Continent Facts for Kids
Continents of the World
A continent is a large solid area of land surrounded by water. The planet Earth has 7 continents of various shapes and sizes all with different characteristics. In this blog post, continent facts for kids, kids will learn more about the various continents with these fun facts!
Each continent has its own unique characteristics, animals, and people. As kids learn more about each continent, they will be able to understand the differences between each continent but also the similarities that many continents share.
Facts about the continents are a great way to start a geography lesson! So, whether this is your first time learning about the continents or you already consider yourself a continent expert, I hope you enjoy these amazing facts about the land on Earth.
Africa Is the Second Largest Continent.
Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. It covers about 30,370,000 square kilometers (11,700,000 square miles).
Africa is the birthplace of humanity. It is believed the first humans, known as homo sapiens, lived in Africa.
The continent is home to the world’s largest desert, the Sahara Desert. The desert is located in North Africa covering 9,200,000 square kilometers (3,600,000 square miles) of the continent’s total land mass.
Africa has the world’s longest river, the Nile River.
The continent of Africa has a mostly dry kind of climate with desert conditions dominating the northern and southern regions.
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Continent Facts for Kids – Antarctica
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent in the world. It covers about 14,000,000 square kilometers (5,400,000 square miles).
Antarctica is the world’s driest continent. On average, the continent receives only about 166 mm of precipitation along coastal areas. Main land areas experience even lower precipitation amounts.
The continent has over 300 lakes that have been found buried under the ice sheet.
Antarctica has more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) of coastline.
The continent is home to 90% of all penguins on Earth.
Asia is the Biggest Continent
Asia is the largest continent in the world. It covers about 44,579,000 square kilometers (17,212,000 square miles).
Asia is home to the world’s largest population.
The continent of Asia has over 44,000 kilometers (27,300 miles) of coastline.
Mount Everest, the tallest mountain and highest mountain on Earth, is located in Asia.
The Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers are two of the world’s longest rivers.
Continent Facts for Kids – Australia is Super Flat
Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It covers about 7,682,300 square kilometers (2,941,500 square miles).
The continent of Australia is the flattest continent on Earth.
Australia is an island continent with over 10,000 beaches mainly located along the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.
Australian animals include kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and platypuses.
Europe Has the World’s Largest City
Europe is the second smallest continent in the world. It covers about 10,180,000 square kilometers (3,930,000 square miles).
Europe is home to the world’s largest city, Moscow.
The continent of Europe has over 50 countries!
The Danube River is the longest river in Europe.
The continent is home to the world’s oldest surviving democracy, the country of Greece.
Continent Facts for Kids – North America
North America is the third-largest continent in the world. It covers about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,500,000 square miles).
North America is home to the United States, which is the world’s third-largest country by size.
Mexico City is one of the most populous cities in the World. It has a population of over 21,000,000 people!
The continent has over 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) of coastline. North America is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the West, the Atlantic Ocean to the East, and the Artic Ocean to the North.
Niagara Falls is one of the world’s largest waterfalls.
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South America Has the Highest Waterfall
South America is the fourth largest continent in the world. It covers about 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,880,000 square miles).
South America has the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. The continent is also home to the World’s largest river by water mass, the Amazon River.
The continent is home to the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls. The total height of the waterfall is 3,212 feet tall!
Brazil is the largest country in South America. In terms of population, Brazil is home to 212.6 million people. That’s a lot of people!
The continent has over 17,000 kilometers (10,500 miles) of coastline.
What’s Your Favorite Continent?
Now that you’ve learned all about the continents, what’s your favorite continent? Do you like the geographical wonders of Africa? Do you think the penguins of Anarctica are especially cute? What about all the wildlife in Australia? Maybe you’ve seen the smaller countries of Europe and like them all for their individuality and uniqueness or maybe you like North America for the simpleness of the continent with only three countries?
Whichever continent is your favorite, I recommend you try to visit all of them or at least look at pictures. There are so many wonders of the World and some of them are a lot closer to home than you may think. Where are you from? What other countries and continents are near you? Go out and start exploring! You never know what you may find.
WANT MORE FUN FACTS FOR KIDS?
Check 100 fun facts for kids here and browse all the other topics at the bottom of the post.
