On which continent is America? What are the continents?

On which continent is America? This question is quite interesting. In order to fully understand it, you need to have some knowledge.

First of all, you need to understand what a continent is. This is an array of the earth's crust, which rises above the ocean level. Its dimensions are quite large. There are two official names:

1. mainland;
2. continent.

Looking at the geographical map, you can clearly see the six geological zones. The largest Eurasia - it occupies more than 50 million km ² . The second position in the list goes to Africa, its size is 30 million km ² . The third and fourth place, respectively, is divided into North (25 million km ² ) and South (18 million km ² ) America. After them goes Antarctica with an area of almost 15 million km ² . And this list is completed by Australia - its size is just under 8 million km ² .

A bit of history

In order to understand on which continent America is located, let us take a look at the history of geological development. 200 years ago on the planet there were 2 continents - Laurasia and Gondwana, shared their world ocean with the name Tetris. In the modern world, these are the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Caspian, the Black, and the Mediterranean Seas.

In the breakup of Gondwana, South America, Australia, Africa and Antarctica were formed. An interesting fact: the movement of the earth's crust occurs to this day, as evidenced by the increase in the distance between the continents.

Laurasia split into two large continents: North America and Eurasia. The last continent is special. Scientists observe three lithospheric plates at the heart of Eurasia. For comparison: other continents have only one fragment.

North America: description of the mainland

North America occupies the third place in terms of area. It is 24.2 million km ² . The continent is rich in oil, coal and gas deposits. Due to its location, almost all climatic zones are observed here , except for the equatorial belt. The uniqueness of the continent lies in the availability of the longest coastline. Its length is 76 thousand km. Depending on which continent is America, or rather the northern part of it, you can observe certain temperature fluctuations. The south of the continent is very hot in summer with a low amount of precipitation. But in the north often observe the polar nights and too frosty winters. Depending on the climate and the terrain, all the countries of the continent are developing a certain industry and different spheres of industry.

South America

The geographical position and its features in this continent are determined, first of all, by its position. It almost entirely falls under the influence of equatorial latitudes, which significantly affects its climate. The greatest amount of precipitation is observed here. The total area of the continent is 17.8 million km ² . It is home to 12 countries. The biggest is Brazil. On the continent, the extraction of non-ferrous and precious metals is well developed.

United States: description

The United States of America is located in North America. On its territory you can observe different relief: plains, lowlands and mountain systems. As a rule, such parameters depend on where the state is located, or rather, on what continent is located. America is divided into the North and South Continents, having their own geographical features. This is what influences the further development of the country.

Due to the large area (almost 10 million square kilometers), climatic zones in the USA range from tropical to arctic climate. The state does not lack fresh water. The most important source is the Great Lakes, located on the border with Canada.

On an administrative basis, the country is divided into 50 states and 1 independent federal territory, on which the capital of America is located, more commonly known as Washington.

It is washed by the Atlantic (in the east), the Pacific (in the west) and the Arctic Ocean (in the north of Alaska) by the oceans.

The United States is located in the center of the continent. Their territory also includes such territories as Puerto Rico, Guam, etc. It is also worth noting that one of the important landmarks of the United States is the Great Lakes system. It consists of 5 fresh water reservoirs. Although the US rivers Occupy almost the entire territory of the state, the lakes still do not go unnoticed. It is here (and in Canada) is the largest amount of fresh water. Great American lakes unite the five largest reservoirs. Their area is 246 thousand square meters. Km. The volume of water is 24 thousand cubic meters. Km. This system of lakes is the most famous, their total depth exceeds the parameters of the North Sea, as well as the Baltic.

Brazil

Studying South America, it is impossible not to mention the largest state. This is Brazil. It is one of the five largest countries in the world. The only place on the mainland, where mostly they speak Portuguese. This state is characterized by heat, freezing is observed only in high-mountain areas. However, the only problem can be a large amount of precipitation: the annual norm exceeds 3000 mm. Here you can see 77 species of primates and more than 3 thousand freshwater fish. It is worth noting that Brazil has a very rich animal kingdom.

Lakes of America

Continents and continents can not exist without water. America has many reservoirs and rivers. Lakes play a big role in the water supply of all countries located on this continent.

The Great Salt Lake, located in Utah, is the largest in the west. Since it has no runoff, the water here is more salt than the sea. The size of the reservoir is constantly changing under the influence of heavy rainfall and their absence.

America - the continent is quite diverse. For example, Alaska is the "owner" of four large lakes. Lake Bocharova was discovered in 1791 by the Russian scientist Dmitry Bocharov, in honor of which he was named. Iliamna, thanks to its glacial-tectonic origin, feeds often only thanks to the snowy waters. Lake Kenai is suitable for fishing purposes. It is located in the mountains. It is the source of the river of the same name. Bear Lake is in the south of Alaska.

California is rich in water. In the northern part of the state is Castle. It feeds on glacier waters. Because of the dam on one of the rivers of America, Lake Mendocino was formed. Mono is a salty pond where fish do not live, but there are many cancers.

Creight is located in Oregon. It is unique in its structure, since it has a crater origin. The color of his water is blue. In addition, it is quite popular because of a log floating in the waters of the lake for a year now.

Where is America? We tried to answer this question in this article, providing extensive information.