- Define and explain Continent Highlights in your own words
- Use key terms such as continent accurately
- Apply what you have learned to new examples and questions
- Avoid the common mistakes learners make with this topic
This lesson focuses on Continent Highlights: discover a famous landscape or animal from each continent.
Discover a famous landscape or animal from each continent.
Key ideas
Seven continents of very different sizes
Asia is the largest continent and Australia the smallest. Europe and Asia are joined as one giant landmass, but we treat them as separate continents because of their different histories and cultures. Antarctica is covered in ice and is the coldest continent.
Oceans cover most of the planet
About seven-tenths of the Earth's surface is ocean. The Pacific is the largest ocean — bigger than all the land put together. The Arctic Ocean around the North Pole is the smallest and coldest.
Key term — continent: A very large area of land — there are seven: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
Which continent is being described? It is the largest continent, it is mostly in the northern hemisphere, and the Pacific Ocean lies to its east.
The largest continent is Asia. Check the hemisphere: most of Asia is north of the equator — correct. Check the ocean: the Pacific lies along Asia's eastern edge — correct. All three clues match, so the answer is Asia.
Answer: Asia.
- Calling a country a continent France is a country in the continent of Europe. A continent is far bigger and contains many countries.
- Mixing up the Arctic and Antarctica The Arctic is the ocean and ice around the North Pole; Antarctica is the icy continent around the South Pole. Their names sound alike but they are at opposite ends of the Earth.
Practice
Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
Africa — the equator crosses central Africa, but it does not touch Europe.
Both — it is a country and a continent.
The Pacific Ocean.
Quick check
Which of these best defines "continent"?
Which ocean surrounds Antarctica?
- Continent Highlights: discover a famous landscape or animal from each continent.
- Seven continents of very different sizes: Asia is the largest continent and Australia the smallest.
- ocean: A huge body of salty water — there are five: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans.
- Watch out for: calling a country a continent