The Earth's surface is divided into large land masses called continents and large water bodies called oceans. There are seven continents and five oceans. Knowing them by size and location is useful for world geography and static GK questions.
The Seven Continents
- Asia - the largest continent by area and population.
- Africa - the second largest.
- North America and South America.
- Antarctica - the coldest, covered in ice.
- Europe and Australia - Australia is the smallest continent.
Key Continent Facts
- Asia has the highest peak, Mount Everest.
- Africa is crossed by the Equator in the middle.
- Antarctica has no permanent human population.
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The Five Oceans
- Pacific Ocean - the largest and deepest ocean.
- Atlantic Ocean - the second largest, shaped like the letter S.
- Indian Ocean - the only ocean named after a country.
- Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean - the smallest is the Arctic.
Important Ocean Facts
- The Mariana Trench in the Pacific is the deepest point on Earth.
- Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface.
Quick Revision Points
- There are seven continents and five oceans.
- Asia is the largest continent.
- Australia is the smallest continent.
- Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest.
- The Indian Ocean is named after a country.
- The Arctic is the smallest ocean.
- The Mariana Trench is the deepest point on Earth.