Study of Continents: North America and South America — Flashcards

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Pangaea means 'all lands'. It was the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago, where all the continents were joined together before breaking apart due to continental drift.

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Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, proposed the Continental Drift Theory in 1915 in his book *The Origin of Continents and Oceans*.

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Wegener used geological and biological evidence, such as similar rock formations and fossils found in South America and Africa, to prove that continents were once joined.

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The ancient ocean surrounding Pangaea was called Panthalassa, meaning 'all seas'.

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Amerigo Vespucci realized that the lands discovered by Columbus were not part of Asia but a new continent. Later, the continent was named America in his honor.

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North America is located in the Northern and Western Hemispheres.

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North America extends from 7°N to 83°N latitude and from 53°W to 180°W longitude.

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North America is bounded by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Caribbean Sea in the south.