THE WOR LD

The physical world

These cross-sections around the Earth,

one in the northern hemisphere;
one straddling the Equator, reveal
the limited areas of land above sea
level in comparison with the extent
of the sea oor. The greater erosive
effects of weathering by wind and
water limit the upward elevation of
land above sea level, while the deep
oceans retain their dramatic
mountain and trench proles.

The Earths surface is constantly being transformed: it is uplifted, folded, and faulted
by tectonic forces; weathered and eroded by wind, water, and ice. Sometimes
change is dramatic, the spectacular results of earthquakes or oods. More often it is
a slow process lasting millions of years. A physical map of the world represents a
snapshot of the ever-evolving architecture of the Earth. This terrain map shows the
whole surface of the Earth, both above and below the sea.

Map key

t i c Ci rc

le

Am

un

dse

Amundsen
Sea

projection: Wagner VII

xii

a
Ross Se
C

ce
Ross Ilf
She

nt
Bra z

er

Guinea
Basin

St Helena

Tristan
da Cunha

Baha
Blanca
Penns ula
Vald s

Gulf of San Jorge

Strait of
Magellan

e
ure Zon
d Fract
Falklan
South
Georgia South San
dw
ic
South
S c o t i a S e a Sandwich
Islands

Falkl and
Island s

ke

ge
Pa s s a

Bellingshausen
Sea

Gough
Island

Argent ine
Basin

-105m

and
Byrd L
Marie
I

Trindade

Rio de la
Plata

Miles

17

Abrolhos
Bank

Dra

Brazil
Basin

h Trench

Ant a rc

2000

in
Pla

Ni g

eg

Island

Mag d

ia

Pa

1500

gon

1000

500

ech

Rio Grande
Rise

as

Pa t a

250

2000

ra
n

1500

1000

500

Ch

Sierra
Leone
Basin

Santos
Plateau

Tierra del
Fuego Cape
Horn

Southeast
Pacific
Basin

ge

o
ci sc
an

Uruguay

250

Da
v is

la

Pa

e
i s

cif

ud

one
ure Z
n Fract
o
i
s
n
e
c
s
A
Ascension

Noronha

Pa

lo
Co

Km

rc t

la
At i

e
c Ridg

do
Sala

c
f i
c i
P a

Golfo
Corcovado

Menard
Fracture
Zone

nt a

gI

g
Er

O
CEAN
Fernando de

Toca

aguay
Par

t
Atacama Deser

c h
Tr e n

ra
do

Ne g r

A
ic-

Er

ATLANTIC

Ce
ar
Pla
in

Ilha de
Maraj

Planalto de
Mato Grosso

l e

Juan
Fernandez
Islands

Eltanin
Fracture
Zone

Scale 1:66,000,000

f Gibraltar
Strait o

tlanti

Lake
Titicaca

Cerro Aconcagua
6959m

Chal
leng
er Fr
actu
re Z
one

id
ic R

Iberian
Peninsula

Mid-A

Ro g g e v e e n
Basin

16

Douro

Sierra
Leone
Rise

S OUTH
A M E RICA

Chile
San Felix B a s i n
Island
San
Ambrosio
Island

Gomez

Chatham
Islands

ru

n
e

Guiana
Basin

nd

ale

Demerara
Plateau

A
C

ez Ridge
y Gom
Sala Sala y

Rid e
g

s
ssi
pp
i
Miss
i

yali
Uca

E a s t

Juru

ru
Pe

Galapagos
Rise

s t
E a

Southwest
Pacific
Basin
15

Bauer
Basin

Easter
Island

nch
Tre
dec
ma
Ker

14

Gulf of
Guayaquil

Pitcairn
Islands

s
n oOr inoco

asin
Putumay A m a z o n B
Nap o
a z on
o
Am

Chimborazo
6310m

Peru
Basin

Tubuai
Islands

Ro Neg
ro

Caq
uet

ra

s
nd
Isla

Tropic of Capricorn

a
Ll

r Ant il

G uiana
Hig hlands

Ma

k
Coo

Trench
Tonga

Coln Ridge

Isl
an
ds

British
Isles
Bay of
Biscay

Cape Verde
Terrace

Cape Verde
Islands

ntins

ds

Tuam
otu

us of
Isthm
am
Pan

Barr
acuda
Fracture Z
one

an

n
Penrhyn
Basin

k ja

Faeroe Is

s in

Canary
Basin

Indies

Sea

Lesse

ch

Galpagos
Islands

Newfoundland
Basin

Sargasso

aj

Isl

Marquesas
Islands

Bermuda

ira

ne

OCEAN

Tonga
13

R i
s e

PACIFIC

a
dB

Oc
ean
Azores
t
ogr
A
aph
er F
i d racture Z
M
one Madeira
Atla
ntis
Fract
ure Zon
e
Canary Is

Nor th
Amer ican
Basin

C ar ibb e an

Guatemala
Basin

P a c i
f i c

Li

Samoa

aT
re n

Iceland

al

r ic

me

Grand Banks of
Newfoundland

a
App

Sea
St ra o
as
Nares
Fl
Plain
Pu
Cuba
erto Rico Tr
G
enc
re
at
e r Hispaniola W e s t
An
tille
s

Mexico
Basin Yucatan
Peninsu la

es

dg
Ri

Jan
Mayen

it

Sen

P
12

Gulf of
Mexico

y
Re

Newfoundland

Lake
Michigan Lake
ts
Erie
O hio
Delaware Bay
see
hi Chesapeake Bay
nes
c
n
Te
la

Blake
Plateau

De

S t ra

l an
Ice
Labrador
Basin Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone
y
Re

la

Revillagigedo
Islands

Zone
acture
ton Fr
r
e
p
Clip

Manihiki
Plateau

Red
River

k ja

es

si
Ba

rk
ma

Sie
rr
M
d aM
id
d l e el Su adre
r
A

Clipperton
Island

Kiritimati

de

ne
ture Zo
n Frac
Clario

n
ra

Great
Plains

Greenland
Sea

Gree nland

Labrador
Sea

Laurentian
Mountains

va
No tia
Sco
Cape Cod

de

Hawaii

n S hi e l d

Great

m
ha
Ba

one
Fracture Z
Molokai

Johnston
Atoll

Arka
nsas

ta
r ien
dre O
S i e r ra Ma
d re
Ma
S i e r r ad e nt al
O cc i
or ni a
Gu l f of C a l i f a
L ow e r C alifor ni

one
racture Z
Murray F

Isl
an
ds

do

Co
lor
a

Death Valley
-86m

Lake
Superior

di a

an

Co

as

Snake

R o
c k
Ri
oG
y

Lake
Winnipeg

na

Baffin
Bay

Hudson S
tr
Pnin sule ait
d'Ung
ava
Hudson
Bay Belcher
Islands

M
is

Co

ge
a

tR

120W

Ellesmere
Island

N O R T H Lakes
Lake
Huron
Lake
A M E R I C A
Ontario

Great
Basin

Francisco Bay

Ca

tchewan
Saska

ri
sou

150W

So Fr

Fr
bia
lum

o Fracture Zone er Fracture Zone

Mendocin
Pione
San

ca

i
r i dt s of
a

below sea level

Phoenix
Islands

10S

Baffin I
sl

Xingu

Vancouver
Island

Gre at Sla ve
Lak e

abas
Ath

120W

Hawaiian Islands

gh

Gulf of
Alaska

Trench
Aleutian

sea level

Ha
wa
ii
an

150W

20N

Gre at Bea r Lak

e

100m / 328ft

ount McKin
ley
(Denali)
6194m

na

B
an
l an d s
uti
i a n Is
Ale Al e ut

250m / 820ft

zie

sk
Ala

Rocky Mountains

Cross-section: Northern hemisphere

Queen Elizabeth
Islands

Victoria
Island

Equator

180

d
an

Bering
Sea

n
asi

ks Range
Broo

ge
Ran M

Sea

Mackenzie

it
Bering Stra

Ma c ke n

-4000m / -13,124ft

Mt

Arctic C
ircle

500m / 1640ft

Tropic of Cancer

Pacic Ocean

Str
ait

Beaufort

Chukchi
Sea

Gran Cha
co

-2000m / -6562ft

IC OC
EA

es

3000m / 9843ft

ARCT

Ta
p

-250m / -820ft

1000m / 3281ft

Aleutian
Trench

Cross-section: Southern hemisphere

Pu

4000m / 13,124ft

2000m / 6562ft

180

sea level

as

60N

Sea depth

6000m / 19,686ft

o u er C o a s t M t
s
n t
a i n

Elevation

Ri d

The world in section

Na z c a

ic

nH
i

ilia

Ant arc tic

Pen insu la

ge
ica Rid
tarct
-An

a
eric
Am

Weddel l
Sea
Ronne Ice
Shelf

A
L

A
M

TH E PHYSICAL WOR LD
N

Great Lakes

Appalachian Mountains

Grand Banks of
Newfoundland

British
Isles

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Alps

Mediterranean Sea

Caucasus

Zagros
Mountains

Hindu Kush

90W

60W

Peru-Chile Trench

30W

Andes

Guiana
Highlands

Cape Verde Islands

30E

60E

Congo Basin

Gulf of Guinea

Gobi

Japan

Japan Trench

Pacic Ocean

Asia

Mid-Atlantic
Ridge

Himalayas

Africa

North America

Ethiopian Highlands

90E

Gulf of Aden

Bay of Bengal

120E

Ninetyeast Ridge

150E

Java Trench

East Indies

180

Micronesia

Pacic Ocean

3
South America
90W

Africa

60W

30W

30E

60E

90E

120E

150E

180

an

pm
ak
er
Sea
mo
unt
s

re b e
Kh

rait

uT
rench

nch

'
lin
t Si k h ot e - A

Taiw
an S
t

ky

Tr e

oly
ms
Ko
kiy
ry
Kh aks
reb kiy
et

Mount Wilhelm
4509m

Simp son
Dese rt

AUSTRALIA

Mo unt
Kos cius zko
222 8m

Coral
Sea

Fiji

New
Caled onia
13

South Fiji
Basin

we

iv

Ho

rd

12

Vanu atu

Lo

14

North Island

New
Zealand t

South Island

t rai

Tasman
Sea

ok S

Bass Strait

re

Solomon
Islands

Co

Grea t
Aus trali an
Bigh t

Lake Eyre
-16m
ng
rli
Da

Bismarck a
Archipelago

Tropic of Capricorn

Nu

Great Victo ria

Deser t
l l ar b or P l ain

Equator

Tungaru

Cape York

Land Gulf of
Carpentaria

id
in
g R
ange

Perth
Basin

Melanesian
Basin

Solomon
Sea

Arafura rres S
trait
To
Sea

or
Tim Arnhem
Kimberley
Plateau

Bismarck
Sea

Rise

tor R
i dge

ast

etye

Nin

aga

a Tr
ench

Ashmore &
Cartier Islands

In v e s t i g a

R i d g
e
lat

Ma
scaren
eP

sca

Mo
zam
biqu
e Ch
ann
Ma
el
d

Timor

Se

at

Hi
n

Owen

E a s te r n Gh

ChagosLaccadive P
lateau
Chagos
Trench

Ni l e

Wh
ite Nile

Mo
za
Pla mbiqu
teau e

er

sb

Marshall
Islands

Heard
Island

Auckland

South Indian Ba
sin

Campbell Islan
d
Macquarie
Island

Campbell
Plateau
Islands

15

Physical factle
Diameter of Earth at Equator:
7927 miles (12,756 km)
Equatorial circumference of
Earth: 24,901 miles (40,075 km)
Diameter from Pole to Pole:
7900 miles (12,714 km)
Polar circumference of Earth:
24,860 miles (40,008 km)
Mass: 5988 million million million
tons (tonnes)

D av i s S e a

Wilkes

A
P

New
G uin ea

E a s t
I n d i e s

Antarct
ic Circle

Land
Mt Ere
bus Ro
3794m S ss Ice
helf

Ta sm an ia

dg

ai n s

Ja v

an

Kerguelen

an

Borneo

South
Australian
Basin
Ri

ount

Central
Pacific
Basin

Ree f
Gre at B a r r i e r

di

cM

OCEAN

Celebes

st

Crozet
Islands

cifi

PACIFIC

Celebes
Sea

Java
S ea

Amsterdam
Island

In

Pa

a
Lu laba

Su l
R ai m
Ind ange a n
us

Sea
ic

n
T

h
Mar i

re nch
ne T

sR
idg
e

nc
-10,920m

ppi

vi

re
nT

Mar iana
Islan ds

Philippine
Islands

id-

West
Mariana
Basin

ili

al

ni

Ryu

Java

Ridge

Tropic of Cancer

a
M

Ph

ea

Taiwan

Great Sandy
Desert

Brok
en
th

Northwest
Pacific
Basin

Bo

Malay
Peninsula
al
ac
c

tra

Ryukyu
Islands

Gibson Desert

St Paul Island

Prince
Edward
Islands

Cocos
Basin

e au

Kysh

East
China
Sea

ma

So

nc

e
Tr

an

nt

t
e s

ou

Ja p a n

ai l

M Su

In

i a

id

of

re n c h
le T

Th

ait

OCEAN

k in

ea

St r

Mid-Indian
Basin

Shikoku

South
China
Sea

of

INDIAN

rS

To
ng

Gulf

ea
an S
Andam

Chagos
Archipelago

ro

Hokkaid

Gu l

ng
ko

dy

Nicobar
Islands

Ceylon
Plain

of

pe

Philippine
Sea

P l at

E
I

wad

Natal
Basin

ele n

Me

e nch

Em

rgu

Ir r a

Runion

Enderby
Plain

Dronning Maud Land

Maldive
Islands

Ri
dg
e

een

Mauritius

Ke

t h

Bouvet
Island

Sri
Lanka

t i an Tr

Honsh

Agulhas
Basin

at s

zi
pop

en

Cape of
Good Hope

Maud
Rise

ar

be

b Desert

Drak

Andaman
Islands

Madagascar
Basin

Oran Riv
ge
er

Cape
Basin

Gh

o
ang
av

mi

Lim

ern

le

Ok

Na

Kalahari
Desert

Bay of
Bengal

Ca
r

Seychelles

Lake
Nyasa

Zam

Kri
sh
na

Arabian
Basin

Somali
Basin

Lake
Tanganyika

Ganges
Fan

G o d av

st
We

al

Okavango
Delta

Kilimanjaro
5895m

Lake
Victoria

Mount Everest
8848m

es

Deccan

Kirinyaga
5200m

Va l l e y

Great Rift

o
ang
Kw

Angola
Basin

h
bilas
Lu
Kasai

o
ng
Co

Ga
ng

Al e u

Japan

Yan
g tz
e

a
mad
Nar

Arabian
Sea

erg

Congo

Somali
Plain

She

T har
Desert

ka

Yel low
G r e a t Sea
f
o
n
i
a
Pl
China

a l
a y a s

Laccadive
Islands

li

Uele

Congo
Basin

be

Gulf of
Guinea

ba
Ju

ang
i

im

lsb

ft
Great Ri

F
Ub

Socotra

Horn of
Africa

Q i li an
Sh a
n
M
o
n
u
nt ai n s
n lu
Ku
Plateau
of Tibet

a si

Sea of
Japan
(East Sea)

S a lw

ea
d S

da la
A igh
H

le
e Ni
Blu

Lake
Volta

f of

n
Ad e

Yellow R

nB

Is l a n d s

hn

Re

er t

a
e
w s
nu
Be m a n d

Gu l

Ethiopian
Highlands

sh
Ku

at

tia

ri
Ku

ts

Da

Des

S a h e l

Lac Assal
-156m

Gobi

Takla
Makan Desert

ir s

ch

eu

ile

Ad

an

Lake
Chad

M an ch ur ia n
Pl ai n

Sakhalin

Am
ur

im He
Tar

Gu
O m lf of
a n Oman
Basin

Arabian
Peninsula

Sea of
Okhotsk

Al

r
Ku

s
er
sia
nG
ul

du

Alta
i Mo
unta
in

Ka

oliv
y Pr
ski
tar
Ta

Iranian
Plateau

K
et
reb
h
K

r
ive

gr

ircle
Arctic C

Stanovoy
Khrebet

Shan

Za
P

by

Tibesti

Nubian
Desert

m
Pa

ea

te

rn
ste r t
Ea ese
D

Li

S a h a r a

Da
ry

is

Sea

Syrian
Dead Desert
Qattara
-423m Sea
Depression
An Nafud
-133m Western
Desert

Gulf of
Sirte

Ahaggar

Ti
Euph
ra

Ti e n

Lake
Balkash

ar
ya

gr

an

nS

Chott
el Jerid

El'brus
5642m

at o li a s
An
Mt
Taurus

Aegean
Sea

Ustyurt
A
Plateau m

ia

Se

Medite
rr
an
ts
e

Ionian
Sea

Black Sea

M ts
lkan
Ba

ic

a su

sp

i at

Aral
Sea Syr
D

-28m

C au c

Ca

dr

Ir t y s

Ural

g hi z Ste p p e
Ki r

r
ste

e
oir

Alps

Don

Moun a Dnie

i an s
t h t ain

D ube

Mont
Blanc
4807m

Dni
epe

Lake
Baikal

ns

e
hin

Sein
L

Kama

UCarp R

Ean

O b'

ai

Volga

rian

a
S i b e r i

nt

o
Eur
No r t h

n
pea

East Sibe
Sea

Ve K h r e b e t
Cher
rk
skog
ho
o
Le n y a n s k i y K h r e
bet
a

Central
Siberian
Plateau

ou

t
al

ai

North
Sea

Pl

yr

Fracture Z
one

an

Lake
Ladoga

Sc

Ye
ni
se

West
Siberian
Plain

al

n
di

v ia

Ur

Norwegian
Sea

Poluostrov Ta y m

Kara
Sea Poluostrov
Yamal

ea
i d
- I
n d
i a n

Novaya
Zemlya
Barents
Sea

Spitsbergen

Laptev
Sea

Ridge

Severnaya
Zemlya

Franz Josef
Land

ri
New Sibe
Islands

16

17

xiii