Gondwana

Gondwana

Map of Pangaea with Laurasia and Gondwana. 200 mya
Historical continent
Formed	600 Mya
Type	Geological supercontinent
Today part of	Africa North America South America Australia India Arabia Antarctica Balkans
Smaller continents	Atlantica India Australia Antarctica Zealandia
Tectonic plate	African Plate Antarctic Plate Indo-Australian Plate South American Plate

In paleogeography, Gondwana (pronunciation: /ɡɒndˈwɑːnə/), also Gondwanaland, is the name given to an ancient supercontinent. It is believed to have sutured about 600 to 530 million years ago, joining East Gondwana to West Gondwana. Gondwana formed prior to Pangaea, and later became part of it.

Around 335 to 250 million years ago Gondwana and Laurasia joined together to form the supercontinent Pangaea, which existed until approximately 215 to 175 million years ago. Gondwana then separated from Laurasia (the mid-Mesozoic era) in the breakup of Pangaea, drifting farther south after the split. Gondwana itself then also broke apart.

Gondwana included most of the landmasses in today's Southern Hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar, and the Australian continent, as well as the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, which have now moved entirely into the Northern Hemisphere.