The largest continent is Eurasia. Its area is 54,759,000 km² - this is approximately 36% of the landmass. It contains two whole parts of the world - Europe and Asia. There are 4 of them here, including the largest - Russia, which occupies 30% of the territory of Eurasia. 75% of the world's population lives in Eurasia in 102 countries. Here is located - Chomolungma (Everest)
Eurasia is the largest continent on planet Earth
Part of the world - regions of land that include continents or large parts of them along with nearby islands.
The second largest continent by area is Africa. Its area is 30,221,532 km² - this is approximately 20% of the landmass. There are 55 countries in Africa, the largest of which is Algeria, one of the 10 largest. Africa has the largest number.
Africa is the second largest continent by area
The third largest continent by area is North America. Area - 24,250,000 km² (16% of land). North America is home to 23 countries, home to just over half a billion people. 2 North American countries (Canada and the USA) are among the 10 largest.
North America is the third largest continent by area
The fourth largest continent by area is South America. Area - 17,840,000 km² (just under 12% of the land area). South America is home to 12 countries, home to almost 400 million people. 2 South American countries (Argentina and Brazil) are among the ten largest.
South America is the fourth largest continent by area
Antarctica is the continent with the highest proportion of Russian citizens - from 4% in summer to 10% in winter, in Eurasia only - 3%
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent by area
The sixth and last continent by area is Australia. Area - 7,659,861 km² (5% of the land area). There is only one country on the mainland - Australia, whose population is only 23 million people.
Australia is the smallest continent by area
How to easily remember the order of reduction of continents
In order to remember in what descending order the continents are located, it is enough to imagine how they are located on the map and remember this diagram:
Continents in decreasing order - from largest to smallest
Australia is an amazing continent, with unusual nature and history. This is the most small continent on the ground. In addition, it is the only continent on the planet whose territory is completely occupied by one state (with the same name).
The smallest continent in the world
This continent is located in the Southern Hemisphere, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Anyone who has studied geography well at school knows the answer to the question: “Which continent is the smallest?” Of course, this is Australia! Its area is approximately 7.66 million square kilometers.
The smallest continent is quite compact. From north to south it stretches for 3,700 kilometers, and from west to east - 4,000 kilometers.
Australia is extremely sparsely populated. The population density here is only 3 people per square meter of land. Even the number of sheep on the continent is several times higher than the number of people here!
Well, now you know which continent is the smallest. However, Australia has many other, no less fascinating records and interesting features.
General geographical information about the continent
The smallest continent is also the lowest on the entire planet! So, the average height here is only 330 meters. This continent is also very dry: about a third of its entire surface is occupied by lifeless deserts.
There are few mountains in Australia, and they are not high. In the southeast of the continent rise the Australian Alps with Mount Kosciuszko - the highest point of the entire continent. Its absolute height is 2228 meters. By the way, there is much more snow in the Australian Alps than in the Alps located in Europe.
The smallest continent on Earth has another interesting record. Thus, this is the only continent on the planet that has no active volcanoes at all. Australia's largest river system is the Murray and Darling.
It is curious that Australians depict their native continent in the central part of the canvas on their maps. And on the periphery all the other continents of the planet are shown.
Features of the flora and fauna of the mainland
Probably everyone has heard about the endemicity of Australia. Of the 12 thousand plant species, nine thousand are found only here. The reason for this is simple and clear: starting from the Cretaceous period, the continent was completely isolated from the rest of the world. The most popular Australian endemic plants are eucalyptus, as well as several species of acacia.
Of the animals, the most famous endemic to Australia are the kangaroo, emu, platypus, echidna and koala.
Many people probably also know about the story of Australian rabbits. Back in the mid-19th century, 24 of these animals were released here. However, within a few years, thanks to active reproduction and the absence of predators, their number grew to two million! Today there are more rabbits in Australia than there are Chinese in China, and the government is making every effort to curb the growth of their population.
The smallest continent cannot boast of a rich fauna. However, people suffering from arachnophobia should not go to Australia. After all, there are at least 1,500 species of different spiders here. There are also many snakes here, including poisonous ones (20 species).
Australia is famous for its wide pastures for livestock. It is on this continent that the world's largest farm operates. And around it is located the largest pasture, which is comparable in area to the territory of Belgium.
Australia: population and languages
The smallest continent was discovered by James Cook in 1770. Until this point, the only inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines.
After the discovery of the continent, its active colonization soon began. Interestingly, the first settlers who landed on the shores of Australia were exiled criminals.
Today, about 23 million people live on the mainland. Australians often call their country "Oz". But the toponym “Australia” comes from the Latin “australis”, which can be translated as “southern land”.
Typical for Australia high level urbanization. About 60% of the total population lives in five largest cities countries. These are Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. It is curious that the capital, Canberra, is not on this list.
The vast majority of Australians speak English language. At the same time, it is believed that a dialect of this language is widespread on the continent - “strine”, which differs in pronunciation from pure English.
Finally, we offer a few more interesting facts about this land:
- the national coat of arms of Australia depicts a kangaroo and an emu;
- one in three Australians never tie the knot;
- in Australia, a person has to pay a fine for not showing up to vote;
- despite the fact that the kangaroo is the national symbol of Australia, its meat is widely consumed on the mainland;
- Australians are very gambling people, every fifth poker player comes from this continent;
- none of the cities on the mainland has a subway;
- One in four Australian citizens was born outside of Australia.
Finally...
Australia is the smallest continent in terms of area on our beautiful planet. There is a unique and inimitable nature here, characterized by endemicity. More than half of the representatives of Australian flora and fauna are not found on other continents of the Earth.
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the eastern coast of Australia - present natural miracle, the longest coral reef in the world, over 2,000 kilometers long!
Recently I was surprised that my friends were stumped by very simple questions. How many continents are there on Earth? How many parts of the world are there in total? What especially surprised me was that some of them found it difficult to answer the question about the smallest continent, although it would seem that everyone knew this for sure.
The smallest continent on the planet
The smallest continent is Australia. However, it should not be confused with a part of the world. After all, Australia is part of Australia and Oceania. It consists of many islands located close to the mainland itself. This is a double part of the world!
The total area of Australia is 7,659,861 square kilometers. At the same time, there is only one state of the same name on the mainland. And, contrary to the opinion of many, it is one of the ten largest on the planet, ranking sixth.
Interestingly, the area of the state of Australia is slightly larger than the area of the continent of Australia. This is due to the fact that, among other things, the country’s territory includes several islands located outside the continent. When calculating the area of the state, the water surface adjacent to the shore is also taken into account.
Here are some more numbers about Australia:
- population - 23 million people;
- occupies three time zones;
- opened in 1770.
The most unusual continent
Among other things, Australia surprises not only with its size. This is a very unusual continent for many reasons.
To begin with, it should be noted that it was discovered last, a little more than 250 years ago. It is also the driest continent.
But the most unusual thing about Australia is its animal world. Australia was one of the first to separate from a single continent - Pangea, so evolution took its course there.
Unique marsupial animals live there; they are not found almost anywhere in the world except Australia. I think that many people associate Australia with kangaroos, which are classified as marsupials. In addition, there are the most dangerous spiders and insects there. Educated there in his own way vegetable world.
So it turns out that Australia is not just the smallest, it is also the most unusual continent!
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
It is impossible to forget Colleen McCullough's book "Morgan's Way" about the development of the island-mainland of Australia by prisoners of Great Britain. I remember vividly detailed description nature of one of the most amazing places on the planet. Lush greenery, abundance of water, unprecedented animals - this is what the Europeans saw, who became the ancestors of the current non-indigenous population. The south-eastern part of Australia is still the most populated area of the mainland.
Smallest continent
The baby continent is located in the Southern Hemisphere at tropical latitudes. The area of Australia is more than 7.5 million square kilometers, most of which is occupied by desert. Only along the perimeter does the continent cover a zone of savannas and woodlands. The climate is predominantly tropical continental. Australia is the driest continent on the planet; all its internal territories are practically waterless.
The most amazing
Due to its remoteness from the rest of the continents of the Earth, Australia has preserved unique endemic species and even families of animals and plants:
Here you can find ancient relict life forms.
The pearl of Australia can rightly be called the Great Barrier Reef, bordering the mainland along the North-East coast. The constantly changing fragile ecosystem - living coral creatures - covers an area of 350 thousand square meters. km and consists of islets and reefs. This is the habitat largest fish planet - whale shark, oviposition site sea turtles and the birth of humpback whales.
The freest
Australia is the most sparsely populated continent, of course, excluding Antarctica. The population density in some places is 1 person per square meter. km. Even the most populated areas have only 25 people per square meter. km. About 20 million people live here and more than 150 million sheep live here.
This is the only continent occupied by one state. Maybe one “master” can save vulnerable and beautiful Australia.
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
We live on the largest continent in the world, which bears the proud name of Eurasia. Which one then the continent is the smallest on our planet and why is it famous? I will try to answer these questions for you.
Such a big country, such a small continent
Determining the smallest continent on the planet is quite simple. To do this, you just need to look at the world map. Well, have you looked? That's right, that's Australia! It is famous for the fact that throughout its entire area there is only one state, which bears the same name as the mainland itself.
If you look at Australia from a bird's eye view, at first glance it may seem ugly, joyless and even boring. Most of it is desert. It’s not for nothing that this is the driest place!
But it is worth noting that despite this, the country has many advantages:
- she is at the top among the most developed;
- the most safe;
- level and quality of life its citizens can only be envied.
Australia is also famous for the fact that the lowest and highest points are located here. Compared to other continents, Australia is located below their level. The lowest point is Lake Eyre. However, the lake is just a formal name, because there is not a drop of water in it! Its bottom is covered with a layer of salt up to 4 meters thick. And the most high point, located in the Alpine mountain range, Mount Kosciuszko.
Kangaroo Planet
Since childhood, I have loved these marsupials. I remember the first time I saw them at the circus. I was amazed by their power and jumping ability. How are they developed? hind legs, and how actively they use their tail!
Where did I start about kangaroos? And not without reason! Kangaroo is a symbol of Australia. Here they are visible and invisible! Their individuals are found here most different sizes and colors! Their sizes vary from 60 centimeters and up to 3 meters!
At night, kangaroos come out onto highways. That's why Australians even have a special road sign , similar to ours with moose.
Australia is an amazing place. If I ever have the opportunity to visit there, I will definitely not miss this opportunity!
Helpful0 Not very helpful
Comments0
Unfortunately, I don’t yet have the opportunity to visit this interesting corner of our planet. Therefore, I propose to take a virtual trip with me around the “tiny” continent - Australia.
Smallest continent
Undoubtedly this is Australia, its area is 7629000 km², and the country of the same name is the only one in the world that has an entire continent at its disposal. The population here is the smallest, and the living conditions are not the best - driest continent. Conventionally, it is divided into 3 parts:
- central lowland;
- western plateau;
- Great Dividing Range.
Most of the country is occupied lush man-made pastures where domestic animals graze. Australia is a country with a record number of sheep, and its wool production is far ahead of any other country in the world. " Business card» Aboriginal people - the indigenous population, is boomerang, previously used during hunting, and now sold as a souvenir. Right here unique animals live, which are not found anywhere else.
Australia - interesting facts
The legislation of this country provides punishment for ignoring elections any level. If a citizen does not appear at the station, and subsequently cannot provide a valid reason, he faces a serious fine.
The longest wall... No, it's not the Great Wall of China, it's Great Australian Fence - 5560 meters. This structure serves for “defense” against... rabbits. Literally in all parts of the country where pastures are located, there are similar fences to protect against this scourge.
This continent can rightfully be considered country of highway giants. Due to the fact that individual settlements scattered on significant distance, long road trains are a vital necessity. Even to send cargo by rail, the journey to the nearest station can be hundreds of kilometers, and powerful trucks often pull up to 10 trailers. Such “trains” are extremely convenient - in just a couple of days the cargo reaches its destination.
This continent is the only one on which there are no active volcanoes.
Helpful0 Not very helpful
If you ask a person “Where do you live?”, he can name a house, apartment, street, or city. Perhaps a country. But it’s unlikely that anyone would think of naming the continent on which they live. Meanwhile, on the continents there are many countries in which millions, and in some cases billions of people live.
As is the case with people, among the continents there are dwarfs, and there are also giants, judging by size. And if you need an answer to a question, which continent is the smallest in the world, we are happy to help you. Let's take a brief look at all the continents and take a closer look at the smallest of them.
It is the largest and most populated continent on Earth. Consists of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia.
- Asia occupies about 9 percent of the earth's surface. It is also the most populated part of the world on the planet. Asia is home to approximately 4.3 billion people, making it a critical part of the global economy.
- Europe occupies 6.8 percent of the world's total land area. It is home to almost 50 countries and is considered the third most populous part of the world in the world after Asia and Africa. About 10% of the world's population lives there.
5. Africa - about 30.3 million km², including islands
The second largest continent in the world, as well as by population. There are 54 countries in Africa, with a total population of about one billion people.
4. North America - 24.3 million km² including islands
It is the third continent in the world in terms of area and population. About 7.5% of the world's population (about 565 million people) lives here.
3. South America - 17.84 million km²
On the territory of this continent is the driest desert in the world - the Chilean Atacama, as well as the Amazon. In terms of population, South America is in 4th place among the continents.
2. Antarctica - 14.1 million km²
The southernmost and sparsely populated continent. Antarctica is also the coldest land in the world and most of this continent is made up of glaciers.
1. Australia - 7.6 million km²
And here is the smallest continent on Earth. Its dimension includes both the main island and the surrounding islands, some of which belong to Oceania.
Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere and is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Due to its size and isolated location, the most small continent in the world it is also called an island continent.
What Australia has a lot of is beaches. There are more than 10 thousand of them. If you visit one Australian beach a day, it would take about 27 years to explore all 10,000 beaches. It's no wonder that surfing and other water activities are so popular on this continent.
Relief features of Australia
Plains are the dominant landform in Australia. It is the flattest continent, with relatively few mountain ranges given its size. But Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano.
The most high mountain in Australia - Kosciuszko (or Kosciuszko) - only 2228 meters. For comparison: bearing the name Shota Rustaveli, reaches 4860 meters. Kosciuszko is located in the Australian Alps, which are larger in size than the Swiss Alps.
Climatic features of Australia
Australia is the driest continent of the six. Almost 20 percent of its landmass is classified as desert.
- And this is all due to the hot tropical sun, which particularly heats the central regions of the country. In summer, the temperature there varies during the day from plus 35 to plus 40 degrees Celsius.
- And the coolest part of the country is the island of Tasmania. On summer days the air warms up to plus 20-22 degrees, and in winter it is 10 degrees colder.
- Australia's climate zones range from rainforests, deserts and cool forests to snow-capped mountains.
Under these conditions, unique species of plants and animals have evolved that have adapted to the dry climate, coupled with high variability in precipitation.
Australian fauna
This continent boasts many of the most dangerous and exotic creatures living outside the Amazon rainforest in South America. For example, in Australia you can find two, about 1500 types of spiders, 4000 types of ants and 350 types of termites.
When it comes to the animal world of Australia, the first thing that comes to mind is the kangaroo. According to some reports, the total number of these marsupials is almost 50 million individuals. This means that there are more kangaroos in Australia than people.
Although some scientists declared the Great Barrier Reef dead back in 2016, the world's largest coral reef is still alive. However, it must be protected from pollution and other problems facing the world's oceans. Imagine that this reef is so large that it can be seen from space.
How small is Australia in terms of area and population?
In terms of land area, the Australian continent is undoubtedly the smallest continent in the world. Even small Europe is 2.4 million km² larger than it.
- Scientists have calculated that the smallest continent on Earth can fit twice the size of Russia.
- When it comes to population, Australia is technically the second smallest continent. And if we exclude Antarctica, then Australia will be considered the most sparsely populated continent.
- As of 2018, the Australian population is over 25 million.
Australia is an island because it is surrounded by water, but it is also large enough to be considered a continent. However, Australia is not officially a country; this title is given to Greenland.
However, Australia is also the most big country without land borders. And the largest Australian city (but not the capital) - Sydney - spreads over an area of 12,144.6 km² and is in the top ten.
Australia's relationship with Oceania
Quite often, referring to the southern region Pacific Ocean, where Australia is located, people will use the term "Australia and Oceania" rather than separate them. However, both are true.
- Oceania is a Pacific region consisting of many small islands and atolls. The conditional western border of Oceania runs through New Guinea, and the eastern border runs through Easter Island.
- Usually Australia and Oceania are combined into a single part of the world if it is necessary to divide all the land into parts of the world.
- However, Oceania is sometimes considered independent part Sveta. In regional studies, there is even an independent discipline called “ocean studies”, which deals with the study of Oceania.
- If we talk specifically about the continents, then Oceania has no chance; it is always classified as Australia.
The continent of Australia is so small that its area is even smaller than some countries in the world. Its territory is only 7.63 million square km. The smallest continent is located in and is crossed by the southern tropic. Its shores are washed by the waters of the Pacific and Due to its small size, Australia is sometimes also called the island mainland.
The continent is not connected by land to any of the other continents; it is located completely separately. The rest of the world's continents are located at a considerable distance from Australia. This contributed to the formation of a unique flora and fauna, in many ways different from others
Uniqueness of Australia
The flora is also unique: 90% of the continent’s plants are endemic, found only here. Eucalyptus is considered the symbol of Australian flora - the most tall tree planet, reaching the height of a fifty-story building.
The smallest continent is also the driest on the planet. Most of it is located in the tropical climate zone, as a result of which almost all central part The continent is occupied by vast deserts. Australia is also called the lowest continent. 215 meters is the average absolute height, and the highest point is only 2230 meters high.
Past and modern name
“Unknown land” - that’s what Australia was called in old maps. Even today it remains a mysterious land and a country full of surprises for most people. The names of continents are most often associated with their geographical location, the same applies to Australia: translated from Latin “australis” means “southern”. And this name appeared relatively recently, only in early XIX century. And before that, its individual parts were called by the names that the discoverers gave them. The modern name was finally established after the Englishman Flinders sailed around the continent.
The smallest continent on our planet is also famous for the fact that its territory is completely occupied by one country - the Commonwealth of Australia. The largest city in the country is Sydney, famous throughout the world for its opera house, a real eighth wonder of the world. Another unusual masterpiece is the Harbor Bridge - a bridge across the beautiful Port Jackson Bay, which has a half-kilometer-long arch.
