Pangaea was the ancient supercontinent that included almost all of Earth’s land around 250 million years ago.
The name Pangaea comes from Greek roots meaning “all Earth.” Geologists use it for the vast landmass that assembled during the late Paleozoic Era and began breaking apart during the Mesozoic Era. It was surrounded by a global ocean called Panthalassa.
Pangaea’s formation brought many continental blocks together, including the landmasses that later became North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, and India. The interior was far from ocean moisture, so parts of it likely had strongly seasonal or arid climates. The supercontinent’s assembly also influenced ocean circulation, ecosystems, and patterns of biological distribution.
Rifting began roughly 200 million years ago, eventually opening the Atlantic Ocean and separating the modern continents. Pangaea is not the same as Gondwana, which was a major southern supercontinent that existed before and during Pangaea’s history. Laurasia was the northern portion formed after Pangaea began dividing. These names describe related but distinct stages of continental movement.