Continents that are bordered by more than two bodies of water may have more than one continental divide. For example, North America has between three and five divides.
Scientists have not yet agreed on a specific number because the exact border between ocean basins is not universally accepted. Some continental divides span multiple continents. A divide is the elevated boundary between areas that are drained by different river systems. A watershed is an entire river system—an area drained by a river and its tributaries. It is sometimes called a drainage basin. Encyclopedic entry. A continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean.
Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.
Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. The Rocky Mountains are part of a continental divide. Great Divide. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.
Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. View Collection. It serves as a hydrological divide and separates the waters that flow into the Pacific Ocean from the waters that drain into the Arctic and the Atlantic Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. In South America, the Continental Divide runs along the peaks of the Andes Mountains and then continuing into the western part of Colombia , central Ecuador , and the western and southwestern part of Peru.
From there it runs through the eastern part of Chile , into the southern edge of Patagonia, and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Cottonwood pass is definitely the prettiest and best way to drive to Crested Butte and experience the Great Divide. Independence Pass is another very scenic drive with spectacular mountain views from Buena Vista to Aspen.
False Theories regarding the Continental Divide 1. What the Continental Divide actually is A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea and the basin on the other side feeds into a different ocean or sea.
Continental Divides of the World Depending on your definition of ocean, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica have multiple divides. Where to visit the Great Continental Divide? These are our favorite spots to visit Great Continental Divide landmarks in Colorado:.
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