Continents, Continental Drift, and Ancient Civilizations Lecture

A set of question-and-answer flashcards covering the continents, continental drift, and key aspects of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.

What are the seven continents of the world?

Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia (including Oceania).

Which continent is the largest by land area and what is its approximate size?

Asia, about 31.9 million square kilometres.

Which continent is the second-largest and occupies roughly 22 % of Earth’s land surface?

Africa (≈ 30.3 million km²).

North America’s coastline is described as irregular; which famous island lies just off its coast and is the world’s largest island?

Greenland.

Which continent is the fourth largest yet holds under 12 % of the world’s population?

South America.

Which is the smallest of the seven continents and is noted for its unique wildlife such as kangaroos?

Australia (and Oceania).

Which continent is almost completely ice-covered year-round and is the coldest place on Earth?

Antarctica.

Who proposed the Theory of Continental Drift?

Alfred Wegener.

What was the name of the supercontinent that existed about 240 million years ago?

Pangea.

Around how many million years ago did Pangea begin to break apart?

About 200 million years ago.

Into which two giant landmasses did Pangea first split?

Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south.

What main idea is explained by the Continental Drift Theory?

That Earth’s continents were once joined in a single landmass and have since moved to their present positions.

In Sumerian city-states, what was a ziggurat?

A stepped temple structure that served as both a shrine and administrative center.

What is the wedge-shaped writing system developed in Mesopotamia called?

Cuneiform.

What does the word “Mesopotamia” literally mean?

“Land between two rivers.”

Between which two rivers did Mesopotamian civilization arise?

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Who founded the world’s first known empire, and what was it called?

Sargon I founded the Akkadian Empire.

Which Babylonian king created a law code containing 282 laws?

King Hammurabi.

What principle of justice is embodied in the phrase “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”?

Lex talionis, or the law of retaliation, central to the Code of Hammurabi.

Name two mathematical advances credited to the Sumerians.

Development of algebra and use of fractions (they also calculated square roots).

Which Mesopotamian empire established the world’s first library, and who was its notable ruler?

The Assyrian Empire; King Ashurbanipal.

What were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and which empire built them?

An elaborate terraced garden complex built by the Chaldean (Neo-Babylonian) Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II.

Define “civilization” according to the lecture notes.

A stage of social development marked by settled life, skilled inhabitants, and complex culture; from Latin civis, a person living in a city.

Which four ancient river-valley civilizations were highlighted in the notes?

Egypt (Nile), Mesopotamia (Tigris–Euphrates), Indus Valley, and China (Yellow and Yangtze).

Which religion did the Persian Empire promote, and what is its sacred text?

Zoroastrianism; its sacred text is the Zend Avesta.

What was the social or religious significance of the ziggurat in Sumerian life?

It functioned as the dwelling place of the city’s patron god and as the center of civic and religious activity.

Which Mesopotamian group was famed for its fierceness in war and early use of iron weapons?

The Assyrians.

What base-60 (sexagesimal) system, still used in geometry and timekeeping, originated in Mesopotamia?

Division of circles into 360 degrees and hours into 60 minutes and 60 seconds.

List three key technological contributions of the Sumerians besides cuneiform.

The wheel (including potter’s wheel), bronze metallurgy, and construction of canals/dikes for irrigation.

According to the notes, what is the combined land area of all seven continents?

Approximately 143,389,336 square kilometres.