Laurasia

Laurasia

Map of Pangea with Laurasia and Gondwana.
Historical continent
Formed	253 Mya
Type	Geological supercontinent
Today part of	Europe (without Balkans) Asia (without India) North America
Smaller continents	Laurentia Baltica Kazakhstania Siberia North China South China East China
Tectonic plate	Eurasian Plate North American Plate

Laurasia (pronunciation: /lɔːˈreɪʒə/ or /lɔːˈreɪʃiə/) was the more northern of two supercontinents (the other being Gondwana) that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent around 335 to 175 million years ago (Mya). It separated from Gondwana 215 to 175 Mya (beginning in the late Triassic period) during the breakup of Pangaea, drifting farther north after the split.

The name combines the names of Laurentia, the name given to the North American craton, and Eurasia. As suggested by the geologic naming, Laurasia included most of the land masses which make up today's continents of the Northern Hemisphere, chiefly Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia, Kazakhstania, and the North China and East China cratons.