GeographyContinents and Oceans
Continents• The world is divided into 7 major continents
1) North America
• 9.5 million square miles– Ranked #3 out of 7
• 565 million people (7.5%)– Ranked #4 out of 7
• 23 different countries
2) South America
• 6.9 million square miles– Ranked #4 out of 7
• 375 million people (5%)– Ranked #5 out of 7
• 12 different countries
3) Africa
• 11.7 million square miles– Ranked #2 out of 7
• 1.1 billion people (15%)– Ranked #2 out of 7
• 54 different countries
4) Europe
• 3.9 million square miles– Ranked #6 out of 7
• 745 million people (11%)– Ranked #3 out of 7
• 50 different countries
5) Asia• 17.2 million square miles– Ranked #1 out of 7
• 4.3 billion people (60%)– Ranked #1 out of 7
• 49 different countries
6) Australia
• 3.3 million square miles– Ranked #7 out of 7
• 36 million people– Ranked #6 out of 7 (1%)
• 4 countries
7) Antarctica• 5.4 million square miles– Ranked #5 out of 7– 98% is covered by ice
• No permanent population– Ranked #7 out of 7
• No countries
Oceans
• There are 4 major oceans in the world– Some sources might say there are 5 or 6– In this class, we will only deal with the Atlantic,
Pacific, and Indian Oceans
8) Pacific Ocean
• This is the largest ocean in the world
• It covers 1/3 of the earth’s surface
• The Pacific Ocean is bigger than the land area of all of the continents combined!
The Pacific Ocean borders 4 continents!
9) Atlantic Ocean
• The second largest ocean in the world
• It covers 1/5 of the earth’s surface
• The Atlantic Ocean is S-shaped and borders 4 continents.
10) Indian Ocean
• The third largest ocean in the world.
• It covers about 1/7 of the earth’s surface.
• The Indian Ocean gets its name from the Indian subcontinent. It borders 3 continents.
11) Arctic Ocean
• Located near the North Pole
• This is the world’s smallest ocean
• In the winter-time it is mostly covered by sea ice
12) Southern Ocean
• Located around Antarctica and the South Pole
• Sometimes, geographers say that the Southern Ocean isn’t an ocean by itself, but part of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian
Longitude
• Lines that go north and south (up and down) on a map to specify an East or West point on the earth’s surface
• 0 – 180 (East or West)
Prime Meridian
• The Prime Meridian divides the earth into East and West
Prime Meridian
• The degrees give you a measurement of how far to go from the Prime Meridian and in which direction (East or West)
Latitude
• Lines that go east and west (left and right) on a map to and specifies an North or South point on the earth’s surface
• 0-90 (North or South)
Equator
• The Equator divides the earth into North and South
Equator
• The degrees give you a measurement of how far to go from the Equator and in which direction (North or South)
Absolute Location
• Coordinates where LONGITUDE and LATITUDE intersect gives an exact location!
• Example: 100 degrees East and 40 degrees North
Scale
• Scale is what is used to measure distances on maps• Usually, one inch will represent a certain number of
miles on the map
• On larger maps, one inch will represent hundreds of miles
Cardinal Directions
• 4 Cardinal Directions– North– South– East – West
• 4 Intermediate Directions– Northeast– Northwest– Southeast– Southwest
• Lubbock, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina– what direction are you travelling – how many miles (approximately)?
• You travel approximately 1,000 miles500 x 2= 1000
• You are traveling northeast
On your own!• Shade the continents:
North America= Red South America=GreenAfrica= Yellow Europe=Blue Asia=OrangeAustralia= Pink Antarctica=Purple
• Label the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans
• Label the Equator and Prime Meridian
• On the compass, label the 4 Cardinal Directions and the 4 Intermediate Directions
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
AtlanticOcean
AtlanticOcean
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Cardinal Directions:NorthSouthEast West
Intermediate Directions:NortheastNorthwestSoutheastSouthwest
Prime Meridian
Equator