This document provides information about the physical environments and economies of the world's seven continents and the Philippines. It details the area and key facts about each continent - Asia is the largest, Africa has over 50 countries, North America leads in manufacturing, South America relies on agriculture and mining. It also summarizes the climate and industries of the Philippines, including its agricultural crops, mineral resources, fishing, and manufacturing.

1. THE EARTH’S
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT

2. CONTINENT
ASIA
AREA IN SQ.
KILOMETERS
44,009,000
AFRICA
30,246,000
NORTH AMERICA
24,219,000
SOUTH AMERICA
17,832,000
ANTARTICA
14,000,000
EUROPE
10,443,000
AUSTRALIA
7,713,300

3. ASIA
Being the largest continent in
size and population, Asia consists of
almost one-third of the world’s land
area and is populated by about threefourths of the people in the world.
Asia boasts of a wide range of
topography, from the frozen Arctic
to the hot tropics, and it is also a
continent
of
various
cultures,
traditions, and religions.

4. The most important economic
activity in Asia is agriculture,
and most of the working class in
the
continent
engages
in
agriculture. The chief crops are
rice and wheat. Fishing is also a
main source of livelihood.

5. Main industries in Asia
include food processing, sugar
refining, and industries for
cars, electronic equipment,
steel, ships, and textiles.
Tourism also serves as major
industry, with the many
beautiful
spots
in
the
continent.

6. AFRICA
Africa consists of more than
50 independent countries, and
features forests, deserts and
grasslands. Most countries in
Africa
are
not
heavily
populated, except for Nigeria
with a population of over 100
million.

7. Most countries in Africa
are underdeveloped except
for the Republic of South
Africa. The most viable
economic activity in the
continent
is
agriculture,
which gives employment for
the people.

8. NORTH AMERICA
This is home to such countries
as the United States, Canada,
Greenland, and Mexico. This
triangular-shaped continent is
bordered by the Arctic, Pacific,
and Atlantic oceans. Fertile soil
and a good climate make the area
favorable to agriculture.

9. The
continent
leads
in
manufacturing. Some of its
manufactured
products
are
chemical products, motorcars
and parts, aircrafts, computers,
petroleum,
cement,
and
fertilizer. North America can be
considered a one of the most
developed continents in the
world.

10. SOUTH AMERICA
It is found directly below
North America. Among the
countries in South America
are
Argentina,
Brazil,
Uruguay,
and
Venezuela,
which are among the most
developed nations in the
region.

11. Countries
on
South
America
depend on agriculture and mining
for their needs as well as for exports.
Agriculture provides them with such
exports as grains, coffee, sugar, and
bananas.
Factories
provide
computers, television sets, and
vehicles, as well as furniture,
beverages,
and
shoes.
Mining
provides them with petroleum, zinc,
gold, iron, lead, and copper.

12. Forestry in South America is
one of the largest in the
world, providing them with
products
like
rubber,
mahogany, rosewood, and
charcoal. Fishing is also an
active industry especially in
Chile and Peru.

13. ANTARTICA
This
is
a
continent
around the South Pole which
is covered with ice. Because
of the freezing temperature,
there are no groups of people
that populate the island, but
only teams or expeditions of
scientists are present.

14. EUROPE
Europe is one of the leading
continents in in terms of economic
development. Although Europe is
the second smallest continent, many
nations consisting it are considered
as
economic
and
political
powerhouses.
These
include
Germany, Italy, France, and the
United Kingdom, among others.

15. The highly developed economy
of the continent is mainly based
on manufacturing, and its
manufactured products include
railways, cars, machinery, steel,
computers, electronics, and
many other products of today’s
information
age.
Mining
provides them with oil, iron
ore, coal, nickel, silver, and lead.

16. AUSTRALIA
This is considered the smallest
continent in the world. At the same
time, Australia is also a country. Australia
lies on the southern part of the world, and
is often referred to by the term “down
under”. It is one of the most developed
continents and also one of the most
progressive countries mainly because of the
export of manufactured goods.

17. Australia’s
mechanized
farms need only minimal
labor force. Because of the
raising of sheep, Australia
also has a developed wool
industry. Minerals that are
exported
by
Australia
include gold, lead, zinc,
manganese, iron, tin, opal,
and silver.

18. Another one of the top industries
in Australia is its tourism
industry, which continues to grow
mainly because of the continent’s
natural beauty, sandy beaches, and
unique wildlife, represented by
the famous kangaroo. More than a
million tourists visit the continent
each year.

19. THE PHILIPPINES:
ENVIRONMENT
AND RESOURCES

21. The Philippines, as an
independent
unit
and
country,
has
its
own
environment and resources,
which it utilizes for its own
subsistence.

22. THE COUNTRY’S
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT

23. The
Philippines
is
an
archipelago
consisting
of
more than 7,100 islands, and is
located off the southeast coast
of Asia. It has an area of
300,00 sq. km., with three
island groups: Luzon, Visayas,
and Mindanao.

24. The climate of the Philippines is
generally divided into the dry and wet
seasons. Based on the distribution of
rainfall, the climate in the country can
be classified as follows:
•Type I: Two pronounced seasons with
maximum rain period from June to
September and a dry season which
lasts from three to seven months.
•Type II: No dry season with a very
pronounced maximum rain period
from December to February.

25. •Type III: No pronounced
maximum rain period with a
short dry season lasting only
from one to three months.
•Type IV: Rainfall more or
less
evenly
distributed
throughout the year.

26. Typhoons usually come from
June to December, and it is
from July to September when
they come most frequently.
These typhoons sometimes
devastate
farmlands
and
infrastructure, creating a big
damage to the economy.

27. APPRECIATING
OUR ECONOMY
AND
RESOURCES

28. A large part of the Philippines
consists of fertile plains, and these are
made
into
farmlands,
making
agriculture a major part of the
economy. The leading crops produced
in
the
country
are
rice, corn, banana, coconuts, mangoes,
cassava,
sugar
cane, pineapples, coffee, and abaca (a
kind of hemp). Livestock such as
cattle, pigs, goats, and poultry are
raised not only in the farm but also in
common household backyards.

29. Forests, which cover about
half of the country, have
thousands
of
tree
types,
including
mangroves, pines, bamboos, an
d mahoganies. From these
come timber and fibre used in
houses
and
in
making
timber,
mattresses
and
upholstery, and baskets and

30. Mineral resources are
abundant
in
the
country, and some are even
exported. Some of the rich
mineral deposits in the
Philippines include those of
gold, iron, copper, nickel, p
latinum, manganese, lead, z
inc, and cobalt.

31. The
large
water
surrounding the archipelago
have
provided
it
with
abundant fishing resources
such as sardines, mackerel,
tuna, anchovies, and other
seafood such as shrimps and
shellfish. Fish farming by
small businessmen produces
milkfish and tilapia.

32. The Philippines is also into
manufacturing
of
certain
products and goods, which
includes food and beverages,
cigars, chemicals, clothing,
machinery,
refined
sugar,
wood products, and textiles.