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, together with Oceania, and Europe are considered to be continents.90013 90011 The word continent is used to differentiate between various large land areas of Earth into which all the land surface of the planet is divided. The term refers to the ‘mountain top’ regions of the Earth 90015 not 90016 flooded by water, dry land. 90002 The level of the surrounding water ultimately defines the shape and borders of continents. More water implies less land and different outlines. Even more water, like that stored away as ice in the poles and glaciers, and you might live on a water planet, no continents.90013 Bookmark / share this page 90002 All right, then, a continent is «a large, continuous area of ​​land on Earth. «All continents of the Earth together make up about one-third of the total surface of the planet. The fact is, more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. 90002 The landmasses of the Earth are unequally distributed, two-thirds of the continental landmass is located in the Northern Hemisphere (the upper half of the globe, north of the equator). Why is that? This might be just a feature of our current point in geological time because some million years ago, the bulk of the planet’s landmass was in the Southern Hemisphere.(See below) 90011 90013.90000 BBC — Earth — In 250 million years Earth might only have one continent 90001 90002 Science calls it «Pangaea Proxima». You might prefer to call it the Next Big Thing. A supercontinent is on its way that incorporates all of Earth’s major landmasses, meaning you could walk from Australia to Alaska, or Patagonia to Scandinavia. But it will be about 250 million years in the making. 90003 90002 For Christopher Scotese at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, the fact that our continents are not stationary is tantalising.How were they arranged in the past — and how will they be positioned in the future? 90003 90002 «Fifty million years from now, Australia will be in collision with southeast Asia to a much larger degree,» he says. Africa will also be pushing right up against southern Europe, while the Atlantic will be a far wider ocean than it is today. 90003 90002 To visualise all of these details, Scotese has produced an animation illustrating his predictions as time elapses. 90003 90002 However, he admits that projections for the period beyond 50 million years in the future — which include his Pangaea Proxima prediction — are «very speculative».90003 90002 Earth’s continents rest on a system of plates and these move at differing speeds. Some travel about 1.2in (30mm) per year while others might move at five times that rate. These are roughly the speeds at which human fingernails and hair grow, respectively. 90003 90002 These days, plate motion is tracked with satellite positioning instruments embedded into the ground. But we knew that plates moved long before such technology was invented. How? How did we ever realise that we were standing on huge, shifting plates, given that they move so slowly and are so massive? 90003 90002 The idea that the continents moved around dates back centuries, but the first time anyone produced any serious evidence in favour of the idea was 100 years ago.That someone was German geophysicist Alfred Wegener. 90003 90018 90002 For many geologists, continental drift was a crackpot idea with little hard evidence 90003 90021 90002 He noticed remarkable similarities between the fossilised plants and animals found on continents that were separated by vast oceans. This suggested to him that those continents were connected when those now fossilised species were alive. 90003 90002 What’s more, when Wegener looked at his maps, he could clearly see that South America and Africa were like two giant puzzle pieces — they fit together.Could that really just be coincidence, or were they connected millions of years ago, only to drift apart? 90003 90002 That was the essence of Wegener’s theory: continental drift. But few people liked it. 90003 90002 In fact, for many geologists, continental drift was a crackpot idea with little hard evidence. How exactly could massive continents move? 90003 90002 Wegener could not provide a satisfactory explanation. He died in 1930. But his idea lived on, and 20 years later, his vindication would begin.90003 90018 90002 South America and Africa were like two giant puzzle pieces — they fit together 90003 90021 90002 The crucial secrets that would unlock the truth of his theory were not to be found on those moving continents. They were all hidden under the sea. 90003 90002 Marie Tharp was one of the first people to realise that mountain ranges and huge valleys were not just features found on land, but under the oceans as well. In the early 1950s Tharp helped to map a gigantic submarine mountain range, thousands of kilometres long but only a few kilometres wide, zigzagging right down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.90003 90002 Similar ranges lie beneath the waves of other oceans. They have since been named «mid-ocean ridges» — and their discovery helped turn the tide of thought on how the Earth’s surface had formed. 90003 90002 Harry Hess, an American geologist and submarine commander in World War Two, recognised the potential significance of the mid-ocean ridges. 90003 90018 90002 This sideways movement of rock … could ultimately explain why the continents themselves moved 90003 90021 90002 During the war, Hess had used sonar to map some areas of the ocean floor in detail.He had found it to be far from the flat, featureless landscape most geologists had assumed it to be. 90003 90002 The discovery of mid-ocean ridges fit with an idea he was developing — namely that the ocean floor is constantly, but very slowly, renewing itself. He suggested that hot magma welled up along the mid-ocean ridges and cooled into rock. Then, as more hot magma welled up at the ridge, the cool rock was pushed down the ridge flanks to make room. 90003 90002 This sideways movement of rock, perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges, could ultimately explain why the continents themselves moved.They were being pushed around by the upwelling of magma along the mid-ocean ridges. 90003 90002 His theory became known as «seafloor spreading». But still, other geologists were sceptical. Other features under the sea were providing more clues, though, and gradually turning the tide of opinion in Hess’s favour. 90003 90018 90002 It was, simply, the best evidence yet of a driving force that could shift continents 90003 90021 90002 Many rocks on Earth contain magnetic minerals. Before these rocks solidified from magma, those minerals could spin around like tiny compass needles and align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field.Upon cooling, the «compass needles» became frozen in place. 90003 90002 Canadian geologist Lawrence Morley and British geologists Frederick Vine and Drummond Matthews realised that this alignment process provided more evidence for seafloor spreading. 90003 90002 Every so often the Earth’s magnetic field flips: our compass needles would point towards Antarctica rather than the Arctic. That flipping process showed up in the rocks that make up the very fabric of the seabed. It was «striped», laid out in bars of normal and reverse polarity that lay parallel to the mid-ocean ridge.90003 90002 The best way to explain this was through seafloor spreading. 90003 90018 90002 The plates are like little bits of crust on top of the soup 90003 90021 90002 The magnetic minerals in hot lava at a mid-ocean ridge are aligned to the Earth’s magnetic field, and then frozen when the lava cools. As rock is formed and then moves down the flanks and away from the ridge, it preserves a record of the changes in Earth’s magnetic field over tens of thousands of years. The study of these records is called «palaeomagnetism».90003 90002 The idea also explained why the stripes on each side of the ridge were generally exact mirror images of each other. Rock usually trundles away from both sides of the mid-ocean ridge at the same rate. 90003 90002 It was, simply, the best evidence yet of a driving force that could shift continents. Geologists now accept that Hess — and Wegener before him — were right to envisage Earth’s geography as constantly in motion. 90003 90002 «It’s like a big soup cauldron,» says Susan Hough, a seismologist at the US Geological Survey in California.»The plates are like little bits of crust on top of the soup.» 90003 90018 90002 The plates are in a kind of eternal war, fighting for position on the face of the Earth 90003 90021 90002 There are two layers in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle that are described by this metaphor. The lithosphere — the hard, cooler part of the crust, including the plates themselves — and the asthenosphere, where molten rock moves up towards the lithosphere and sometimes breaks through at the mid-ocean ridges.90003 90002 The ground under your feet is not as rock-solid as you might have thought. All of this convection and mechanical activity drives the motion of plates. They can bump into each other, slide past or shift away from each other. Some plates can even become buried, or «subducted», under neighbouring plates, «recycling» their rock back to the Earth’s interior. 90003 90002 The plates are in a kind of eternal war, fighting for position on the face of the Earth. 90003 90002 We know that the plates have moved, but how can we actually plot their positions back through time? Scotese has produced animations showing what we believe to be the movements of the continents over the last 750 million years.90003 90002 «It’s sort of like a CSI investigation,» he says. «You have to use all the evidence you can to tell the story because there’s no eyewitnesses, there’s no video cameras taking pictures.» 90003 90018 90002 Fossils of Mesosaurus are found, not just in South America, but Africa as well 90003 90021 90002 Despite the challenge, Scotese says we can get 70 million years into the past with a good degree of confidence. That’s because we can track the progress made by seafloor spreading quite accurately to work out where the continents used to be.But there are also different types of geological records that let us see even further back. 90003 90002 Scotese gives the example of ancient fossil coral reefs. Between 300 and 400 million years ago, what is now North Africa was crossing from polar to tropical latitudes. 90003 90002 «If you look carefully, you can see exactly when it crossed that boundary from being in the cold half of the hemisphere to the warm half,» explains Scotese. «So coral reefs appear for the first time [in this region] and begin to grow on these carbonate platforms.»90003 90002 Indeed, the fossil record is a hugely significant area of ​​evidence. This, of course, was what initially gave Wegener confidence in his ideas. 90003 90018 90002 When Mesosaurus was alive, it was possible to walk between almost any two points on any two continents 90003 90021 90002 Take the example of 90111 Mesosaurus 90112, a creature not dissimilar from today’s crocodiles. It was a freshwater reptile with a long, powerful jaw, which lived between 270 and 300 million years. 90003 90002 Here is the weird part .Fossils of 90111 Mesosaurus 90112 are found, not just in South America, but Africa as well. It was a freshwater animal and could never have swum across the Atlantic Ocean to develop colonies on both continents. How did its fossils end up on either side of that vast ocean, then? 90003 90002 The answer is simple: 300 million years ago, there was no Atlantic. Those two continents were joined, and 90111 Mesosaurus 90112 never had to swim that distance. 90003 90002 In fact, when 90111 Mesosaurus 90112 was alive it was possible to walk between almost any two points on any two continents.All the landmasses were united in the supercontinent Pangaea — which is something Scotese expects to happen again about 250 million years from now when his «Pangaea Proxima» supercontinent forms. 90003 90002 The existence of the ancient Pangaea is recorded in the distribution of other fossils. 90111 Lystrosaurus 90112, for example, was a giant herbivore. Its fossil remains are now found in Africa, India and even Antarctica. 90003 90018 90002 Beyond 300 million years ago, the ancient magnetic record becomes much more patchy 90003 90021 90002 Even the plant 90111 Glossopteris 90112, a woody shrub that grew to 98ft (30m) in height, helps to confirm the idea that at one stage all of today’s continents were jammed together as Pangaea.90003 90002 Fossil evidence of 90111 Glossopteris 90112 has been discovered in South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia. Importantly, the seeds of the plant were massive and could not have floated or been blown on the wind to other land masses. A supercontinent, on which the seeds could be dispersed via land, is thought to be the only credible explanation. 90003 90002 However, all these forms of evidence have their limitations. Beyond 300 million years ago, the ancient magnetic record becomes much more patchy, so it is difficult to find hard evidence of continental movements.And at 500 million years, says Scotese, the fossil record also becomes less detailed. 90003 90002 As for predicting what will happen in the future, Scotese does this first of all by looking at how the plates are moving today and then extrapolating that movement over time. This is the simplest way to develop a prediction. But, he adds, after many millions of years, there is no telling what geological events might cause unforeseen changes to that movement. 90003 90018 90002 Plate tectonics give us valleys and huge mountain ranges, earthquakes and continental boundaries 90003 90021 90002 «In the plate tectonic world, plates do evolve slow and steady until we have one of these plate tectonic catastrophes like continental collisions,» he says.»This fundamentally changes plate tectonic regimes.» 90003 90002 Various statistical models help to provide a range of options for how the continents will be arranged more than 100 million years from now. But that is so far in the future, it is not clear to anyone how accurate these are. 90003 90002 Still, it is fun to speculate, and it helps reinforce the reality that the Earth is an active, dynamic planet — the very face of which keeps changing. Plate tectonics give us valleys and huge mountain ranges, earthquakes and continental boundaries.And there are still mysteries about how they work. 90003 90002 Hough points out that we are still investigating exactly why the Tibetan plateau, which lies north of the Himalayas, is as high as it is. 90003 90002 Plus, our knowledge of plate tectonics on other planets is incredibly limited. Indeed, we have only recently found some evidence that suggests tectonics on Mars and Jupiter’s moon, Europa. 90003 90018 90002 The continents really did move — and they have not stopped yet 90003 90021 90002 «You get into some interesting questions,» says Hough.»Like, is it a coincidence that we live on a tectonically-active planet, or was that somehow important for the emergence of life?» 90003 90002 For now we can only wonder. But plate tectonics have undoubtedly been significant for the development and dispersal of life on Earth. The secrets of the shifting ground beneath our feet have largely been revealed — and mostly within the last 50 years. 90003 90002 For a long time we thought there was little more stationary and stable than the Earth beneath us.But now we know that Wegener, in principle, was right. The continents really did move — and they have not stopped yet. 90003 90002 90111 Join over five million BBC Earth fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. 90112 90003 90002 90111 If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called «If You Only Read 6 Things This Week». A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday.90112 90003 .90000 7 Continents of the World 90001 90002 By Rachel Cribby on June 18 2020 in World Facts 90003 90004 A map showing the continents of the world using the seven continent model.90005 90006 In the US, the traditional list of continents includes exactly seven: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. 90007 90006 The actual list of continents is a human creation and is very regionalized. 90007 90006 There can be anywhere between four and seven continents depending on where you went to school.90007 90012 90013 90002 There are seven continents in the world: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia / Oceania, Europe, North America, and South America. However, depending on where you live, you may have learned that there are five, six, or even four continents. This is because there is no official criteria for determining continents.While the position of landmasses on continental crust may be used to determine continents, geopolitical factors also affect their delineation. Below is an overview of the world’s continent using the most popular classification system, the seven continent method. 90003 90016 Continents 90017 90018 Africa 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 30,370,000 km 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 11,730,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 1,225,080,510 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 54 90024 90007 90012 90002 Africa is the world’s second largest continent by both land area and population.The equator runs through Africa in the middle of the continent. Around one third of Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Africa makes up about 20% of the world’s total land area. The Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea all surround Africa, to the east, west, and north respectively. 90003 90002 The climate of Africa consists of hot desert in the north and jungle and savannahs in the middle and south. Africa hosts a large amount of biological diversity, and is home to more megafauna (large animals) than anywhere else in the world.Examples of these animals include elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and giraffes. 90003 90002 Africa has the youngest population of all continents, with a median age of only 19.5 years. This has mainly been a result of high population growth over the past 40 years. Africa is extremely linguistically diverse, with an estimated more than two thousand languages ​​spoken. The largest city in Africa is Lagos. 90003 90018 Antarctica 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 14,000,000 90024 90023 km 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 5,400,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 1,106 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 0 90024 90007 90012 90002 Located at the South Pole, Antarctica has no permanent population and no countries.It is reserved for use as a scientific base. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent by land area, and the least populated continent. Antarctica is an island, and is completely surrounded by the Southern Ocean. 90003 90002 High winds, extremely cold temperatures, lack of vegetation, and a very dry desert makes the climate of Antarctica highly inhospitable. Despite this, a number of species have adapted to the environment. This includes seals, penguins, and a number of plants and bacteria.90003 90002 The only human presence in Antarctica are scientists who live on the island on a temporary basis. It is also possible to visit Antarctica as a tourist. 90003 90018 Asia 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 144,579,000 km 90024 90023 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 17,212,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 4,462,676,731 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 48 90024 90007 90012 90002 Asia is the world’s largest continent both by population and by land area.Comprising of 30% of the world’s land area, Asia borders the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Indian Ocean in the south, and Europe to the west. Around 60% of the world’s population lives in Asia. 90110 90003 90002 Asia has the longest coastline of any continent. The climate of Asia is very diverse, and ranges from arctic to tropical. Throughout the interior of Asia, the climate is mostly dry. The southern and eastern part of the continent is prone to tropical storms called monsoons.Animals that are unique to Asia include the Asian elephant, the Indian Cobra, and the Japanese macaque. 90003 90002 Over four billion people live in Asia. China is the most populated country in Asia, though it is predicted that the population of India will overtake that of China by 2022. Asia is home to some of the world’s most important economic centers including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul. 90003 90018 Australia / Oceania 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 8,600,000 km 90024 90023 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 3,300,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 35,000,000 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 14 90024 90007 90012 90002 Australia is the world’s smallest continent and second least populated.The term Oceania is also used to describe this region in order to differentiate it from the country of Australia. However, Oceania is not a continent but is instead a continental grouping. The term Australasia is also sometimes use to refer to this region. Countries included in the Australian continent include Australia, Papua New Guinea, and portions of Indonesia. 90110 90003 90002 The climate of Australia ranges from tropical, arid, and hot in the north to milder temperatures in the south. Due to its isolation and distance from the rest of the world, Australia exhibits an amazing amount of species endemism.Some of the species unique to Australia include the koala, platypus, wombat, kangaroo, and echidna. 90003 90002 Australia has the smallest population of all continents aside from Antarctica. Its population of 35 million represents only around 0.50% of the world’s total population. Interestingly, New Zealand is not considered to be part of Australia / Oceania but is instead a submerged continent of its own. 90003 90018 Europe 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 10,180,000 km 90024 90023 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 3,930,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 741,447,158 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 50 90024 90007 90012 90002 Europe is the world’s third most populated continent, and the sixth largest continent by land area.Although physically connected to Asia, Europe has historically been considered a separate continent due to cultural and linguistic differences. The Ural and Caucasus Mountains are generally thought to be the eastern boundary of Europe. The other borders of Europe include the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Europe is home to more than 10% of the world’s population. 90110 90003 90002 The climate of Europe is largely shaped by the currents of the Atlantic Ocean, which regulate a mild temperature throughout much of the continent’s coastal areas.Throughout the interior of the continent, more extreme temperatures are experienced. 90003 90002 Europe has the world’s second highest population density after Asia. Monaco is the continent’s most densely populated country. Many of the languages ​​spoken in Europe today can trace their origins to the Roman Empire. Germanic and Slavic languages ​​are also spoken. Europe is home to a few countries that are considered to be transcontinental, i.e., in both Europe and Asia. These countries include Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, and Russia.90110 90003 90018 North America 90110 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 24,709,000 km 90024 90023 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 9,540,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 579,024,000 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 23 90024 90007 90012 90002 North America is the third largest continent in the world by land area. By population, it is the fourth largest. Sometimes considered to be a subcontinent of the Americas, North America is found entirely in the northern hemisphere and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, and South America to the south .North America is home to the longest land border in the world, which is shared between Canada the the United States. 90110 90003 90002 The climate of North America is warmer in the south of the continent, and colder in the north. While temperatures near the coast tend to be mild, inland temperatures can experience extremes. While the southern portion of the continent, in the southern United States and Central America, is subtropical, the northern portion of the continent consists largely of Arctic tundra.90003 90002 The United States is the most populated country in North America, followed by Mexico. The people of North America are ethnically diverse. English, Spanish, and French are the most commonly spoken languages ​​on the continent, although there are a number of minority languages ​​as well. 90003 90018 South America 90019 90020 90005 90006 90023 Land Area: 90024 90023 17,840,000 km 90024 90023 90026 2 90027 90024 90023 (90024 90023 6,890,000 sq mi) 90024 90007 90006 90023 Population: 420,458,044 90024 90007 90006 90023 Number of Sovereign States: 12 90024 90007 90012 90002 South America is the world’s fourth largest continent by land area, and the world’s third most populous.It is mostly situated in the southern hemisphere, with the exception of a small area of ​​the northernmost portion of the continent. It is found completely in the western hemisphere. South America is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Southern Ocean in the south, and North America in the north. 90003 90002 South America’s climate ranges from the dry Andacan Desert to the lush rainforests of the Amazon. The Andean Plateau, which is found atop the Andes Mountains, is the world’s largest plateau outside of Tibet.South America is home to amazing species of flora and fauna, including unique tropical birds and monkeys. 90003 90002 Brazil is the most populated country in South America, followed by Colombia and Argentina. The most popular language in South America is Spanish, although there is a high number of Portuguese speakers due to its status as the official language of Brazil. English is the official language in Guyana, while Dutch is spoken in Suriname. 90003 90016 Subcontinents 90110 90017 90002 A subcontinent is a landmass with a distinct geographic or cultural identity.Although subcontinents are very large, they are too small to be considered a continent on their own. A landmass may also be considered a subcontinent if it sits on its own tectonic plate. 90003 90018 Indian Subcontinent 90019 90020 90002 The Indian subcontinent is situated in South Asia. It is found south of the Himalayan mountain range and consists of the countries of India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The Indian subcontinent is sometimes called South Asia or the South Asian subcontinent.It is called a subcontinent because of its unique culture and distinct landmass. 90003 90018 Arabian Peninsula 90019 90020 90002 The Arabian Peninsula is a subcontinent because it lies on its own tectonic plate. It is the largest peninsula in the world. The countries making up the Arabian Peninsula are Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, as well as parts of Iraq and Jordan. 90003 90018 Central America 90110 90019 90020 90018 Greenland 90019 90002 Greenland, the largest island in the world, is called a subcontinent due to to its large size and location within North America.However, Greenland does not sit upon its own tectonic plate. 90003 90016 Other Continent Divisions 90017 90018 Four Continent Model 90019 90005 90006 Afro-Eurasia 90007 90006 America 90007 90006 Antarctica 90007 90006 Australia 90007 90012 90002 The four continent model promotes the idea that all continents are landmasses divided by ocean. As Europe and Asia inhabit the landmass, and Africa and Asia are connected by the Isthmus of Suez, they are considered to compose one continent called «Afro-Eurasia.»Also in this model, North America and South America are thought of as one continent connected by the Isthmus of Panama. 90003 90018 Five Continent Model 90019 90005 90006 Africa 90007 90006 Eurasia 90007 90006 America 90007 90006 Antarctica 90007 90006 Australia 90007 90012 90002 In the five continent model, Europe and Asia are considered to be one continent called Eurasia. Antarctica is also omitted due to its lack of permanent habitation. This model is used by the United Nations.90003 90018 Six Continent Model (Version One) 90019 90005 90006 Africa 90007 90006 Asia 90007 90006 America 90007 90006 Antarctica 90007 90006 Australia / Oceania 90007 90006 Europe 90007 90012 90002 This model is most commonly taught in western Europe, including France and Spain. Here, North and South America are considered to be one single continent of America. 90003 90018 Six Continent Model (Version Two) 90019 90005 90006 Africa 90007 90006 Eurasia 90007 90006 North America 90007 90006 South America 90007 90006 Antarctica 90007 90006 Australia / Oceania 90007 90012 90002 This model is mostly taught in Eastern Europe and Japan.In this model, North and South America are differentiated by Europe and Asia are combined in one continent of Eurasia. 90003 90018 Seven Continent Model 90019 90005 90006 Africa 90007 90006 Antarctica 90007 90006 Asia 90007 90006 Australia / Oceania 90007 90006 Europe 90007 90006 North America 90007 90006 South America 90007 90012 90002 The seven continent model is the most popularly accepted model. It is most commonly taught in English-speaking countries, as well as in China, India, and Pakistan.90003 90016 The Continents of the World 90017 90366 90367 90368 90369 Model 90370 90369 Continents 90370 90373 90374 90375 90368 90377 Seven Continents 90378 90377 Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia / Oceania, Europe, North America, South America 90378 90373 90368 90377 Six Continents (Version One) 90378 90377 Africa, Asia, America, Antarctica, Australia / Oceania 90378 90373 90368 90377 Six Continents (Version Two) 90378 90377 Africa, Eurasia, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia / Oceania 90378 90373 90368 90377 Five Continents 90378 90377 Africa, Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia 90378 90373 90368 90377 Four Continents 90378 90377 Afro -Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia 90378 90373 90406 90407 Click to Expand .