Antarctica is located at the South Pole and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Over 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice. It is the driest and coldest continent on earth. Antarctica is the fifth largest continent based on size, but it is the smallest in population with a population of 0 (although some people do visit).
Some animals to survive in the cold and dry climate of Antarctica. These animals include penguins, seals, and the snow petrel (a bird).
Antarctica has no countries and no portions of the continent are owned by any country.
Here are some fun facts!
Antarctica is the windiest place on earth.
There is as much ice on Antarctica as there is water in the Atlantic Ocean.
The lowest recorded temperature in history was -128 degrees F in Antarctica.
Antarctica has the highest average elevation of any continent. This is due to all the ice on it!
The continent of Oceania is often call Australia as well, but includes more countries than just Australia. Oceania is the smallest continent by size and the second smallest in terms of population. Oceania is located to the southeast of Asia. It is made up of Australia and a number of island countries. Oceania and its islands are surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Much of Oceania's land mass is desert, but there are also very lush areas. Oceania has some very unique animal life for such a small continent. Some examples are the Koala Bear (which is not really a bear, but a marsupial), the platypus, and the Kangaroo.
Here are some fun facts!
Much of Oceania is sparsely populated and there are more sheep in Oceania than people.
Australia was first settled by Europeans as a penal colony or prison colony.
The name Australia means "land of the south".
There are less people that live in Australia than in the US state of Texas.
Oceania is located in the southern hemisphere. This means that its winter is during June, July and August and its summer during the months of December, January, and February.
The continent of Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent with nearly 4 billion people calling Asia home. Asia also contains the world's most populous country, China, and the worlds largest country, Russia. Asia borders Africa and Europe to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
The continent of Asia is so large and diverse that it often is divided into sub-regions.
Asia is rich in diverse races, cultures, and languages. Many of the world's major religions came out of Asia including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Asia has a major influence on world culture and the world's economy. Countries such as Russia, China, Japan and India produce products and services that are used by every nation in the world. Asia is also abundant in natural resources. Oil in the Middle East is a major supplier of much of the world's energy.
Here are some fun facts about Asia!
Asia is almost 30% of the worlds land area and contains 60% of the worlds population.
The highest point on earth, Mt. Everest, is in Asia. The lowest point on land, the Dead Sea, is also in Asia.
Asia is the only continent that shares borders with two other continents; Africa and Europe. It sometimes joins with a third continent, North America, in the winter by ice forming in the Bering Sea.
Asia contains many of the largest cities in the world including the two largest; Shanghai, China and Mumbai, India.
The continent of Africa borders the southern half of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean is to the west, and the Indian Ocean is to the Southeast. Africa stretches well south of the equator to cover more than 12 million square miles making Africa the world's second largest continent. Africa is also the world's second most populous continent. Africa is one of the most diverse places on the planet with a wide variety of terrain, wildlife, and climates.
Here are some fun facts about Africa!
The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at 5895 meters high, the lowest point is Lake Asal in Djibouti at 153 meters below sea level.
The largest country in Africa is Sudan, the smallest is The Seychelles. The most populated country is Nigeria and the largest city is Cairo in Egypt.
The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria and the longest river is The Nile River, which is also the longest river in the world.
Africa is rich with varied wildlife including elephants, penguins, lions, cheetahs, seals, giraffes, gorillas, crocodiles, and hippos.
African languages are varied with more than 1000 languages spoken across the continent.
Europe is the sixth largest continent in size and the third largest in population. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, Asia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West. Europe is a wealthy continent and is the center of the West and Western Democracy.
Europe has been the home to some of the earth's greatest civilizations from Ancient Greece to the Roman Empire. It is also the home to the birth of democracy. Europe has also been the central point of two of the biggest wars in modern history: World War I and World War II. Recently Europe has united under the common union called the European Union. This union allows independent European countries to have a single currency and to combine their economic and military power.
Here are some fun facts about Europe!
Europe is the home to many of the world's oldest countries including the 5 oldest; San Marino, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Portugal.
Europe is home to the smallest country in the world, the Holy See or the Vatican. It is the smallest country both in size and population.
The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia.
Most of Europe now uses the same currency called the Euro.
The area of Russia that is west of the Ural Mountains is usually considered part of Europe.
Europe is the sixth largest continent in size and the third largest in population. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, Asia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the West. Europe is a wealthy continent and is the center of the West and Western Democracy.
Europe has been the home to some of the earth's greatest civilizations from Ancient Greece to the Roman Empire. It is also the home to the birth of democracy. Europe has also been the central point of two of the biggest wars in modern history: World War I and World War II. Recently Europe has united under the common union called the European Union. This union allows independent European countries to have a single currency and to combine their economic and military power.
Here are some fun facts!
Europe is the home to many of the world's oldest countries including the 5 oldest; San Marino, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Portugal.
Europe is home to the smallest country in the world, the Holy See or the Vatican. It is the smallest country both in size and population.
The tallest mountain in Europe is Mount Elbrus in Russia.
Most of Europe now uses the same currency called the Euro.
The area of Russia that is west of the Ural Mountains is usually considered part of Europe.
North America is the third largest of the seven continents. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the East and the Pacific Ocean in the west. North America is dominated by its three largest countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Central America and the Caribbean are usually considered part of North America, but they have their own section.
Although Columbus is given much credit as having discovered America, there were plenty of people already living in North America prior to the Europeans having arrived including the Aztec civilization in what is now Mexico. In the 1600's the Europeans quickly colonized and took over much of North America. The largest country in North America, the United States, was formed in the late 1700's and became a "melting pot" of people and cultures from around the world.
Here are some fun facts!
The city with the largest population in North America is Mexico City, Mexico. The most populous country is the United States. (2010 census)
The longest river in North America is the Mississippi River.
Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world. It is located on the border between the United States and Canada.
The country of Greenland is the biggest island on the planet.
The North American and South American continents are thought to have been named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
