3rd Class General Knowledge World Notes - World

World

Do you know?

•          Interestingly, the name all of the continents end with the same letter with which they start.
•        As the oldest human fossils such as skeletons and skulls have been discovered in Africa. The continent is also called ?Cradle of humankind.?
•          Europe is considered to be the wealthiest and richest continent.

There are seven continents and five oceans in the world.

CONTINENTS

1.            Asia: Asia is the largest continent on earth covering about 9 percent of the earth's surface. It is also the most populated continent on earth, home to an estimated population of around 4.3 billion people. This large population makes it an important part of the world economy. Highest mountain of the world Mount Everest is also in this continent.

2.            Africa: Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It is also the second largest continent in the world in terms of population. Africa is commonly referred to as the Black Continent by many. This large land mass comprises of 54 countries and is home to one billion people. Africa is also considered to be the birth place of mankind. It contains the world's longest river Nile and also world's largest desert, the Sahara desert.

3.            Antarctica: Antarctica is the southernmost continent of all. Antarctica is the least populated continent on earth. It is also home to very few plant and animal species. Antarctica is also the coldest landmass on earth and much of this continent is made of permanent glaciers. Around 98% of the continent is covered by ice. It is also the windiest continent.

4.            Australia: The continent of Australia is a single country continent. It is the sixth largest country by total area and is also the smallest of all the seven continents. Because of its size and isolated location, it is also called an island continent. This continent is surrounded by Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Australia is one of the least populated continents and is rich in biodiversity.

5.            Europe: Europe is the second smallest continent in the world. Europe is home to almost 50 countries and is the third most populated continent in the world after Asia and Africa. About 11 percent of the world's population lives in Australia. Russia is the largest country in Europe and Vatican City is the smallest. Russia has got territory in both the continents of Europe and Asia.

6.            North America: North America is a continent which lies wholly in the Northern Hemisphere. It is bordered by Arctic Ocean in the north, Atlantic Ocean in the east. Pacific Ocean in the south and west and South America and Caribbean Sea in the south east. It is the third largest continent in the world by area and fourth largest continent by population.

7.            South America: South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere with most of its land area lying in the Southern Hemisphere and a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It has Pacific Ocean to its western side, Atlantic Ocean in the northern and eastern side and North America and Caribbean Sea in the North West side. South America is the fourth largest continent in terms of size and fifth in terms of population.

Interesting Facts

•          The world's ocean contain enough water to fill a cube with edges over 1000 kilometers in length.
•          The pacific Oceans name has an original meaning of 'peaceful sea'.
•           During winters, the Arctic Ocean is almost covered with sea ice.   

OCEANS

1.            Pacific Ocean: The Pacific is the largest of these oceans covering 63,784,077 sq miles (). It separates Asia and Oceania from the Americas. It also holds the deepest point on the earth's sea floor.

2.            Atlantic Ocean: The next largest ocean is the Atlantic with an area of 41,081,270 sq miles (). It is bounded by the Americas to its west and by the western shores of Europe and Africa to its east.

3.            Indian Ocean: The Indian Ocean covers a 28,400,130 sq mile (73,556,000 km2) area between the eastern coast of Africa, the shores of the Middle East and India to its north, and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by Southeast Asia and Australia/Oceania.

4.            Arctic Ocean: At 5,400,025 sq miles (13,986,000 km2), the Arctic is the smallest and shallowest of the five oceans and falls mostly within the Arctic circle. It is surrounded by the Eurasian and North American continents and includes Hudson Bay and the North and Barents Sea.

5.            Southern Ocean'- It covers an area of 7,848,299 sq miles (20,327,000 km2) thus making it the fourth largest of the Earth's oceans. Joining waters of the southern Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans with a persistent easterly current, the frigid Southern Ocean has a great influence on the earth's weather patterns.

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