Oddly enough, the continents occupy far from the most significant part of the surface of our planet, even though it is called the Earth. Water areas are much more extensive, but the continents are still not fully understood. And if we still cannot thoroughly study even not the most remote, albeit hard-to-reach, corners of the land, then what is there to talk about at all? On every continent there are places that are still practically unexplored, despite the development of science and technology.
Interesting facts about the continents
- The existence of the southern continent, Antarctica, was predicted by scientists centuries before its existence was confirmed by brave explorers.
- The largest continent is Eurasia, which is usually divided into two continents – Asia and Europe.
- On every continent there really are practically unexplored areas. For example, the deserts in the heart of Australia, the Asian highlands or the impenetrable jungles of South America (interesting facts about South America).
- The highest continent in the world is Antarctica. Its average height reaches 2.2 kilometers above sea level, which is 2.5 times the average height of Asia.
- Due to special atmospheric conditions, the Sun in Antarctica looks green at sunset. Sometimes, under certain conditions.
- Scientists suggest that more than 100 million years ago, the hypothetical mainland Zeeland broke away from Australia, which went under water 22-23 million years ago. And the islands of New Zealand are, according to this theory, the peaks of its highest mountain ranges.
- Continents do not stop their movement in our time. For example, the shores of the Pacific Ocean move away from each other by several centimeters per year (interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean).
- Antarctica accounts for 90 percent of all ice on our planet.
- Among all the continents, Eurasia got the most oceans – its shores are washed by 4 of them.
- Eurasia is the most mountainous continent. In second place is South America.
- Australia is the smallest of the continents. For a long time it was even proposed to consider it an island.
- According to the calculations of polar explorers, in Antarctica, about 2 million tons of snow per year are carried by the wind from each kilometer of the coastline to the sea.
- More than 10 % of all continents are covered with permanent ice cover.
- Antarctica is still the least explored continent for obvious reasons.
- Australia is considered the most dangerous continent. Since it broke away from the ancestral continent in ancient times, many relic life forms, sometimes very dangerous, have survived here.