EarthMapped Gondwana
Gondwana with modern country bordersS. AmericaAfricaEuropeIndiaAustraliaAntarcticaGONDWANAS. AmericaAfricaEuropeIndiaAustraliaAntarcticaGONDWANAS. AmericaAfricaEuropeIndiaAustraliaAntarcticaGONDWANA

Gondwana Map

Gondwana was the southern landmass made of South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica. This map shows it 300, 250 and 200 million years ago from the MULLER2022 plate model, with modern country borders drawn on the old positions.

  • Country borders. Today's country outlines from Natural Earth, drawn with India's point of view on disputed borders. Source

Data source: GPlates Web Service, model MULLER2022, CC BY 4.0. Download: GeoJSON .

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What the map shows

The globe is turned toward the far south, where Gondwana Gondwana. Gondwanaland, the southern of the two landmasses Pangaea first broke into, as proposed by Alexander Du Toit. Source sat. Each step shows today's coastlines and country borders moved to where they were 300, 250, 200 million years ago Ma. Million years ago. Ma stands for megaannum, one million years. Source in the MULLER2022 plate model Plate model. A set of plate outlines and rotations that moves features on each plate back to where they were at a past age. Source . Turn off "With countries" for the bare landmass. At 200 million years ago Gondwana is still joined to the northern lands as part of Pangea.

Key facts

  1. In the model, the centers of India and Antarctica were 2,304 km apart 300 million years ago. Today they are 11,181 km apart.
  2. Natal in Brazil and Lagos in Nigeria sat 465 km apart 300 million years ago, with no Atlantic between them. Today they are 4,496 km apart.
  3. Delhi lay at 42.3° S and Sydney at 66.3° S 300 million years ago, both far into the southern hemisphere.
  4. The MULLER2022 model dates the formation of Gondwana to between 600 and 550 million years ago. Müller et al. (2022), A tectonic-rules-based mantle reference frame since 1 billion years ago, Solid Earth 13
  5. Glossopteris fern fossils in polar regions, coal from tropical plants in Antarctica and glacial deposits in arid Africa were early evidence that these lands had moved. USGS, This Dynamic Earth: Historical perspective

Old latitudes of the Gondwana continents

One point near the middle of each continent, moved back with the model. Sort by any column.

Latitude of each continent's center, MULLER2022 (today: MULLER2019)
Continent300 Ma250 Ma200 MaToday
South America 27.2° S 27.1° S 18.7° S 12.0° S
Africa 30.5° S 30.2° S 23.6° S 5.0° N
India 47.1° S 46.8° S 44.7° S 22.0° N
Australia 56.0° S 55.9° S 62.2° S 25.0° S
Antarctica 67.1° S 66.8° S 62.9° S 78.0° S

Data source: GPlates Web Service, model MULLER2022, CC BY 4.0. Download: CSV .

How the map is made

The GPlates Web Service rotates the model's coastlines and the Natural Earth country lines (India view) to each age. The model is Müller et al. (2022), A tectonic-rules-based mantle reference frame since 1 billion years ago, Solid Earth 13, built on the plate model of Merdith et al. (2021). Shapes are today's coastlines, not the ancient shores.

Older and younger steps are on the Rodinia map and the continental drift map. The full order of supercontinents is on the supercontinents page. For the plates that carry these lands today, open the tectonic plates map.

Print this map Pangea puzzle. Cut out the continents and fit them back together

Glossary

Gondwana
Gondwanaland, the southern of the two landmasses Pangaea first broke into, as proposed by Alexander Du Toit. Source
Laurasia
The northern of the two landmasses Pangaea first broke into, as proposed by Alexander Du Toit. Source
Supercontinent
A large landmass made of most or all of the continents joined together, such as Pangea. Source
Plate model
A set of plate outlines and rotations that moves features on each plate back to where they were at a past age. Source
Ma
Million years ago. Ma stands for megaannum, one million years. Source
Country borders
Today's country outlines from Natural Earth, drawn with India's point of view on disputed borders. Source

All terms in the glossary

Gondwana FAQ

Which countries were part of Gondwana?
The lands of today's South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica. Switch on "With countries" on the map to see each modern border on its old position.
When did Gondwana form?
The MULLER2022 plate model dates its formation to between 600 and 550 million years ago. It later joined the northern lands to make Pangea.
What is the difference between Gondwana and Pangea?
Pangea held almost all land. Gondwana was its southern part. Alexander Du Toit proposed that Pangea first broke into Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south.
Why does the map stop at 200 million years ago?
From about 200 million years ago Pangea, and with it Gondwana, began to break up. For the steps after that, use the continental drift map.
Are the borders on the map real ancient borders?
No. They are today's country borders moved back to where the rocks under them sat. They help you find places, they did not exist then.

Sources: Müller et al. (2022), A tectonic-rules-based mantle reference frame since 1 billion years ago, Solid Earth 13; USGS, This Dynamic Earth: Historical perspective.