Page 142 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

perhaps the origin point of the human race; nonetheless, it is
considered the world's poorest continent. Agricultural
products and mineral resources are the main economic
products of much of the continent.

Antarctica

Antarctica is the continent that surrounds the Earth's South
Pole. With an area of approximately 8 million square miles, it
is the world's fifth largest continent and is also the continent
with the highest average altitude and the lowest average
humidity of any continent on the Earth. It is the coldest place
on earth. The annual average temperature is -50°C (-58°F).
Summer temperatures can reach as high as -30°C (-22°F).
This landmass is almost entirely covered with ice, but is also
the world's largest desert. Although Antarctica has no
permanent residents, a number of governments maintain
permanent research stations throughout the continent. It is

estimated that about 1,000 people live in Antarctica in base
camps, although this number varies widely by season.

Asia

Asia is the continent that makes up the central and eastern
part of Eurasia (Europe and Asia combined). Asia is also
joined to Africa by the Isthmus of Suez. It is the largest
continent in the world in terms of land area. Asia is also the
world's most populous continent, with about 60 percent of the
human population. The continent is rich in natural resources,
including petroleum and iron. Agricultural products include
rice, wheat, and chicken. Forestry is extensive throughout
Asia except Southwest and Central Asia. Manufacturing in
Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast
Asia, and varies from manufacturing cheap goods such as

toys to high-tech goods. One of the major employers in
manufacturing in Asia is the textile industry. Much of the
world's supply of clothing and footwear now originates in
Southeast Asia.

Australia

Originally settled by peoples of Southeast Asia around
40,000 years before the first Europeans (they arrived in the
17th century), Australia is mostly low plateau with deserts
and a fertile plain in southeast of the nation. Australia's
economy is highly developed and capitalistic. Its major
resources include diamonds, natural gas, and petroleum.
While it is the smallest of the seven continents, it is the
world's sixth largest nation in terms of square miles.