Continents: Geography, Mountains, and Key Features
Continents: Geography and Key Features
Africa, the third largest continent, is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean (West) and the Indian Ocean (East). It is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and from Asia by the Red Sea. The continent is mainly flat, with an average altitude of 750m, and features many plateaus. Major mountain ranges include the Atlas Mountains (North-West) and the Drakensberg Mountains (South-East). The Great Rift Valley (East) is a long valley formed by a geological fault, and is surrounded by mountains, including Mount Kilimanjaro. Inland, the Congo-Nile Divide is a significant feature. The coast is relatively regular, with the Gulf of Guinea and the Cape of Good Hope being notable features. The largest island is Madagascar.
America: Mountain Ranges and River Basins
America is the second largest continent. It features long, young mountain ranges in the West, including the Rocky Mountains (North America) and the Andes (South America). Old, eroded massifs are found in the East, such as the Appalachian Mountains (North America) and the Brazilian Highlands (South America). The interior contains wide plains and river basins, including the Mississippi-Missouri and Amazon basins.
Asia: High Plateaus and Peninsulas
Asia is the largest continent. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, while the Dead Sea is the lowest point. The north and center of Asia feature great plains and high plateaus, including the Siberian, Iranian, and Tibetan Plateaus. Central Asia contains mountain ranges, including the Himalayas with Mount Everest. The coast is irregular, with large peninsulas such as the Arabian, Hindustan, and Indochinese Peninsulas. Volcanic archipelagos include Japan and the Philippines. Major rivers include the Tigris and Euphrates (Persian Gulf), the Indus (Arabian Sea), and the Huang He (Yellow River) and Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) (Pacific Ocean). Notable seas include the Bering Sea and the Sea of Japan. The Caspian Sea is a lake, as is Lake Baikal.
Oceania: Islands and Deserts
Oceania is the smallest continent, comprising more than 10,000 islands of varying sizes located in the Pacific Ocean (South-East of Asia). It includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Australia (89% of the landmass) is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It features plains and plateaus, including a wide plateau in the west with the Great Victoria Desert, and large basins crossed by rivers in the center (Murray and Darling Rivers). In the east, the Great Dividing Range is an important mountain range. New Zealand is an archipelago made up of two main islands and smaller ones. The Southern Alps extend along New Zealand’s South Island and feature young mountains with volcanic activity. Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian islands/archipelagos also exhibit volcanic activity.
Antarctica: The Ice-Covered Continent
Antarctica, the fourth largest continent, comprises a huge continental mass covered by ice and islands. It is where the South Pole is located and is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean.
Europe: Plains, Mountains, and Peninsulas
Europe is a small continent located in the Northern Hemisphere, in the western part of Eurasia. Europe and Asia are separated by the Ural Mountains and Caucasus Mountains, as well as the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from Africa. In the west, Europe is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and in the north by the Arctic Ocean. The coast is irregular, with several peninsulas (Jutland, Italian, Balkan, Iberian) and islands (Iceland, Great Britain, Corsica).
European Relief: Plains, Massifs, and Young Mountains
Europe has a relief with three main features: the Great European Plain (a large sedimentary basin from the Atlantic coast to the Urals, crossed by the Rhine, Elbe, and Pechora rivers), plateaus and old mountain ranges (Spanish Meseta, French Massif Central, Scandinavian Mountains), and young mountain ranges (located in southern Europe and including the Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Balkans, and Caucasus).
Spain: Iberian Peninsula and Interior Ranges
Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. It is located in south-west Europe, bordered by the Pyrenees and Cantabrian Sea (north), the Atlantic Ocean (west), the Mediterranean Sea (east), and the Strait of Gibraltar (connecting the Atlantic and the Mediterranean in the south). Spain’s average altitude is 660 meters, due to the large plateau, the Meseta. It has two interior mountain ranges: the Sistema Central and the Montes de Toledo.
Spain: Surrounding Mountain Ranges and Plains
There are mountain ranges around the Meseta: the Cordillera Cantábrica, Montes de León, Sistema Ibérico, and Sierra Morena. Farther from the Meseta are the Macizo Galaico, Cordilleras Béticas, Pyrenees, and Cordilleras Costero Catalanas. Extensive fertile plains include the Ebro and Guadalquivir river basins.