The largest continent of our planet in its name unites two large parts of the world located on it: Europe and Asia. The size of Eurasia is impressive - the length from west to east is 16 thousand kilometers, and from north to south - almost 8 thousand kilometers. The huge area and location between the equator and the 77th parallel of the northern hemisphere determine a wide variety of natural conditions on it.
This is the only continent that is washed simultaneously by four oceans. The coastline of Eurasia is strongly divided, there are many peninsulas and islands. Some of the mainland island groups are located at a considerable distance from it. For example, the Malay Archipelago extends to 11 ° in the southern hemisphere, and Svalbard goes beyond the parallel of 80 ° N.
The concept of Europe and Asia, as about separate parts of the world, was formed in ancient times. But for a very long time, the true dimensions of the continent on which they are located, its contours, as well as the coastline of Eurasia, remained unknown. Most geographers of the past considered these huge land areas as different continents, mainly due to significant contrasts in natural conditions. But, based on today's physical-geographical concept of continents, Europe and Asia should be perceived as a single whole.
Oceans surrounding the mainland
The outskirts of Eurasia are strongly divided by seas and bays. This is most evident in the western part. Almost a third of Europe falls on the islands and peninsulas. Despite the significant size of this territory, due to the presence of inland seas deeply protruding into the land, the greatest distance from the water is only 600 kilometers. Eastward, the mainland is expanding, and the coastline of Eurasia is becoming less rugged. The share of peninsulas and islands in the Asian part is less than one fourth of the total area.
The western and southwestern coast of the continent is washed by the Atlantic Ocean. On its mainland shallows, which reaches several hundred kilometers off the coast of Europe, are the Bay of Biscay, the Baltic, Northern and Irish Seas, as well as the British Isles.
The narrow Strait of Gibraltar connects the ocean with the Mediterranean Sea, which consists of several hollows separated by islands and peninsulas. Most of all, the Black and Azov Seas deepened into the land, which are connected with the Mediterranean by the Bosporus and Dardanelles.
The northern shores of Eurasia are washed by the cold Arctic Ocean, parts of which are located on a wide strip of the mainland shallow. Between the Norwegian and
Barents Seas is the Scandinavian Peninsula.
In the east, the coastline of Eurasia is very rugged. Chains of islands and large peninsulas separate the marginal seas from the Pacific Ocean and from each other. For example, the Sea of Okhotsk is isolated by the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands. Near the coast of the mainland there are several deep-sea trenches, among which Mariansky stands out, the deepest on Earth - 11,650 meters.
The southern coastline of the continent is distinguished by the presence of three large peninsulas - Arabian, Hindustan and Indochina. They extend far into the Indian Ocean and separate large seas and bays.
Eurasia, whose geographical position contributed to a wide variety of natural conditions, stands out for its uniqueness among other continents. It has both Arctic deserts and equatorial forests, part of the territory suffers from excess moisture and at the same time, in some regions there is almost no rain. Here, the most significant contrasts of heights and temperatures are observed, there are the highest mountains and the deepest depression on land.