Identify Continents and Major Countries

Earth is divided into seven large land masses called continents. Each continent contains many countries — nations with their own governments, languages, and cultures. Knowing where continents and countries are located helps us understand world geography, history, and current events.

The Seven Continents

• North America — USA, Canada, Mexico are major countries here.
• South America — Brazil, Argentina, and Peru are key countries.
• Europe — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK are well-known countries.
• Africa — Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa are major countries.
• Asia — The largest continent: China, Japan, India, and Russia are examples.
• Oceania — Australia and New Zealand are the major countries.
• Antarctica — The southernmost continent. No permanent residents; only research stations.

How to Use a World Map

• The map is divided by lines of latitude (horizontal) and longitude (vertical).
• The equator is the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth.
• Oceans separate the continents — the Pacific Ocean is the largest.
• Countries are shown within their continent, often with borders marked by lines.
• A compass rose shows the four main directions: North, South, East, West.