The Seven Continents
Learn
Our Earth is a big, beautiful planet with land and water. The large areas of land are called continents. There are seven continents on Earth, and each one is special!
What is a Continent?
A continent is a very large area of land. Continents have countries, mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts. People live on six of the seven continents!
The Seven Continents
Here are the seven continents, from largest to smallest:
- Asia - The largest continent
- Africa - The second largest continent
- North America - Where the United States is located
- South America - Connected to North America
- Antarctica - The frozen continent at the South Pole
- Europe - A continent with many countries
- Australia - The smallest continent (also called Oceania)
Facts About Each Continent
Asia
Asia is the largest and most crowded continent. More than half of all the people in the world live in Asia! China and India are two big countries in Asia.
Africa
Africa has the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. Africa is also home to amazing animals like lions, elephants, and giraffes.
North America
North America includes the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It has mountains, plains, and both hot and cold places.
South America
South America has the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world. It also has the Andes Mountains.
Antarctica
Antarctica is covered in ice and is very, very cold. No people live there permanently, but penguins do! Scientists visit to study the ice.
Europe
Europe has many countries close together, like France, Germany, and Italy. It has castles, old cities, and beautiful countryside.
Australia
Australia is both a continent and a country! It has unique animals like kangaroos and koalas that are not found anywhere else.
Examples
Let's learn more about each continent with examples.
Example 1: Finding Where You Live
Question: Maya lives in the United States. What continent does she live on?
Think: The United States is in North America.
Answer: Maya lives on the continent of North America.
Example 2: Comparing Sizes
Question: Which is bigger, Asia or Europe?
Think: Asia is the largest continent. Europe is the second smallest.
Answer: Asia is much bigger than Europe.
Example 3: Finding Special Places
Question: Where is the Amazon Rainforest?
Think: The Amazon Rainforest is in a continent that is connected to North America.
Answer: The Amazon Rainforest is in South America.
Example 4: Identifying by Animals
Question: Which continent is home to kangaroos and koalas?
Think: These animals are only found in one place on Earth.
Answer: Australia is the only continent with kangaroos and koalas.
Example 5: The Coldest Continent
Question: Which continent is covered in ice and has no permanent residents?
Think: This continent is at the South Pole and is too cold for people to live there year-round.
Answer: Antarctica is the frozen continent where only scientists visit.
Practice
Answer these questions about the seven continents.
1. How many continents are there on Earth?
Show Answer
There are 7 continents on Earth.
2. What is the largest continent?
Show Answer
Asia is the largest continent.
3. What is the smallest continent?
Show Answer
Australia is the smallest continent.
4. Which continent has the Sahara Desert?
Show Answer
Africa has the Sahara Desert.
5. Which continent is covered in ice?
Show Answer
Antarctica is covered in ice.
6. Which continent is the United States on?
Show Answer
The United States is on North America.
7. Which continent has the Amazon Rainforest?
Show Answer
South America has the Amazon Rainforest.
8. Name two continents that start with the letter "A."
Show Answer
Asia, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia all start with "A." (Any two of these is correct!)
9. Which continent is also a country?
Show Answer
Australia is both a continent and a country.
10. Where do most of the world's people live?
Show Answer
Most of the world's people live in Asia.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1: What is a continent?
Show Answer
A continent is a very large area of land on Earth. There are seven continents.
Question 2: Can you name all seven continents?
Show Answer
The seven continents are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.
Question 3: Why does no one live permanently in Antarctica?
Show Answer
Antarctica is too cold for people to live there year-round. It is covered in ice and has very harsh weather. Only scientists visit for research.
Question 4: How are North America and South America similar? How are they different?
Show Answer
Similar: Both are in the Western Hemisphere and are connected to each other. Different: North America has the United States and Canada, while South America has the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes Mountains.
Next Steps
- Practice with a map: Find a world map and point to each continent. Can you name them all?
- Learn a song: There are fun songs about the continents that can help you remember them!
- Keep learning: In the next lesson, you will learn about The Oceans and the water that surrounds the continents.