Continents
What Is a Continent?
A continent is a very big piece of land.
It is bigger than a country and is surrounded by oceans.
People live on all the continents, and each one has its own plants, animals, and weather.
The Seven Continents
| Continent | Where it is | Something special |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | East of Europe, north of the Indian Ocean | The biggest continent and home to the tallest mountain, Mount Everest |
| Africa | South of Europe, west of the Indian Ocean | Has the Sahara, the world’s largest desert |
| North America | Above South America, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans | Contains the United States, Canada, and Mexico |
| South America | Below North America, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere | Home to the Amazon rainforest |
| Antarctica | Around the South Pole | Covered with ice and almost no people live there |
| Europe | West of Asia, north of Africa | Famous for many old castles and museums |
| Australia | South of Asia, surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans | A whole continent that is also a country |
Fun Facts About Continents
- Asia has the most people of any continent.
- Africa has the longest river in the world, the Nile.
- North America has the deepest lake, Lake Superior.
- South America has the world’s largest waterfall, Iguazu Falls.
- Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.
- Europe has the smallest area of all the continents.
- Australia is the driest continent, with many deserts.
How Do Continents Change?
Long, long ago, the continents were all stuck together in a super‑continent called Pangaea.
Slowly, the land broke apart and drifted to the places we see today.
Scientists call this movement “plate tectonics.”
Even now, the continents keep moving—just a few centimeters each year, about the size of a fingernail!
Now you know the names, places, and cool facts about the seven continents. Keep exploring the world!