Earth is a really big place, so there's a lot for geographers to study. In fact, the land on Earth makes up more than 57 million square miles! It consists of seven continents, which are home to around 200 countries. America takes up almost 4 million square miles of land, and within America, there are more than 4 million miles of roads that stretch over our 50 states. But there's also a whole lot of Earth that we can't drive on or even walk over: Our planet's surface is actually 71% water. Even though there aren't any roads underwater, there's still plenty of geography there. There are mountains and valleys under the ocean, and there are also kelp forests, volcanoes, and even currents that flow like rivers within the water. There are even some famous landmarks underwater, like the Great Barrier Reef near Australia and the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.

One of the neat things about geography is that it's always changing. The land masses on Earth actually shift around, and when they do, new mountains or islands can sometimes form. Erosion can also change the shape and size of pieces of land. And the lines that we draw on maps also change as people set new borders for countries or create new towns. For example, if you look at a recent map of Africa, over to the right near that pointy part that sticks out to the side, you'll see South Sudan. But if you look at a map that was made before 2011, it won't be there: The country of South Sudan didn't exist then. If you look at an older map of the world or even an old map of where you live, you might find that it looks a lot different from the current map!

If you're interested in studying all of the features of Earth, you might think about becoming a geographer someday. If you're really into maps, you might also consider being a cartographer. Cartographers are the people who make and update maps. For now, you can learn a lot about geography just by looking at different types of maps. Maybe you could even use one to plan out your family's next car trip!