Pangaea was the supercontinent that united most of Earth’s landmasses about 300 million years ago.
It assembled during the late Paleozoic Era and began breaking apart during the Jurassic Period, roughly 200 million years ago. The name comes from Greek roots meaning “all Earth.” Its interior was far from the ocean and likely experienced strongly seasonal, relatively dry conditions in many areas.
Pangaea was surrounded by a vast global ocean called Panthalassa. As tectonic plates moved, the supercontinent separated into major blocks including Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south, which later fragmented into the continents recognizable today. Pangaea was not Earth’s only supercontinent: older examples include Rodinia, while future plate motions may eventually assemble another.