Unit 5

The continents

Oxford University Press Espaa S.A., 2012

What do we know?

OBJECTIVES
1 Establish the physical boundaries of each continent.
2 Recognise and locate the main landforms and water elements of the
different continents.
3 Describe the characteristics (climate, vegetation, fauna) of the natural
landscapes of the continents.
4 Draw and/or comment on maps photographs, drawings and texts related to
the Unit content.
5 Understand the importance of Antarctica as an international laboratory
for scientific research.
6 Show concern for environmental problems which affect the world, and
contribute to their solution.

CONTENTS
The continents.
Europe: relief, rivers, lakes and natural landscapes.
Africa: relief, rivers, lakes and natural landscapes.
Asia: relief, rivers, lakes and natural landscapes.

Oceania: Australia and other islands, and natural landscapes.

America: relief, rivers, lakes and natural landscapes.
Antarctica: relief and natural landscape.

THE CONTINENTS
SIX CONTINENTS : different characteristics
Europe: located in the northern hemisphere
Africa: located between the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn
Asia: continent and islands
Oceania: only islands
America: extends from the north pole to the south pole
Antarctica: located in the south pole

EUROPE
The second smallest continent
Surrounded by: Arctic, Atlantic Oceans and Mediterranean Sea
Islands: Iceland, British Isles, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily,
Crete
Peninsulas: Iberian, Italian Balkan, Scandinavian, Jutland
An inland sea: the Black Sea

RELIEF OF EUROPE
Mostly flat, with some areas of distinctive relief:
Massifs or ancient mountains (less than 2000m): Scandinavian, Ural Mts.
Young mountains: the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Carpathians
Plains: Great European Plain
Irregular coast
Rivers flowing into:
Arctic Ocean: Pechora, Northern Dvina, etc
Atlantic Ocean: Vistula, Oder, Elbe

Mediterranean: Rhne, Po
Caspian and Black Sea: Volga, Danube

Europe

Which oceans and seas do Europes rivers flow into?

Find 5 mountain ranges on the map.

Europes natural landscapes

EUROPE: Natural Landscapes

Temperate
Climates

Cold
Climates

Landscape

Climate

Vegetation

Fauna

Mediterranean
forest and
scrubland

Mediterranean

Holm oak, cork oak,

thyme, rock rose

Lynx, rabbit,
vulture

Deciduous forest

Maritime

Beech, oak,
moorland and
maritime grasses

Deer, bear, squirrel

Coniferous forest

Continental

Fir, scots pine

Moose, reindeer

Grasslands and
steppe

Continental

Grass

Steppe eagle

Tundra

Polar

Moss, lichen, birch

Lemming, arctic
hare

Alpine

Alpine

Low grass, shrubs

and flowering plants
(edelweiss)

Ibex

AFRICA
Third largest continent after Asia and America
Biggest island: Madagascar
More than 1/4 of the continent is desert (Sahara)
Numerous plateaus and basins
Mountain ranges: Atlas (young), Drakensberg Mountains (ancient)
The Rift Valley and surrounding mountains: Mt Kenya (5194m) and
Kilimanjaro (volcano, 5895m)

Plains located on the coast

Most important features of coastline: Somalia Peninsula, Gulf of Guinea

AFRICA
Rivers that flow into:
Mediterranean Sea: the Nile (6700 km)
Atlantic Ocean: Niger, Congo
Indian Ocean: Zambezi, Limpopo

Lakes: Malawi, Tanganyika, Turkana, Victoria, Chad

Africa

AFRICA: Natural Landscapes

Natural
Landscape

Hot

climates

Temperate

Climates

Climate

Fauna

EQUATORIAL
AND TROPICAL
RAINFOREST

EQUATORIAL

DENSE FOREST

GORILLA,
MANDRILL

SAVANNAH

HUMID TROPICAL

TALL GRASS,
BAOBAB, ACACIA

GIRAFFE, ZEBRA,
LION

GRASSLAND AND
STEPPE

DRY TROPICAL

LOW GRASS

GAZELLE,
OSTRICH

HOT DESERT

HOT DESERT

GRASS AND
THORNY BUSHES

CAMEL,
SCORPION

MEDITERRANEAN
FOREST AND
SCRUBLAND

MEDITERRANEAN

WILD OLIVE
TREE, FIG TREE

WOLF, FOX

ALPINE

LOW GRASS,
SHRUBS,
FLOWERING
PLANTS

MOUNTAIN
GORILLA

Cold
ALPINE

climates

Vegetation

Africas rivers and natural landscapes

ASIA
The biggest continent on Earth
East/South-east: Presence of archipelagos and islands
Most of the islands are volcanic

Main types of relief:

o Plains: Western and Northern Siberian Plain
o Plateaus: Central Siberian and Iranian, Mongolia, Tibet and Pamir
o Mountain ranges: Himalayas (Everest, 8848m) highest on Earth
Rivers that flow into:
o Arctic: Obi, Yenisey and Lena
o Pacific: Yangtze, Mekong

o Indian: Ganges, Indus, Tigris and Euphrates

Lakes (Baikal) and inland seas (Aral, Caspian and Dead Sea)

Asia

ASIA: Natural Landscapes

Natural
Landscape

Hot climates

Temperate
Climates

Cold
climates

Climate

Vegetation

Fauna

Equatorial and
tropical rainforest
and savannah

Equatorial and
humid tropical

Dense forest and

high grass

Birds, insects,
reptiles

Monsoon forest

Monsoon

Ficus, teak

Elephant, tiger

Hot desert

Hot desert

Very little

Camel, reptiles

Mediterranean
forest and
scrubland

Mediterranean

Holm oaks,
conifers

Reptiles, wolf

Humid sub-tropical
forest

Humid sub-tropical

Pine, oak

Deer, wolf

Deciduous forest

Maritime

Oak, elm

Deer, bear

Coniferous forest

Continental

Fir, pine

Reindeer, deer

Grasslands, steppe

Continental

Grass

Rodents

Cold desert

Desert

Bushes, grass

Camel, horse

Tundra

Polar

Moss, lichen

Reindeer, moose,
bear

Alpine

Alpine

Low grass and

flowering plants

ibex

Asias natural landscapes

OCEANIA
The smallest continent on Earth
Formed

by:

Australia,

New

Zealand,

New

Micronesia, Polynesia
Australia occupies 89% of Oceania
Types of relief:
Main rivers: Murray and Darling
Extensive plateau (west, deserts)

Plains (centre Great Artesian Basin)

Great Dividing Range
New Zealand
New Guinea

Guinea,

Melanesia,

Oceania

Oceania: Natural Landscapes

Natural
Landscape

Hot climates

Temperate
Climates
Cold
climates

Climate

Vegetation

Fauna

Equatorial and
tropical rainforest

Equatorial

Dense forest,
mangrove swamp

Lizard, tortoise,
parrot

Savannah

Humid tropical

Eucalyptus, acacia

Kangaroo, koala
bear

Grasslands and
steppe

Dry tropical

Low eucalyptus,
acacia

Reptiles

Hot desert

Hot desert

Grass, thorny
bushes

Thorny devil

Mediterranean
forest and
scrubland

Mediterranean

Scrubland

Reptiles, rodents

Humid sub-tropical
forest

Humid sub-tropical

Beech, conifers

Bats

Alpine

Alpine

Low grass, shrubs,

flowering plants

Bird of paradise

Oceanias natural landscapes

AMERICA
Second largest continent on Earth
Three regions: North America, Central America and South America
Islands located
In the north and centre: Newfoundland, Cuba, Jamaica

In the Pacific: Aleutian abd Vancouver

In South America: Galapagos, Falklands
Types of relief:
North America: ancient massifs (Appalachians); plains (bordering
big rivers, such as the Mississipi); young mountain ranges (Rocky
Mountains)

AMERICA
Central America: Montainous and volcanic.
Islands like Cuba, Martinique
South America: ancient massifs (Brazilian Plateau); wide plains
(Orinoco, Amazon, Pampas); young mountains (the Andes Aconcagua)

Coast:
Arctic Irregular;
Atlantic inlets and outlets;
Pacific higher and straighter

AMERICA
AMERICAN RIVERS flow into:
Arctic: Mackenzie
Atlantic They carry huge volumes of water (Mississipi, Orinoco,
Parana, Amazon)

Pacific: Colorado, Columbia, Yukon

AMERICAN LAKES are among the biggest in the world:
North: Great Bear Lake, Great Lakes
Central: Nicaragua
South: Titicaca

America

AMERICA: Natural Landscapes

Natural
Landscape

Hot climates

Temperate
Climates

Cold climates

Climate

Vegetation

Fauna

Equatorial and
tropical rainforest

Equatorial

Dense forest

Monkey, termite,
tapir, jaguar

Savannah

Humid tropical

High grass, acacia

Puma, gazelle

Grasslands and
steppe

Dry tropical

Grass and bushes

Guanaco

Hot desert

Hot desert

Cactus, thorny
bushes

Coyote, roadrunner

Mediterranean
forest and
scrubland

Mediterranean

Hold oak, scrubland

American wild boar,

wolf

Humid sub-tropical
forest

Humid sub-tropical

Beech, oak, laurel

Deer, wild cat

Deciduous forest

Maritime

Oak, beech

Bear, squirrel

Coniferous forest

Continental

Conifers and
grasslands

Moose, raccoon

Grassland and
steppe

Continental

Grass and bushes

Bison, wild horse

Tundra

Polar

Lichen, moss

Polar bear,
American hare

Alpine

Alpine

Low grass, shrubs

and edelweiss

Llama, condor

Americas natural landscapes

ANTARCTICA
Situated in the Southern Hemisphere
Covered in a layer of ice
Relief
West (Mountainous)

East (Plateaus)
No lakes or rivers
Natural environment: extreme polar climate
Rainfall is scarce
Moss and lichens
Fauna: seals, penguins, whales, killer whales, sperm whales

Antarctica