Africa-Eurasia facts for kids

Map showing Africa-Eurasia (in green)

Africa-Eurasia (also known as Afro-Eurasia or Eurafrasia) is the largest landmass on Earth. It's like a giant puzzle piece made up of the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia. About 85% of the world's people, which is around 5.5 billion, live here!

This huge landmass is often thought of as two main continents: Africa and Eurasia. The Suez Canal in Egypt is a waterway that separates Africa from Eurasia. Eurasia itself is then divided into two parts: Europe and Asia.

Sometimes, people talk about the mainland of Africa-Eurasia as the World Island. This term is used in geopolitics, which is about how geography affects politics and relationships between countries. The "World Island" usually means the main land without islands like the British Isles, Japan, or Madagascar.

The term Old World refers to Africa-Eurasia and all the islands around it. It's called the "Old World" because it's where many ancient civilizations developed before the Americas were widely known to Europeans.

Continents of Africa-Eurasia

Africa-Eurasia is made up of two main continents, which are then divided into smaller regions.

Eurasia

Eurasia is the largest part of Africa-Eurasia. It includes both Europe and Asia.

Asia

Asia is the biggest continent and has many different regions:

• Northern Asia
• Western Asia
• Central Asia
• Eastern Asia
• Southern Asia
• Southeastern Asia

Europe

Europe is a continent known for its long history and many countries:

• Northern Europe
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Southern Europe

Africa

Africa is the second-largest continent. It is connected to Eurasia by a narrow strip of land. Africa also has several regions:

• Northern Africa
• Western Africa
• Central Africa
• Eastern Africa
• Southern Africa

Future of Africa-Eurasia

In the very distant future, the shape of Africa-Eurasia might change even more! Scientists who study geology (the Earth's physical structure) believe that Africa and Europe are slowly moving closer together.

It's estimated that in about 600,000 years, the southern tip of Spain might touch Africa. If this happens, the Mediterranean Sea could become separated from the Atlantic Ocean. Looking even further ahead, in about 50 million years, Africa is expected to fully collide with Europe. This would completely close off the Mediterranean Sea, creating new mountain ranges.

See also

In Spanish: Eurafrasia para niños