Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Afro-Eurasia

geography Maturity 7-9

Afro-Eurasia is a very big land.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png
It joins Africa, Asia, and Europe. Many people live on this land. It is the biggest land of all. We can find it on a map. Do you want to see it?

39 words

Afro-Eurasia is a giant piece of land.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png
It joins three parts of our world. These parts are Africa, Asia, and Europe.

This land is very big. It is the largest land on Earth. Most of the people in the world live here.

There are many high and low spots. Mount Everest is the highest peak. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on land.

You can see this big land on a map.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
It covers a huge part of the world.

86 words

Afro-Eurasia is a massive piece of land. It joins three continents. These are Africa, Asia, and Europe.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png

This land is the largest on Earth. It holds 57% of all land. Most people live here too. About 6.7 billion people call it home. That is 86% of all people in the world.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg

This place has many extreme spots. Mount Everest is the highest peak. It sits on the border of China and Nepal. The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on land. It is between Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg

Long ago, the land was different. The Indian plate hit the Eurasian plate. This hit made the Himalayas mountains. The plates also joined with Australia. In the future, Africa may drift north. It might close the gap at the Strait of Gibraltar. This could change the Mediterranean Sea. The land is always moving very slowly.

154 words

Afro-Eurasia is a giant piece of land. It joins three different continents together. These three continents are Africa, Asia, and Europe.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png
It is the largest continuous landmass on our planet. Some people call it the "Old World." This name was used by explorers long ago. They used it to describe the lands they already knew. This is different from the "New World" in the Americas.
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg

This huge area holds a lot of the world. It covers 57% of all land on Earth. Many people live on this land too. About 6.7 billion people live here. That is roughly 86% of all people in the world.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Most of the land in the Eastern Hemisphere is here. This includes the mainland and also Australia. It is a very crowded and busy place.

The land has changed a lot over time. Long ago, a part called the Kaapvaal craton existed. It was part of a supercontinent called Vaalbara. This happened about 3 billion years ago. Later, the supercontinent Pangaea broke apart. The Indian plate split from Gondwana. It hit the Eurasian plate about 50 million years ago. This big crash made the high Himalayas mountains.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png

There are many extreme spots on this land. Mount Everest is the highest point. It sits on the border of China and Nepal. The shores of the Dead Sea are the lowest. This spot is between Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. The land has many edges too. Cape Agulhas in South Africa is the southernmost point. Pointe des Almadies in Senegal is the westernmost point. Cape Chelyuskin in Russia is the northernmost point.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg

Scientists think the land will keep moving. Africa might drift north in the future. This could close the Strait of Gibraltar. If that happens, the Mediterranean Sea might dry up. Some think new supercontinents might form. These names include Novopangaea and Amasia. Others call a possible new land Pangaea Proxima. We do not know for sure yet. The earth is always making new shifts.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg

348 words

Afro-Eurasia is a massive landmass that joins three continents. These continents are Africa, Asia, and Europe.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png
It is the largest contiguous landmass on Earth. This means it is one unbroken piece of land. People often call this region the "Old World." This term comes from the Age of Discovery. European explorers used it to describe lands they already knew. They used "New World" to describe the Americas.
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg

This region is incredibly significant for the planet. Afro-Eurasia covers 57% of the world's total land area. It is also home to a huge portion of humanity. About 6.7 billion people live across these continents. This represents roughly 86% of the entire world population. Together with mainland Australia, it makes up most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg

Geologists explain that Afro-Eurasia is not a true supercontinent. Instead, it is part of a larger supercontinent cycle. This cycle involves the constant movement of Earth's plates. The oldest part is likely the Kaapvaal craton. This piece was part of a supercontinent called Vaalbara about 3 billion years ago. It has remained part of various supercontinents ever since. The movement of these plates has shaped the world we see today.

Plate tectonics drove many major changes in the past. Around 200 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart. The North American and Eurasian plates formed a group called Laurasia. Meanwhile, the African plate stayed with a group called Gondwana. The Indian plate eventually split from Gondwana. About 50 million years ago, the Indian plate crashed into the Eurasian plate. This massive impact created the Himalayan mountain range.

LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png

Other movements happened during the Miocene period. The Arabian plate broke away from Africa about 30 million years ago. It later hit the Iranian plate between 19 and 12 million years ago. This collision formed the Alborz and Zagros mountain chains. Later, the Betic corridor closed near the Gibraltar Arc. This happened less than 6 million years ago. This closure caused the Mediterranean Basin to nearly dry up completely. This event is known as the Messinian salinity crisis.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg

Today, several large plates dominate the landscape. The Eurasian and African plates are the most prominent. However, the Somali plate covers much of eastern Africa. This movement creates the East African Rift. In the Mediterranean, several smaller plates interact. These include the Aegean Sea, Anatolian, and Arabian plates. Africa also connects to the Levant via the Dead Sea transform. Eurasia includes many other plates, such as the Indian and Burma plates.

Afro-Eurasia contains many extreme geographic points. Mount Everest is the highest point on the landmass. It sits on the border of China and Nepal. The lowest point on land is the shores of the Dead Sea. This area lies between Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. The edges of the landmass are also distinct. Cape Agulhas in South Africa is the southernmost point. Pointe des Almadies in Senegal is the westernmost point.

Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg

The future of this landmass remains a subject of study. Paleogeologists suggest that Africa will continue drifting northward. This movement might close the Strait of Gibraltar. If this happens, the Mediterranean Sea could evaporate. Scientists have proposed three possible future supercontinents. These names are Novopangaea, Amasia, and Pangaea Proxima. In Novopangaea and Amasia, the Pacific Ocean might close. In Pangaea Proxima, the Atlantic Ocean might close instead. These projections are speculative because tectonic activity can be unpredictable.

579 words
🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) political.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection)...
File:Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
Afro-Eurasia (orthographic projection) blank.svg
File:LocationAfricaEurasia.png
LocationAfricaEurasia.png
Up Next
🗺️
Old World
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.