Background information; by edgardowelelo@yahoo.com, Master of the Game
Learning and Understanding the world (PLANET EARTH)
It is necessary for all worldwide tourists to understand how the seven continents we know today, were formed. Around 250 million years ago, all the continents (or landmasses) were grouped together forming one large landmass (a single – super – continent), called Pangaea / Pangea. This was surrounded by one giant Ocean called Panthalassa, the predecessor of the Pacific Ocean. There was also a shallow, tropical ocean known as the Tethys Sea. About 200 – 220 million years ago, this landmass (Pangaea / Pangea) began to break up, gradually spreading across the globe. The northern and southern land – mass split apart, and a rift also appeared between Africa and South America. North America split from Europe 80 million years ago, and also began drifting west. North America began to separate from the fused continents of South America and Africa, creating a gap which was the start of the northern Atlantic Ocean. The line of separation marked the beginning of the mid – Atlantic ridge. As the split widened, two giant continents were formed: LAURASIA to the north, which combined North America and Eurasia, and GONDWANALAND to the south, which consisted of South America, Africa, India, Arabia, Australia and the Antarctic continent. Then, some 170 million years ago, Gondwanaland began to break up. South America and Africa moved to the northeast, while India, on its own, started to move north. Some 35 million years later, South America and Africa broke a part, creating the Southern Atlantic Ocean. The mid – Ocean ridges of the north and South Atlantic joined up to form one long, continuous ridge. As the Atlantic continued to spread, the remains of Panthalassa, now the Pacific, begin to shrink. It is still shrinking to this day. The Tethys Sea was gradually closed by the northward movement of Africa and what we know as Southern Europe. India finally reached Asia, and the Himalayan Mountains were born. The mid – Indian Ocean ridge extended down to separate Australia and Antarctica, as it does today, causing Australia to move north. By around 65 million years ago, the continents had stopped shifting dramatically and had settled into pretty much the positions that we see today.
