Biology Unit 5 - Topic 24 - Water and Land Features of Earth

Water and Land Features of Earth

 The Earth is composed of land and water formations. Continents are the largest bodies of land and oceans are the largest bodies of water; the oceans are made of saltwater.

 


The widely recognized all the 7 continents are listed by size below, from biggest to smallest.

  • Asia includes 50 countries, and it is the most populated continent, the 60% of the total population of the Earth live here.
  • Africa comprises 54 countries. It is the hottest continent and home of the world's largest desert, the Sahara, occupying the 25% of the total area of Africa.
  • North America includes 23 countries led by the USA as the largest economy in the world.
  • South America comprises 12 countries. Here is located the largest forest, the Amazon rainforest, which covers 30% of the South America total area.
  • Antarctica is the coldest continent in the world, completely covered with ice. There are no permanent inhabitants, except of scientists maintaining research stations in Antarctica.
  • Europe comprises 51 countries. It is the most developed economically continent with the European Union as the biggest economic and political union in the world.
  • Australia includes 14 countries. It is the least populated continent after Antarctica, only 0.2% of the total Earth population live here.

Note: All the oceans are connected and are actually one large body of water, called the World Ocean.

Seas and Straits


Small regions of the oceans are called seas, straits, or gulfs.

A sea is a large body of saltwater, connected to an ocean.

A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water.

A gulf is a body of water that is surrounded by land on three sides.


                                Isles and Peninsulas 


Islands, also called isles, are smaller versions of continents.  An island is a body of land, completely surrounded by water.

A peninsula is a body of land surrounded by water on all sides, except one.

Mountain Ranges and Highest Peaks
 






Major Rivers of the World 






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