1. Continents, Oceans, Seas, Equator and Important Mapping Terms

2. 7 Continents of the World
There are 7 continents, can you think of what they are?
Continents make up all of the Earths land
The 7 continents are:
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
South America

3. Continents of the World

4. Africa
Africa is comprised of 55 countries and 9 territories. Over 1.2 Billion people live in Africa.
Africa is home to safari parks, deserts, savannah grasslands, jungles and tropical rainforests.
Africa makes up 22% of the world’s mass.
Africa is famous for its many different animals such as elephants, giraffes, monkeys, cheetahs, hyenas, lions, zebras, rhinoceros’ and hippopotamus’.
Africa is also home to the Nile River, the worlds longest river, and Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world.
There are over 1,000 recognised languages in Africa and the religions include Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and other traditional African religions.

6. Antarctica Antarctica is also referred to as the South Pole
The size of Antarctica changes dramatically depending on the climate
Antarctica is known as the white continent, 98% of the planet is ice
Antarctica is the largest desert in the world
Antarctica has no permanent residents, no countries and no government. Why do you think this is?
Antarctica is home to animals such as penguins, albatross, seals and whales.
The highest temperature ever recorded is just 7°F, the lowest recorded temperature is -128°F.

8. Asia Asia is the largest continent; There are 48 countries in Asia
Most people are Chinese, Indian, Japanese or Arab
North Asia is also known as Siberia. It is extremely cold.
The Pacific, Arctic and Indian oceans all surround Asia.
China is the largest country in East Asia, China is the most populous country in the world.
Central Asia is made up of deserts, mountains and plateaus.
The Middle East is a part of South Asia, the 3 continents of Asia, Africa and Europe meet here.
The Himalayas are also a part of South Asia – this is home to Mt Everest

10. Australia
Australia is the smallest continent by land mass, and the second smallest by population. Do you remember the smallest continent by population?
‘Australia’ comes from ‘Terra Australis’, which is a Latin term for ‘land of the south’
Vegetation covers 91% of the Australia, which is why most of Australia live by the south and east coast.
About 25% of Australians were born in another country
The ‘Great Barrier Reef’ in Queensland is the largest coral reef in the world
Australia is home to intriguing animals such as the kangaroo, koala, dingo, platypus, blue tongue lizard and many species of spiders

12. Europe
Southern Europe boasts highlands and mountains, while Northern Europe is very flat
Europe is the second smallest continent by surface area
Europe is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Caspian, Mediterranean, and Black Seas to the south
The currency ‘Euro’ is used in 18 countries inside Europe
On every continent of the world, one can find large populations of Europeans.

14. North America
North America is the third largest continent by land mass and the fourth largest by population
North America consists of twenty four countries, the largest by land mass being Canada.
North America is home to over five hundred million people.
The most populated city in North America is Mexico City, Mexico, where there are almost nine million people currently residing.
The first North Americans are believed to be of Asian descent by crossing from North East Asia
North America is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and both the Panama Canal and South America to the South

16. South America
South America includes the following countries: Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, Guyana, and Ecuador.
The majority of the population lives in the coastal regions.
The Western region of the continent is home to the Andes mountain ranges.
South America contains the highest volume river, the Amazon, the longest mountain range, the Andes, and the driest area on the planet, the Atacama Desert. 
South America is home to some of the most fascinating animals such as the anaconda, llama, jaguar, tapir, vicuna, and piranha
Most South Americans speak Spanish or Portuguese

18. The 5 Great Oceans The 5 great oceans of the world are the:
Arctic Ocean
Atlantic
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Earth is made up of approximately 70% water, 98% of this is salt water
This body of water is broken up by large and small land masses called continents
The Great Oceans form the largest part of these bodies of water

19. Oceans of the World

20. Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of all the 5 oceans, it is also the shallowest
It is surrounded by the continents of Europe, Asia and North America
The Arctic Ocean contains the North and Barents Seas, as well as Hudson Bay – these seas are normally ice.
The Arctic Ocean is home to many endangered species
Winters are generally continuously dark with clear skies, calm waters, and cold, stable weather.
Summers include continuous sunlight, damp, foggy conditions, and mild cyclones that may include rain or snow.

21. Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic is the 2nd largest ocean on Earth
The Atlantic Ocean covers 20% of the Earth’s surface
The Atlantic Ocean is home to a wide range of wildlife including crabs, lobsters, shrimp, large whales and sharks, large mammals such as seals and dolphins, and hundreds of species of fish
Due to many factors including pollution, oil spills, entanglement, overfishing, and illegal harvesting, the Atlantic is also home to several endangered species including whales, dolphins, manatees, birds and fish
The Equator subdivides the Atlantic Ocean into two parts, called the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic.

22. Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world’s five oceans, making up about 20% of Earth’s water.
Named after the country of India, it is bordered by Asia to the north, Antarctica to the south, Australia to the east, and Africa to the west.
The Indian Ocean is home to the Persian Gulf, Red Sea , Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other bodies of water
Some of the major island nations to live in the Indian Ocean include Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka
The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world

23. Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the 5 oceans.
The Pacific Ocean is larger than all the land on Earth
The Pacific Ocean borders four continents; Asia, Australia, South America and North America
Like the Atlantic, the ocean is split into two parts that are divided by the equator. The two parts are the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Many seas sit along the western part of the Pacific Ocean, like the Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, and Yellow Sea
The Pacific Ocean contains 50.1% (over half) of the worlds water

24. Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean is an enormous body of water that surrounds the entire continent of Antarctica and reaches Australia and the southern end of South America
The Southern Ocean is deeper than the other ones, ranging from 13,000 to over 16,000 feet
Because of the icebergs and the most powerful winds on earth, ships have a problem traveling on the ocean all year long. 
The name Southern Ocean did not exist until the year 2000
It was originally the Southern regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.