Which continent is the smallest

However, at the end of the 2nd century AD, this name began to be used for the whole continent. Africa has borders with the Mediterranean from the north. Also, the Suez Channel separates the continent from Asia in the northeast. The continent is adjacent to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in the east. Bab-el Mendep Strait approaches 18 km to the Arabian Peninsula. Moreover, Indian Ocean surrounds the continent in the south and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. In some countries of the continent, oil production associated with poverty, violence, and pollution can double in West Africa over a decade.

Antarctica, the southernmost part of the Southern Hemisphere and the continent containing the South Pole. It is the only continent in the south of Africa and Oceania. The discovery of the legendary continent in the South, after a search of years, was only successful in Charles Wilkes, with his sailboat roughly 2, km along the coast, proved to be a truly large continent, unlike the Arctic north, where the South Pole was. With a surface area of Within this region, South Shetland, South Georgia, as well as several archipelagos are located.

Oceania is the continent that includes Australia, New Zealand, and the islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean. It is located in the south and southeast of Asia, north of Antarctica, and between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Unlike the other parts of the world, which are continents, it is the ocean that gives integrity to this part and gives its name. Its surface area is 8,, square kilometers. The islands in the Pacific Ocean are not all connected to Oceania. The archipelago near Asia and America is part of these continents.

Although the Malaysian archipelago is sometimes linked to Oceania, it is closer to Southeast Asia in terms of its peoples, civilizations and all its activities. There are four parts of the continent. Australia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Melanesia includes islands in the east of Australia and Indonesia. These islands are usually in New Guinea. Polynesian encompasses the New Zealand archipelago and the Middle Pacific islands in the north and south of Ecuador.

Micronesia includes the archipelago to the north of Malaysia. The islands of the various archipelago generally extend from the northwest to the southeast and mostly look like an arc. Australia is the only country to cover an entire continent. To the southeast of Asia, it lies in the Southern Hemisphere and ranks sixth regarding land among the nations of the world. Australia is the lowest in terms of continents. The coastline, which is more than 16, kilometers, has some deep coves and gulfs even though it is smooth.

The only people there are visiting scientists. Antarctica is unbelievably cold. Temperatures can drop below minus 73 degrees Celsius degrees Farenheit. The continent is covered with ice. This ice covering can be up to 3. Antarctica does not have any countries. Also called cosmic dust or space dust.

Gas molecules are in constant, random motion. Also called the Somali Peninsula. The last ice age peaked about 20, years ago. Also called glacial age. Monsoon usually refers to the winds of the Indian Ocean and South Asia, which often bring heavy rains.

Regions are the basic units of geography. Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a year cycle. Also called lithospheric plate.

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society. Dunn, Margery G. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher.

They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer.

If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Landforms are natural and distinctive features.

Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle yet sublime events, like the building of mountains. Teach your students about plate tectonics using these classroom resources.

Hundreds of years before the arrival of European explorers, the ancient civilizations of South America developed rich and innovative cultures that grew in and amongst the geographic features of their landscape.

The most famous of these civilizations is the Incan Empire. Emerging in C. The Inca relied on the Pacific Ocean and major rivers originating in the Amazon Basin for fishing and trade, as well as rich plant and animal life that they supported. The Inca constructed inns, signal towers, roads, and massive forts such as the famous Machu Picchu, the ruins of which continue to teach archaeologists about the Incan Empire.

Learn more about the history and rich culture of the Inca and the ancient civilizations of South America with this curated resource collection. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized the earth sciences by explaining how the movement of geologic plates causes mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. This map beautifully illustrates the continent of Australia.

Map by Sean O'Connor. Antarctic Circle. Central America. Fertile Crescent. Also known as an ice age. Great Lakes. Great Plains. Horn of Africa. Indian subcontinent. Also called a lab. Nubian Plate. Somali plate. Tierra del Fuego. Also called a cascade. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Last Updated Sept. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Landforms and Landscapes.

View Collection. Plate Tectonics. Although it has nothing to do with its size, Australia is also comparatively the driest, most arid continent of the seven, and it also boasts some of the most dangerous and exotic creatures outside of the Amazon rainforest of South America.

Quite often, when referring to this southern Pacific region, people will use the term " Australia and Oceania " rather than adding Australia into Oceania.

Additionally, the grouping of Australia and New Zealand is often referred to as Australiasia. These definitions largely depend on the context of their use. For instance, the United Nations definition which only includes Australia and "unclaimed" independent territories is used for organized international relations and competitions like the Olympics, and since Indonesia owns part of New Guinea, that part is excluded from the definition of Oceania.

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors.

Share Flipboard Email.