Almost two-thirds of the earth’s surface is covered by water. So what is the rest? Land, of course! Continents are the largest land surfaces. There are seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
Some islands in the Pacific Ocean are not considered to be part of any continent because they are floating. John Donne wrote “no man is an island” (meaning everyone depends on someone else) but in the case of the floating Pacific islands, they truly are on their own!
One of the continents we know the least about is Antarctica. The extreme weather conditions on this continent prevent its easy exploration. The highest and lowest points that have been identified in Antarctica are Vinson Massif at 5,620 yards above sea level and the Bentley Subglacial Trench at 8,327 feet below sea level.
To the nearest foot, what is the difference in elevation between the Bentley Subglacial Trench and Vinson Massif?