What does the geography of continents and oceans study? The mainland and the ocean - what is it?

It is possible to enumerate for a long time natural objects that have become subjects of studying such a science as geography: continents, oceans, peoples and countries, mountains, plains, seas and much more. In the same article, we will deal exclusively with the continents and the oceans.

What does the geography of continents and oceans study?

This course is necessarily present at the geographical faculties of classical and pedagogical universities. As a rule, it is conditionally divided into three logical sections:

1. Geography of the northern continents.
2. Geography of the southern continents.
3. Geography of the World Ocean.

This course is also being studied in secondary school (in grade 7).

What does the geography of continents and oceans study? Science sets itself the task of examining regional features of the nature of our planet. It is about the largest natural complexes of the Earth - continents and oceans. Within their boundaries, geographers try to find different patterns, sometimes comparing individual parts of the planet's surface.

The geography of the continents and oceans is a discipline that is of extraordinary importance for the upbringing of the younger generation. After all, without awareness by the students of the reasons for the diversity of the nature of the Earth, ecological education is impossible , which is an important component of the school system of education.

The continents and oceans are the largest natural complexes of the planet

Continents are exactly what the geography of continents and oceans is studying in every detail and detail. These are the largest natural complexes of the world, which serve as excellent models for studying any natural laws and processes occurring in the geographical envelope.

What is the mainland? This is a huge land mass, surrounded on all sides by the waters of the World Ocean. There are six continents on the planet (in some states - 5 or 7). The largest of them is Eurasia, and the smallest is Australia.

It is important to note that land and ocean are distributed on the surface of the planet Earth extremely unevenly (about 30% to 70%). In the northern hemisphere, the percentage of land is much higher, but in the South - south of 50 degrees it is almost none (except for minor islands and archipelagos).

All continents are separated by vast masses of oceans. There are five of them on the planet (some scientists believe there are only four of them): Quiet (the largest and deepest of all the oceans), the Atlantic (the most troubled), the Indian (the warmest and salty), the Arctic and the South. The existence of the last ocean is exactly what causes numerous disputes among scientists.

Algorithms for the study of continents and oceans

The continents and oceans, their nature, are studied by regional geographers according to clear plans. Thus, the study and description of the continent includes the following items:

• Geographical location of the continent;
• The nature of the shoreline, including the extreme points of land;
• Geological structure and terrain;
• Mineral resources of the continent;
• Climatic features;
• Surface waters (rivers, lakes, glaciers, etc.);
• Natural zoning of the territory.

In turn, the oceans are studied according to another plan, which includes such items:

• geographical position;
• Bottom relief and mineral resources;
• Climate over the ocean;
• System of ocean currents;
• The organic world of the ocean;
• Features of economic use of water areas.

Finally...

Now you know what the geography of the continents and oceans is studying. This is one of the main courses, which is taught in universities, training geographers and educators. The main task of this discipline is to consider the key features and regularities of the nature of all continents and oceans on our planet.