Continents & Oceans (Cambridge (CIE) AS Environmental Management)

Continents

• Continents are the main continuous expanses of land on Earth

• There are seven recognised continents:

  • North America

  • South America

  • Europe

  • Asia

  • Africa

  • Oceania

  • Antarctica

Oceans

• Oceans are very large expanses of sea (saltwater)

  • They represent the main areas into which the sea is divided geographically

• There are five recognised oceans:

  • Pacific Ocean

  • Atlantic Ocean

  • Indian Ocean

  • Arctic Ocean

  • Southern Ocean

• There are also many recognised seas on the planet, such as:

  • Mediterranean Sea

  • Black Sea

  • Irish Sea

  • Dead Sea

  • Caribbean Sea

• Seas are smaller areas of water than oceans and they are often partially enclosed by land