World Geography
🔒 Log in to trackContinents, superlatives, grasslands and tribes
🔒 Log in to trackThere are seven continents. The exam asks which is largest, which peak is highest, which lake is deepest, and similar 'superlative' facts. It also asks the local name of each grassland and the home of each tribe. Learn these as short lists.
Seven continents in size order
There are seven continents. From largest to smallest:
Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia.
Asia holds about 30% of the world's land and most of its people. Australia is the smallest and flattest. It has no land borders, so it is a "continental country".
Superlatives the exam repeats
| Feature | Answer |
|---|---|
| Highest peak | Mount Everest, 8,848.86 m (Nepal-China border, re-measured in 2020) |
| Longest mountain range | The Andes, about 7,000 km |
| Longest river | Nile, about 6,650 km |
| Largest river by water volume | Amazon |
| Largest hot desert | Sahara. Antarctica is the coldest desert |
| Largest island | Greenland |
| Largest lake | Caspian Sea, a salt lake |
| Largest freshwater lake by area | Lake Superior |
| Deepest lake | Lake Baikal (Russia) |
| Highest waterfall | Angel Falls (Venezuela), about 979 m |
| Lowest land point | Dead Sea shore, about 430 m below sea level |
| Highest plateau | Tibet. The Pamir Knot is the "roof of the world" |
Watch: Australia is bigger than Greenland, but it counts as a continent. So Greenland is the largest island.
Highest peak of each continent
| Continent | Peak |
|---|---|
| Asia | Everest |
| Africa | Kilimanjaro |
| North America | Denali |
| South America | Aconcagua |
| Europe | Elbrus |
| Antarctica | Vinson Massif |
| Australia | Kosciuszko |
Continent one-liners
- Asia: Everest. Baikal and the Caspian. The Yangtze. The Sundarbans, the largest delta. Mesopotamia (Tigris-Euphrates). The equator crosses its islands (Indonesia).
- Africa: The "Dark Continent". 54 countries, the most. The Sahara. The Nile, whose White and Blue branches meet at Khartoum. Lake Victoria. The Great Rift Valley.
- North America: The Rockies and Appalachians. The Mississippi-Missouri system. Five Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario. Michigan is the only one wholly in the USA. Niagara Falls lie between Erie and Ontario. The Grand Canyon on the Colorado. Death Valley.
- South America: The Andes. The Amazon and its rainforest, the world's largest. The Atacama, the driest non-polar desert. The Pampas. Lake Titicaca, the highest large navigable lake. La Paz, the highest capital city.
- Europe: Vatican City, the smallest country. The Alps. The Volga (longest) and the Danube (most countries crossed). Norwegian fjords. No true desert.
- Australia and Oceania: The Great Barrier Reef. Uluru (Ayers Rock). The Murray-Darling rivers. The Great Dividing Range.
- Antarctica: Coldest, driest, windiest. -89.2 degrees C at Vostok. About 98% ice sheet. No permanent population, only research stations. India's are Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri and Bharati. Run under the Antarctic Treaty (1959).
Grasslands of the world
| Type | Region | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical | East Africa | Savanna |
| Tropical | Venezuela (Orinoco) | Llanos |
| Tropical | Brazil | Campos |
| Temperate | North America | Prairies (wheat basket) |
| Temperate | Russia and Central Asia | Steppes |
| Temperate | Argentina and Uruguay | Pampas (cattle, wheat) |
| Temperate | South Africa | Veld |
| Temperate | Australia | Downs |
| Temperate | New Zealand | Canterbury |
Tip: Fix the four classic ones: Prairies, Pampas, Steppes, Veld. The rest follow.
Peoples of the world
| Tribe | Home |
|---|---|
| Pygmies | Congo rainforest |
| Bushmen (San) | Kalahari |
| Masai | Kenya-Tanzania savanna |
| Bedouins | Arabia |
| Tuaregs and Berbers | Sahara |
| Inuit (Eskimo) | Arctic Canada, Greenland, Alaska |
| Lapps (Sami) | Northern Scandinavia |
| Kirghiz | Central Asian steppes |
| Aborigines | Australia |
| Red Indians (Amerindians) | The Americas |
| Fuegians | Tierra del Fuego |
| Ainus | Hokkaido, Japan |
| Gonds and Bhils | Central India |
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
World superlatives: mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, falls
'Longest river', 'largest island / lake', 'lowest point of land', 'highest waterfall'.
Recall the superlative table.
Nile is longest, Amazon has the most water.
Caspian largest lake, Superior largest freshwater, Baikal deepest.
Angel Falls is the highest waterfall. The Dead Sea shore is the lowest land.
The table is short, and each row is asked again and again.
Which is the largest island in the world?
Show solutionHide solution
Australia is larger but counts as a continent.
The largest island is Greenland.
Greenland
Continent and its one-line identity
'Which continent has no desert', 'most countries', 'longest river of each continent', fjords.
Africa: 54 countries, the most.
Asia: largest, Baikal, Caspian, Sundarbans.
Europe: no true desert, Norwegian fjords, Vatican City, Volga, Danube.
Australia: smallest. Antarctica: coldest, no permanent people.
Each continent has a few signature facts.
Which continent has the largest number of independent countries?
Show solutionHide solution
Africa has 54 countries.
Asia has about 48 and Europe about 44.
Africa
Grasslands by continent
'Prairies are in', 'Savanna is a grassland of', 'which grassland is in South America', match-the-column.
Split them: tropical (Savanna, Llanos, Campos) and temperate.
Temperate: Prairies (N. America), Steppes (Eurasia), Pampas (Argentina), Veld (S. Africa), Downs (Australia).
Fix the four classic ones and eliminate.
Grassland names are pure matching, and four anchors settle most items.
The temperate grasslands of South Africa are called:
Show solutionHide solution
Prairies belong to North America.
Steppes belong to Eurasia. Pampas belong to Argentina.
The Veld
Tribes and their native regions
'Bushmen live in', 'which tribe of the Congo forest', 'Masai are herders of', match-the-column on tribes.
Africa: Pygmies (Congo), Bushmen (Kalahari), Masai (East Africa), Bedouins (Arabia), Tuaregs and Berbers (Sahara).
Cold lands: Inuit, Lapps, Kirghiz.
Others: Aborigines (Australia), Fuegians (Tierra del Fuego), Ainus (Japan).
Each tribe is tied to one landscape.
The Bushmen, hunters of the Kalahari desert, belong to which continent?
Show solutionHide solution
The Kalahari lies in southern Africa.
Bushmen are also called the San.
Africa
Antarctica and the polar regions
'Antarctica is covered by', 'which country has stations in Antarctica', 'Antarctic Treaty year', Arctic vs Antarctica.
About 98% of Antarctica is ice sheet.
The coldest place is Vostok, about -89.2 degrees C.
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959.
India runs Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri and Bharati.
The Arctic is ocean ringed by land. Antarctica is land ringed by ocean.
These few facts are the whole polar question bank.
In which year was the Antarctic Treaty signed?
Show solutionHide solution
It reserves the continent for peaceful science.
It was signed in 1959.
1959
Highest peak of each continent
'Highest peak of Africa / South America / Europe', 'Denali is in', 'Vinson Massif lies in'.
Write the pairs: Asia Everest, Africa Kilimanjaro.
North America Denali, South America Aconcagua.
Europe Elbrus, Antarctica Vinson Massif, Australia Kosciuszko.
Seven pairs are asked in every order, so memorise them once.
Which is the highest peak of South America?
Show solutionHide solution
The Andes run through South America.
Their highest peak is Aconcagua.
Aconcagua
Shortcuts that save time
Prairies (North America), Pampas (Argentina), Veld (South Africa), Steppes (Eurasia), Downs (Australia).
What are the temperate grasslands of South Africa called?
Show solutionHide solution
Use the list: Prairies, Pampas, Veld, Steppes, Downs.
The African one is the Veld.
Veld
Caspian is largest (salt). Superior is largest freshwater. Baikal is deepest. Titicaca is highest navigable. The Dead Sea shore is the lowest land.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Calling the Sahara the largest desert overall.
Antarctica is the largest desert. The Sahara is the largest hot desert.
Saying the Amazon is the longest river.
The Amazon carries the most water. The Nile is the longest.
Placing the Veld in South America.
The Veld is in South Africa. South America has the Pampas.
Naming Australia as the largest island.
Australia is a continent. Greenland is the largest island.
Saying Antarctica has a permanent population.
It has only research stations.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Size: Asia, Africa, N. America, S. America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia.
Everest 8,848.86 m. Kilimanjaro (Africa), Aconcagua (S. America), Denali (N. America), Elbrus (Europe), Vinson (Antarctica).
Nile longest. Amazon biggest volume. Sahara largest hot desert. Greenland largest island.
Caspian largest lake. Superior largest freshwater. Baikal deepest. Angel Falls highest waterfall.
Grasslands: Prairies, Steppes, Pampas, Veld, Downs. Tropical: Savanna, Llanos, Campos.
Antarctica: coldest, driest, windiest, no permanent people. Indian stations Maitri and Bharati.
Practice: 20 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 3 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.