The continents and the oceans

We are learning to:

• name and locate the continents and major oceans on a globe and map of the world

• develop research skills using an atlas, websites and other sources.

Continents of the world

The continents make up about 30% of the Earth’s surface. The land areas – or landmasses – are divided into seven continents. The table shows the names of the continents and their approximate area.

Oceans of the world

Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface and contain about 97% of the Earth’s seas. There are five oceans on the Earth’s surface:

• Pacific Ocean

• Indian Ocean

• Atlantic Ocean, which is divided into the North Atlantic (north of the Equator) and South Atlantic (south of the Equator)

• Arctic Ocean (surrounding the North Pole)

• Southern Ocean (surrounding Antartica).

There are many other smaller seas and oceans on Earth, such as the Caribbean Sea between North and South America.

Exercise

1. Look at the world map on the next page.

a) If you travelled east from the Caribbean, which continent would you eventually reach?

b) Which continent is directly north of Africa?

c) Which continent is east of Europe?

2. Write the names of the continents in size order.

3. Name the ocean that is: a) between North America and Europe b) south of Asia c) between Africa and South America.

4. Name the ocean that is nearest to the Caribbean.

5. Why do you think you cannot see the islands of the Caribbean on the world map?

ContinentArea (km2)

Africa30,000,000

Antarctica14,000,000

Asia44,000,000

Europe13,000,000

Oceania9,000,000

North America

South America

24,500,000

18,000,000

You can also use a globe to explore and locate the oceans and continents of the Earth.

Look at different maps of the world on the internet and in an atlas. As a class, discuss the different ways that mapmakers show the world map. Talk about: colours, map shape and any other differences you notice.

Comparing the continents

Each continent has its own particular size and shape on the map. However, you may notice similarities and differences. For example, Asia and Oceania are wider than they are long. South America, North America and Africa each have a wider area towards the north and a longer ‘tail’ down towards the south.

Discussion

Discuss any other similarities or differences you notice in the shapes and sizes of the continents.