---
title: "The Globe: Continents and Oceans"
book: "Primary & Middle School Earth and Space Sciences"
subject: earth
language: en
chapter: 6
exercises: 10
source: https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/6-the-globe-continents-and-oceans
license: CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
credit: "One Earth and Space Sciences Book, One Course (one-course.com)"
---

# Chapter 6 — The Globe: Continents and Oceans

In Lena’s classroom there is a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) on a stand. Lena closes her eyes, spins it with one finger, and stops it with the tip of her finger. She opens her eyes: her finger is on blue, in the middle of an [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). She tries again: blue again. The third time, she lands on yellow-green, somewhere in the middle of Africa.

Lena keeps playing, and counts. Her finger stops on the [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) much more often than on the land. Why? And what are all those shapes of land and of water that turn under her finger?

![A globe spinning on its stand: land and sea go by under the finger.](https://one-course.com/images/onecourse/chapters/earth-1/g3-continents-and-oceans/img-cfbfe5f88e9f.jpg)

*A [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) spinning on its stand: land and [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) go by under the finger.*

**You already know.**

Most of the Earth is covered by [salt water](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-salt-fresh): about 71 squares out of 100 on the grid of [Chapter 3](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#ch-g2-water-on-earth). An [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) is a very large stretch of [salt water](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-salt-fresh) between the land masses; a [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) is a smaller one, at the edge of an [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). A [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) is a drawing of a place seen from above, made smaller ([Chapter 4](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#ch-g2-drawing-to-map)). The physics books tell how the Earth turns on itself once a day, which gives us day and night.

## 6.1 The globe, a small model of the round Earth

The Earth is round, like a very big ball. We cannot see its shape from the ground, because it is far too big: wherever we stand, the ground looks flat. But astronauts who travelled far from the Earth saw it whole, a round blue ball in the black sky (the photograph at the start of [Chapter 3](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#ch-g2-water-on-earth)).

To see the whole Earth in a classroom, we make it small.

**Definition 6.1 (Globe).**

A *globe* is a model of the Earth: a ball on which the land and the [oceans](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) are drawn with the same shapes as on the real Earth, only very much smaller.

A [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) is the best picture of the Earth, because it has the right shape: round. But like the real Earth, we can only ever see one half of it at a time. To see the other half, we turn it round.

![The globe seen from two sides. Left: the side of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Americas, Europe and Africa. Right: the other side, the Pacific Ocean, with Australia at its edge. The dashed line is the equator. Coastlines: Natural Earth (public domain).](https://one-course.com/images/onecourse/chapters/earth-1/g3-continents-and-oceans/fig-325490d08bc3.svg)

*The [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) seen from two sides. Left: the side of the Atlantic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean), with the Americas, Europe and Africa. Right: the other side, the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean), with Australia at its edge. The dashed line is the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator). Coastlines: Natural Earth (public domain).*

**Remark 6.2 (Two very different halves).**

Look at the two pictures. On the left, land covers about 4 parts of the picture out of 10. On the right, only about 1 part out of 10: the Pacific side of the Earth is almost all water. If Lena’s finger stops on that side of the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe), it will nearly always land on the [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean).

## 6.2 The equator, the poles and the two hemispheres

A [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) turns on a rod that goes right through it, from top to bottom. The real Earth has no rod, but it also turns round a line through its middle. The two places where that line comes out of the Earth have names.

**Definition 6.3 (Pole).**

The *North Pole* and the *South Pole* are the two points at the very top and the very bottom of the Earth, where the line the Earth turns round comes out. Each of them is a *pole*. On a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe), the North Pole is at the top.

**Definition 6.4 (Equator and hemisphere).**

The *equator* is an imaginary line drawn all the way round the Earth, exactly halfway between the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) and the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles). It cuts the Earth into two halves, each called a *hemisphere*: the *northern hemisphere*, on the side of the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), and the *southern hemisphere*, on the side of the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles).

The [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) is not painted on the ground: no one can see it on a beach or in a forest. It is drawn on [globes](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) and on [maps](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) to help us find our way.

![The equator cuts the Earth into two hemispheres. The northern hemisphere (tinted) is on the side of the North Pole, the southern hemisphere on the side of the South Pole.](https://one-course.com/images/onecourse/chapters/earth-1/g3-continents-and-oceans/fig-b80465186feb.svg)

*The [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) cuts the Earth into two [hemispheres](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator). The [northern hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) (tinted) is on the side of the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), the [southern hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) on the side of the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles).*

**Example 6.5 (Hot near the equator, cold near the poles).**

The lands near the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) are hot all the year round: that is where the great rainforests grow. The lands near the [poles](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) are cold all the year round, and much of them is covered by ice. You will learn in a later year why this is so; for now, remember: the closer to a [pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), the colder.

## 6.3 Seven continents and five oceans

On a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe), the land is not spread out in little pieces everywhere. Most of it is gathered in a few very large masses.

**Definition 6.6 (Continent).**

A *continent* is one of the very large masses of land on the Earth, together with the islands close to it.

People most often count seven [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent). From the largest to the smallest they are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia.

| Size | [Continent](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) | [Hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) | A word about it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Asia | mostly northern | the largest |
| 2 | Africa | both | the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) crosses its middle |
| 3 | North America | northern | reaches far to the north |
| 4 | South America | mostly southern | the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) crosses its north |
| 5 | Antarctica | southern | around the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), under ice |
| 6 | Europe | northern | joined to Asia on its east side |
| 7 | Australia | southern | the smallest |

**Remark 6.7 (Where does one continent end?).**

Some [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) are surrounded by [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) on every side, like Australia or Antarctica. Others touch: Europe and Asia are one single mass of land, and people chose where to draw the line between them. That is why some people count six [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent), or even fewer.

Between the [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) lie the [oceans](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). There are five of them. The largest is the *Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)*; then come the *Atlantic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)*, the *Indian [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)*, the *Southern [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)* around Antarctica, and the smallest, the *Arctic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)* around the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles). For a long time people counted only four; today most countries count the Southern [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) as the fifth.

**Example 6.8 (How big is the Pacific?).**

The Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) is so big that all the [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) put together could fit inside it. It holds more than half of all the [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) water on Earth. That is why the right-hand [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) in the first section of this chapter looks almost all blue.

**Method 6.9 (Naming the ocean between two continents).**

To find which [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) lies between two [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent), put a finger on each of them on the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe), and turn the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) so that you can see both. The [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) your eye crosses to go from one finger to the other is the one between them. On a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) there are often two ways round: take the shorter one.

**Example 6.10 (Africa and Australia).**

Going from Africa east towards Australia, we cross the Indian [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). Going from Europe west to North America, we cross the Atlantic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). Going from Asia east to North America, we cross the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean).

## 6.4 A world map is a flattened globe

A [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) is round, so it is not easy to carry, and we can never see all of it at once. A [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) on a sheet of paper shows the whole Earth in one look.

**Definition 6.11 (World map).**

A *world map* is a [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) of the whole Earth drawn flat on a sheet of paper or on a screen, with all the [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) and all the [oceans](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) in one picture.

![A world map. The globe has been cut along a line through the middle of the Pacific Ocean and stretched flat: the Pacific appears twice, on the left and on the right edge. Antarctica, a round continent around the South Pole, is stretched into a long band along the bottom. Coastlines: Natural Earth (public domain).](https://one-course.com/images/onecourse/chapters/earth-1/g3-continents-and-oceans/fig-48f18ce52226.svg)

*A [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map). The [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) has been cut along a line through the middle of the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) and stretched flat: the Pacific appears twice, on the left and on the right edge. Antarctica, a round [continent](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) around the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), is stretched into a long band along the bottom. Coastlines: Natural Earth (public domain).*

But there is a difficulty. Try to flatten the peel of an orange on a table: it cannot lie flat without tearing or stretching. The same happens to the surface of the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) when it is drawn flat. Every [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map) tears the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) somewhere, or stretches some places and squeezes others.

![The peel of an orange cannot lie flat without tearing.](https://one-course.com/images/onecourse/chapters/earth-1/g3-continents-and-oceans/img-571dd27fab3a.jpg)

*The peel of an orange cannot lie flat without tearing.*

**Remark 6.12 (The map and the globe disagree).**

On this [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map), Antarctica looks like one of the biggest [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent), stretched along the whole bottom edge. On the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe), it is a round mass of land, smaller than South America. Near the [poles](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), a flat [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) stretches the land a lot. Near the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator), it stretches it very little. When you want to compare the size of two places far from the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator), the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) tells the truth.

**Method 6.13 (Reading a world map).**

On a [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map) like this one:

1. north is at the top, south at the bottom; the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) is the whole top edge and the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) the whole bottom edge;
2. the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) is the line across the middle: everything above it is in the [northern hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) , everything below it in the [southern hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) ;
3. the left and the right edges are the same line on the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) : a ship that sails off the right edge comes back on the left.

## 6.5 Exercises

**Exercise 6.1 ★.**

Name the seven [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent). Which is the largest? Which is the smallest?

**Solution of Exercise 6.1.**

Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. The largest is Asia; the smallest is Australia.

**Exercise 6.2 ★.**

Name the five [oceans](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). Which is the largest? Which is the smallest?

**Solution of Exercise 6.2.**

The Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Southern and the Arctic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). The largest is the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean); the smallest is the Arctic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean).

**Exercise 6.3 ★.**

Copy and fill in with “[North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles)”, “[South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles)” or “[equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator)”: the … is at the top of a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe); the … is at the bottom; the … goes all the way round the middle.

**Solution of Exercise 6.3.**

The [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) is at the top of a [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe); the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) is at the bottom; the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator) goes all the way round the middle.

**Exercise 6.4 ★.**

Northern or [southern hemisphere](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator)? Europe; Australia; Antarctica; North America.

**Solution of Exercise 6.4.**

Europe: northern. Australia: southern. Antarctica: southern. North America: northern.

**Exercise 6.5 ★.**

Which [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) lies around the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles)? Which [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) lies around Antarctica?

**Solution of Exercise 6.5.**

The Arctic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) lies around the [North Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles). The Southern [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) lies around Antarctica.

**Exercise 6.6 ★★.**

Which [ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) do you cross to go from Africa to South America? From Australia to South America, going east? From Africa to Australia?

**Solution of Exercise 6.6.**

From Africa to South America: the Atlantic [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). From Australia east to South America: the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). From Africa to Australia: the Indian [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean).

**Exercise 6.7 ★★.**

Sam lives in a country where it is hot all the year round. Bo lives on a research station where it is freezing all the year round. One of them lives near the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator), the other near a [pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles). Who lives where?

**Solution of Exercise 6.7.**

Sam lives near the [equator](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-equator), where it is hot all the year round. Bo lives near a [pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), where it is cold all the year round.

**Exercise 6.8 ★★.**

Lena spins the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) 10 times. Her finger lands on the [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) 7 times. How many times does it land on the land? Is this what you expected? Why?

**Solution of Exercise 6.8.**

$10 - 7 = 3$: her finger lands on the land 3 times. This is what we can expect: about 71 squares out of 100 of the Earth are water, so about 7 times out of 10 the finger stops on the [sea](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean). (With only 10 spins, she could also get 6 or 8: the count changes from one game to the next.)

**Exercise 6.9 ★★.**

On the [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map) on page [37](#fig-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map), the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) appears twice. Why? Does the real Earth have two Pacific [Oceans](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean)?

**Solution of Exercise 6.9.**

To draw the [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map), the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) was cut along a line through the middle of the Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) and laid flat. One half of the Pacific ends up on the left edge of the [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map), the other half on the right edge. There is only one Pacific [Ocean](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/3-water-on-earth#def-g2-water-on-earth-ocean) on the real Earth: the two edges of the [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) are the same line on the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe).

**Exercise 6.10 ★★★.**

Tom says: “On the [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map), Antarctica is longer than Asia, so Antarctica is the biggest [continent](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent).” Is Tom right? Use the list of the [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) from the largest to the smallest, and say why the [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map) fools him.

**Solution of Exercise 6.10.**

Tom is wrong. From the largest to the smallest, the [continents](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-continent) are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia: Antarctica is only the fifth, much smaller than Asia. The [world map](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-world-map) fools him because a flat [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map) stretches the land near the [poles](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles) a lot. Antarctica, which lies around the [South Pole](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-poles), is stretched into a long band across the whole bottom of the [map](https://one-course.com/books/earth/1/en/chapter/4-from-a-drawing-to-a-map#def-g2-drawing-to-map-map). On the [globe](#def-g3-continents-and-oceans-globe) it is a round mass of land, and much smaller than Asia.