Unit 3:
The Earth's physical characteristics: The continents
Geography [...] must teach us, from our earliest childhood, that we are all brethren, whatever our nationality. In our time of wars, of national self-conceit, of national jealousies and hatreds ably nourished by people who pursue their own egotistic, personal or class interests,geography must be-in so far as the school may do anything to counterbalance hostile influences- a means of dissipating these prejudices and of creating other feelings more worthy of humanity. It must show that each nationality brings its own precious building stone for the general development of the commonwealth, and that only small parts of each nation are interested in maintaining national hatreds and jealousies.
Piotr Kropotkin, What Geography ought to be. 1885
Since you already know what is a plateau, a plain, a peninsula, etc. The content of this unit is very simple: it is about knowing the main elements of the relief of the six continents. What this unit is about is putting the memory to work.
1. Asia
The Asian relief is very diverse. There are great plains and plateaus, (Siberian plains, Tibetan plateau) as well as high mountain ranges (Himalayas). As for the waters, some of the longest rivers in the world are in Asia (Yang Tze), as well as the deepest lakes (Baikal).
Activities
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on Asian relief with a Flash game.
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on Asian rivers and lakes with a Flash game.
Curiosities
2. The Americas
The relief in the Americas is also very varied. There are great plains in the north (Great North American Plains), plateaus (Mexican Plateau) and, above all, a long mountain range that crosses the continent from north to south. In the north it is called Rocky Mountains, while in the south it is called Andes.
Activities
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on North American relief with a Flash game.
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on North American lakes and rivers with a Flash game.
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on South American relief with a Flash game.
Curiosities
3. Africa
The African relief is very accused. A plateau occupies more than half of the territory, crossed by some massifs (Bongo massif). Grabens are typical of East Africa, such as the Rift Valley. There are great lakes like Victoria or Chad, and we can not forget the longest river in the world: the Nile River.
Activities
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on Africa relief with a Flash game.
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on African lakes and rivers with a Flash game.
Curiosities
4. Europe
The European relief is marked by a great plain that extends from the north of France to the Ural mountains in Russia. There are plateaus such as Finland or the Central one in the Iberian Peninsula, and also young mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees, the Alps or the Caucasus, where is located the highest mountain in Europe, the Elbrus, with 5642 meters.
Activities
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on European relief with a Flash game.
Click on the picture to the left to practice your knowledge on European rivers and lakes with a Flash game.
Curiosities
5. Oceania
Oceania is the smallest continent, with just over 8 million square kilometers. It is in the Pacific Ocean and consists of a large island (Australia), others of medium size (New Zealand) and three volcanic archipelagos (Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia). Australia consists of a large plateau crossed by extensive deserts and a very straight west coast, where large cities are concentrated. The rest of the islands are very mountainous, due to their volcanic origin.
Activities
Click on the map to practice your knowledge about Australian relief and waters
Curiosities
Antarctica
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest Continent. It is only inhabited by animals, like penguins and seals, and the only humans that occasionally spend sometime over there are tourists and scientists. Antarctica is a frozen desert and its highest mountain is Vinson massif. Other places of interest are the cape Norway and the cape Adare.
If you want to watch a presentation on the race to Antarctica between Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott, click here