Continental drift

What Is Continental Drift?

Continental drift is a fun idea about how the Earth works. It tells us that the big continents we see today—like Africa and South America—move very slowly. They move so slowly that you can’t feel it happening! This movement takes millions and millions of years.

A Clever Idea

A long time ago, in the year 1596, a mapmaker named Abraham Ortelius noticed something cool. He saw that some continents looked like puzzle pieces that could fit together. Then, in 1912, a scientist named Alfred Wegener thought up the idea of continental drift. He guessed that all the continents were once stuck together in one big land called Pangaea. Later, they broke apart and moved to new places.

How Do We Know Now?

Today, scientists know that something deep inside the Earth helps move the continents. This idea is part of a bigger science called plate tectonics. It helps us learn many cool things about our planet.