Visual Glossary: Pangaea, Laurasia, Gondwana

Pangaea was a patchwork supercontinent formed by a series of continental collisions that began in the Late Paleozoic and continued into the early part of the Mesozoic.

The part of Pangaea that lies in the Northern Hemisphere is called Laurasia. It includes most of the present-day North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia.

Gondwana is the part of Pangaea that lies in the Southern Hemisphere. It includes most of the present-day South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica.

Pangaea split into the two megacontinents Laurasia and Gondwana beginning in the Late Triassic.