Oceans and Continents | Class 6 Social Science Notes
By ConceptScroll Team · Published on 17 July 2026 · 4 min read
Oceans and Continents – this guide gives you a concise, exam-ready overview of Oceans and Continents from Class 6 Social Science, written by ConceptScroll editors and reviewed against the latest NCERT textbook.
Continents
Continents are large landmasses visible on the world map. However, counting continents is not straightforward because different conventions exist. Depending on criteria, the number of continents can vary between four and seven. For example, North America and South America are often counted as two continents but can also be considered as one American continent. Europe and Asia form a single continuous landmass but are usually counted separately due to historical and cultural reasons. Geologists sometimes call the combined Europe-Asia landmass 'Eurasia.' Africa is generally counted as a separate continent, but sometimes Africa and Eurasia are considered one. The most widely accepted count is seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. The Olympic rings symbol represent five inhabited continents: Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The relative sizes of continents vary greatly, with Asia being the largest and Australia the smallest among the seven.
📊 Diagram: Table on page 9 (5×2) showing different counts of continents; Now let us look at the diagram on page 36, which is based on the list of seven continents. It does not show their actual shapes, but their relative sizes.
🧪 Activity: Count the number of continents on the map, compare sizes, and recolour Europe and Asia as Eurasia to compare sizes with other continents.
🔗 Connection: This section introduces islands, which are smaller landmasses surrounded by water.
Table on page 9 (5×2)
| Count of continents (in alphabetical order) | |
|---|---|
| Four continents | Africa-Eurasia, America, Antarctica, Australia |
| Five continents | Africa, America, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia |
| Six continents | Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, North America, South America (this is reflected in Fig. 2.3 on page 32) |
| Seven continents | Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America |
Table on page 6 (6×3)
| Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere | |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Ocean | ||
| Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Indian Ocean | ||
| Southern Ocean | ||
| Arctic Ocean |
Frequently asked questions
1. What are oceans and continents? What are their names and their distribution?
Oceans are the largest water bodies on Earth, covering almost three-fourths of the Earth's surface. Continents are large continuous expanses of land, covering a little over one-fourth of the Earth's surface. The five oceans are the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Southern Ocean. Continents and oceans are unevenly distributed between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with the Northern Hemisphere having more land and the Southern Hemisphere more water.
2. In what ways do oceans and continents impact life on Earth, including human life?
Oceans and continents shape the Earth's climate, influencing weather patterns and temperatures. They affect all forms of life including plants, animals, and humans. Oceans provide habitats for marine life and influence rainfall and temperature. Continents provide land for human habitation, agriculture, and biodiversity. Their distribution affects cultural history and daily human activities.
→ What are the circular lines in each map called? And do you know what the lines radiating out of the two poles are called? (Hint: you studied them in the previous chapter, but here they are presented differently.) → Which hemisphere holds more water? → What do you think could be the approximate proportion of water to land in the Northern Hemisphere? And in the Southern Hemisphere? Discuss in groups. → Are all the oceans connected with one another, or are there separations between them?
1. The circular lines in each map are called parallels or lines of latitude. The lines radiating out of the poles are called meridians or lines of longitude. 2. The Southern Hemisphere holds more water compared to the Northern Hemisphere. 3. Approximate proportion: Northern Hemisphere has more land than water (about 60% land, 40% water), while the Southern Hemisphere has more water than land (about 80% water, 20% land). 4. All oceans are connected; the divisions on maps are conventional boundari
## LET'S EXPLORE Locate the five oceans and, in the table below, mark the hemisphere or hemispheres they belong to. | | Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere | | --- | --- | --- | | Pacific Ocean | | | | Atlantic Ocean | | | | Indian Ocean | | | | Southern Ocean | | | | Arctic Ocean | | |
Pacific Ocean: Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres Atlantic Ocean: Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres Indian Ocean: Both Northern and Southern Hemispheres Southern Ocean: Southern Hemisphere only Arctic Ocean: Northern Hemisphere only
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