MapMaster 3

A map highlights the major landforms across the world, using different colors to represent various geological features

In North America, the western regions from the Arctic to south Texas are characterized by the Alpine System, depicted in purple, while the mid-continent and most of the eastern regions consist of Sedimentary Covers, shown in orange. The northeast, including eastern Canada and Greenland, is dominated by Laurasia Shields in green, with a small area of Sedimentary Covers along the western side of Hudson Bay. The east coast primarily features Caledonian and Hercynian (or Appalachian) Remnants in red, which are also present in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and the larger Caribbean islands.

In South America, northern and western regions, mainly the Andes Mountains, are part of the Alpine System, with a band of Sedimentary Covers along the eastern side of the Andes and the central Amazon basin. There are two large areas of Gondwana Shields in brown: one in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, and another covering most of eastern and southern Brazil.

Europe’s geological structure is complex. Caledonian and Hercynian Remnants are found in Norway, the British Isles, northwestern France, the western Iberian Peninsula, and areas north of the Alps, including southeastern France, parts of Germany, and Czechia. Laurasia Shields make up Scandinavia east of Norway, while Iceland is marked as an Isolated Volcanic Area in blue. The rest of northern Europe and European Russia consist of Sedimentary Covers, whereas southern Europe is part of the Alpine System. The Ural Mountains in Russia, forming Europe’s eastern boundary, are composed of Caledonian and Hercynian Remnants.

In North Africa, Morocco and northern Algeria are part of the Alpine System. The northern Sahara, stretching from Western Sahara through southern Algeria and Libya to Egypt and northern Sudan, is composed of Sedimentary Covers. Much of the rest of Africa features Gondwana Shields, except for East Africa, which is dominated by the Rifted Shield Area in yellow, extending from Eritrea to Malawi and Mozambique. There are also small areas of Sedimentary Covers around the perimeter of the shield and Isolated Volcanic Areas in southern Algeria, northern Chad, and along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.

In Asia, the Alpine System extends from Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan to the Himalayas, much of China, Southeast Asia, and the Indonesian Archipelago. North of this mountainous region, central Russia consists of Sedimentary Covers, with parts of Central Asia containing Caledonian and Hercynian Remnants. Russia's Far East and Siberia feature a Rifted Shield Area and a large Alpine System zone.

Australia is a mosaic of Gondwana Shields and Sedimentary Covers, except along its eastern coast, which includes Caledonian and Hercynian Remnants and a Rifted Shield Area near Adelaide on the south coast. This comprehensive map highlights the diverse geological features and landforms that shape each continent.