Characteristics of the earth

• Earth was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago
• Geoid shape


  Flat at the poles and bulges at the equator
• The earth has a circumference of 40,057 km at the equator and a diameter of 12,756 km
• At the poles, the earth's circumference is 40,000 km, 150 km less than at the equator. Its diameter is 12,710 km, 42 km less than at the equator
• The distance between the earth and the sun is approximately 150,000,000 km
• The earth rotates or spins on its axis from the west to the east


  1. It takes 24 hours to make one complete rotation

  2. This results in day and night

  3. This results in the rising and falling of tides
• The earth revolves around the sun

  1. It takes the earth 365 days to make one revolution

  2. This results in a leap year

  3. This results in the four seasons

  4. This results in variation in the length of days and nights
• Internal structure of the earth

  • Crust (0-100 km thick)
  • Lithosphere (crust and uppermost solid mantle)
  • Asthenosphere
  • Mantle (2900 km)
  • Outer core (liquid, 2900 km)
  • Inner core (solid, 1221 km)