Continents of the world

UNIT 3

Continents of the world

Learning objectives

Students will be able to:

* describe the key features of each continent.

* describe some countries in each continent.

Introduction

Where do we all live? We all live on the Earth. Earth is our home. The total land on the earth is formed of seven continents of various sizes. Some are connected to each other while others are not. Each continent has a different number of countries. The seven continents of the world are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia.

Asia

Asia is the world's largest continent in size and population. The world's two most populous countries, China and India are in Asia. Asia has the highest point on earth, the peak of Mount Everest which is in the Himalayas. Asia is the birth of great ancient civilisations: Indus civilisation, Chinese civilisation and Mesopotamian civilisation.

The Great Wall of China is the man made structure that can be seen from space.

LET US KNOW

Thousands of years ago, the seven continents of the world were joined together as a single huge landmass called Pangaea. But it slowly broke apart and separated as seven continents.

Some other countries in Asian continent are Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan,  Maldives, Philippines, Afghanistan, Thailand and Indonesia. Now let us learn more about our country which is the part of Asia.

India

India is our country. India is known as the Land of unity in diversity as people from different religions, languages, cultures live united. India has 29 states and 7 union territories. New Delhi is the capital of India. India has several historical monuments. Taj Mahal is one such monument. It is situated in Agra on the banks of river Yamuna. Taj Mahal is built completely using white marble stones. This most beautiful monument is recognised as one of the seven wonders of the world.

Some other historic monuments in India include India Gate in Delhi, Sanchi Stuba near Bhopal, Gateway of India in Mumbai, St George Fort and GangaiKonda Cholapuram in Tamil Nadu .

ACTIVITY

Let us Paste

Collect and paste pictures of seven wonders of the world.

Africa

Africa is the second largest continent of the seven continents of the world, The world's longest river the Nile and the world's largest desert the Sahara, both are home in Africa. More than  50% of the world's gold and diamonds come from the mineral rich continent of Africa.

Think

Is it correct to pollute our rivers?

LET US KNOW

The continent was uninhabitable (Not fit for habitation) and remained unknown for thousands of years, earning it the name of 'Dark Continent'

Some countries in African continent are: Sudan, Libya, Egypt,  Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Guinea.

North America

North America is entirely within the Northern Hemisphere. North America is the third largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa. The largest fresh water lake, Lake Superior is located in this continent. The Mississippi - Missouri, is one of the longest river located in North America. The United States of America (USA) is a part of North America.

LET US KNOW

North America is the only continent in  the world that has all climatic types.

Some countries in North American continent are: Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Cuba, Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica.

South America

South America is located mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The world's largest river which is also the second longest is the Amazon river in South America. Brazil a country in South America is one of  the largest coffee producer in the world. The Andes is one of the longest mountain range in South America. Andes is an example of fold mountain. Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Andes. One of the highest volcanoes of the world, Mt. Cotopaxi is found in this continent.

The Amazon rainforest covers most of the Amazon Basin in South America.

Some countries in South American continent are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

ACTIVITY

Let us write

* Write the name of the country and its continent in the table below.

Country : Continent

India : Asia

Zimbabwe : Africa

Canada : North America

Argentina : South America

France : Europe

Antarctica

Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. It is also called the White Continent or the Frozen Continent. Antarctica experiences half a year of sun light and half a year of complete darkness. Penguins are found in Antractica. There are only permanent research stations from different countries can be found there.

Europe

Europe and Asia are parts of the same major landmass. Europe is separated from Asia by the Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. The world's smallest country, the Vatican City, is in Europe. The Volga is one of the longest rivers in Europe.

LET US KNOW

Finland, in Europe, is called the 'Land of Lakes' because melting ice sheets have created a lot of lakes here.

Some countries in European continent are: France, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Austria, Greece, Spain, Portugal  and Italy.

LET US KNOW

Russia, the country stretches over a vast expanse of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.

Ukraine's Steppe region is called the Bread Basket of Europe because it produces a large amount of wheat.

Think

Which state is called the Bread Basket of India?

Answer: Punjab

Australia

Australia is an Island continent covered with unique landscapes and natural wonders. The Great Barrier Reef, the pride and joy of Australia is made up of nearly 2,500 individual reefs and visible from space. Australia includes the islands of Tasmania and numerous small islands.

Glossary

Civilisation : A society in an advanced state of social development.

Island: A piece of land surrounded by water.

Monument: A building that is of historical importance and preserved as public property.

Recap

* Earth has seven continents. Each of these seven continents is divided into countries.

* The names of the seven continents of the world are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia.