7 Continents and 5 Oceans
7 Continents and 5 Oceans: There is no other planet in the universe like Earth. The Earth comprises landmasses and water bodies. In times of the late Paleozoic era and early Mesozoic era, a massive supercontinent existed named Pangea which was surrounded by a large ocean called Panthalassa. Over a period of time, Pangea broke into some slightly smaller land masses due to the convection current and tectonic plates’ movement. The continuous expansion of large landmasses that covers around 29% of the total area of Earth’s surface is called the continent. The large water body that covers around 71% of the total area of Earth’s surface is called the ocean. In this article, we will get to know interesting facts about the continents and oceans of the world.
7 Continents Name
As per the Continental Drift Theorythe breakdown of supercontinent Pangea due to tectonic plates movement caused to make 7 continents in the world. Asia is the largest continent in terms of both area and population in the world. Antarctica is the smallest continent in terms of population in the world while the Oceania/ Australia continent is the smallest continent in terms of area in the world. The details and names of the 7 continents are mentioned below:
| Name of Continent | Area (Km²) | Population (2022) | Countries |
| Asia | 44,579,000 | 4,723,918,410 | 48 |
| Africa | 30,370,000 | 1,408,085,198 | 54 |
| Europe | 10,180,000 | 748,593,065 | 44 |
| North America | 24,709,000 | 373,640,153 | 23 |
| South America | 17,840,000 | 438,234,538 | 12 |
| Oceania/ Australia | 8,486,460 | 43,826,590 | 14 |
| Antarctica | 14,200,000 | 1000-5000 (Seasonal) | 0 |
1. Asia
Asia is ranked first in terms of size and population of continents in the world. It covers about 30% of the total land based area of the Earth. Despite having the largest size and population, it has fewer countries as compared to the African continent. It is positioned in the eastern hemisphere of the Earth. There are about 48 countries which are recognised by the United Nations. But some other islands and territories are also present in this continent. Asia consists of those countries which are big names in the world like the largest country of the world by size is Russia and the largest country of the world by population is China, the largest democratic country of the world is India. Russia is that country which shares its boundary in two continents Asia and Europe. That’s why the territory of Russia is called Eurasia. India is the second largest country in Asia continent and seventh largest country in the world in terms of size.
2. Africa
Africa is ranked second in terms of size and population of continents in the world. It covers about 20% of the total land based area of the Earth. Its majority portion lies in eastern hemisphere of the Earth. This continent hosts the maximum number of 54 countries in the world. It includes the big regions of the world like the biggest desert of the world is Sahara Desert, the longest river of the world is Nile river, the hottest region of the world is Ethiopia. The equator passes through the center of the African continentso it receives direct sunlight throughout the year. The largest country of the African continent in terms of size is Algeria while the largest country in terms of population is Nigeria. Seychelles is the smallest country of this continent.
3. Europe
Europe is ranked third in terms of population of continents in the world. It is ranked sixth in terms of the size of continents. This continent is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, Mediterranean Sea to the south, Asia continent to the east, and Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its majority portion lies in eastern hemisphere of the Earth. It is the unique continent where no deserts exist. In historic times, this continent became the power center and became the focal point of world wars. It hosts about 44 countries which are dominated by the people of Christian community. The tiniest country in the world, Vatican City is also situated on this continent. The world famous cities like London of England and Paris of France lie here. There is a politico-economic union of 27 countries called European Union (EU) which regulates a single currency ‘Euro’ in the market.
4. Northern America
North America is ranked third in terms of the size of continents in the world. It is ranked fifth in terms of the population of continents. It lies in the western hemisphere of the Earth. There are a total of 5 time zones covered in this continent. It hosts about 23 countries like the largest economy of the world is the United States of America (USA). The famous Lake Superior also lies on this continent at the border of the USA and Canada.
5. Southern America
South America is ranked fourth in terms of the size of continents in the world. It is ranked fourth in terms of the population of continents. It also lies in the western hemisphere of the Earth. It is connected to the North America continent by the isthmus of Panama. It houses two of the tallest volcanoes of the world named Mt. Chimborazo and Mt. Cotopaxi. This continent is famous for its coffee production as Brazil is the largest coffee producer country in the world. It hosts not only 12 countries but also the largest snake species, Anaconda. The largest country in terms of size is Brazil in this continent.
6. Australia/ Oceania
Oceania is ranked sixth in terms of population of continents in the world. It is the smallest continent in terms of size of continents in the world. It lies in the eastern hemisphere of the Earth. This continent is also known as the Island Continent due to its geographical features like the largest coral reef system in the world is Great Barrier Reef. As per the United Nation statisticsthis continent hosts about 14 sovereign countries like Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, etc. The largest country in this continent is Australia which is the sixth largest country in terms of size in the world. Sometimes, Oceania is called the ‘Land Down Under’ as it lies in the southern hemisphere of the Earth.
7. Antarctica
Antarctica is ranked fifth in terms of the size of continents in the world. It is the smallest continent in terms of population of continents in the world. It is in the southernmost part of the world. The southern pole of the Earth is located on this continent. It is bigger in size than the Oceania continent. Its geographical features are mainly dominated by the polar deserts. There is the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 in which 52 countries are signatories to govern this continent peacefully. Under this treaty, the disposal of nuclear wastes, the activity of nuclear explosions, mining, etc. are prohibited on this continent. It is to be remembered that it houses 75% the total glaciers of the world.
5 Oceans Name
The Earth’s surface is dominated by water which covers around 71% of its total area. In this coverage, salty oceanic water holds a major weightage of 96%. Initially, it was a great waterbody Panthalassa but after the splitting of Pangea, seven continents bifurcated the water bodies also. At present, there are five oceans in the world. The Pacific Ocean is recognised as the deepest and largest ocean in terms of size. The Arctic Ocean is recognised as the shallowest and smallest ocean in terms of size. The following table shows the details and names of 5 oceans in the world:
| Names of Ocean | Area (Km²) | Share to Earth’s Water Surface Area (In %) |
| Pacific Ocean | 165,200,000 | >40% |
| Atlantic Ocean | 106,400,000 | >22% |
| Indian Ocean | 73,556,000 | 20% |
| Antarctic/ Southern Ocean | 20,327,000 | 15-16% |
| Arctic Ocean | 13,986,000 | 3-4% |
5 Oceans of the World
1. Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in terms of size of oceans in the world. Its surface area is larger than the total land surface area of the Earth. It covers the region between the western coast of America and the eastern coast of Asia and the Oceania continent. It is limited by the Arctic Ocean in the north and Antarctic Ocean in the south. It houses the deepest channel of the sea floor of Earth named Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. The name Pacific was given to this ocean by Portuguese explorer F. Magellan.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in terms of size of oceans in the world. It covers the region between the eastern coast of America and the western coast of the European continent. It also includes the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Seaetc. It also touches the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean in north and south respectively similar to the Pacific Ocean. Until the 15th century, the areas neighboring the Atlantic Ocean were known to the world. This ocean played an important role in starting the spice trade. European travellers started their sailing from this ocean in the early period like Vasco da Gama.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in terms of the size of oceans in the world. It covers the region between the eastern coast of Africa and the southern coast of the Indian Peninsula and the western coast of the Oceania Continent. It also includes the coastlines of the Middle East region. It is home to various exotic plants and animal species. India has the right to explore the polymetallic nodules found in the Indian Ocean under the United Nations Convention Law of Sea (UNCLOS). In the historic period, it facilitated the spice and silk route from the Indian Ocean Region to the European Continent via the Atlantic Ocean.
Antarctic/ Southern Ocean
The Antarctic Ocean is the fourth largest or second smallest ocean in terms of the size of oceans in the world. As it is located in the southern hemisphere of the Earth, it is called the Southern Ocean. The International Hydrographic Organization recognised this ocean in the early 21st century. It touches the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Southern Pacific Ocean. This is a frigid ocean in nature with a persistent easterly current.
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest ocean in terms of size in the world. It covers the region of the Arctic Circle including the Eurasian region, Northern parts of the American Continent, the Bay of Hudson, etc. The explorers of the 16th-19th century wanted to have a passage through this ocean to approach Asia to search for spices, silk, and opium. Finally, in the 19th-20th century, they got success in channelising this route through this frigid ocean.
Countries and their Capitals
