Earths outer layer (Crust) is divided in many pieces which is known as Plates. There are many Major and Minor plates around the earth. Here I discussed about the major plates of the Earth.

1. Introduction of Plate
Ayon Saha
Department of Geology and Mining
University of Barisal

2. Major Plates
 These plates comprise the bulk of the continents and the Pacific Ocean. For
purposes of this list, a major plate is any plate with an area greater than 20
million km2.
 Pacific Plate
 North American Plate
 Eurasian Plate
 African Plate
 Antarctic Plate
 Indo-Australian Plate often considered two plates:
 Australian Plate
 Indian Plate
 South American Plate

3. Major Plates
Pacific Plate
• Approximate area -
103,300,000 sq km
(39,900,000 sq mi)
• Movement – north
west
• Speed 56–102 mm
(2.2–4.0in)/year

4. North
American
Plate
• Approximate area- 75,900,000 sq km
(29,300,000 sq mi)
• Movement – west
• Speed - 15–25mm (0.59–0.98in)/year

5. Eurasian Plate
• Approximate area -67,800,000 sq km
(26,200,000sq mi)
• Movement – south
• Speed - 7–14mm(0.28–0.55in)/year
• Includes most of the continent of
Europe and Asia.

6. African Plate
• Approximate area - 61,300,000 sq km
(23,700,000 sq mi)
• Includes much of the continent of
Africa, as well as oceanic crust which
lies between the continent and
various surrounding ocean ridges.

7. Antarctic Plate
• Approximate area - 60,900,000 sq km
(23,500,000 sq mi)
• Movement - north-west
• Speed - 12–14 mm (0.47–0.55in)/year
• Includes the continent of Antarctica and extending
outward under the surrounding oceans.

8. Australian Plate
• Approximate area - 47,000,000 sq km
• Movement – north-east
• Speed - 62–70 mm/year
• Major tectonic plate In the eastern and,
largely, in the southern hemispheres.
Originally a part of the ancient continent
of Gondwana.

9. Indian Plate
• Approximate area - 11,900,000 sq km
• Movement - north-east
• Speed - 26-36 mm/year
• Includes most of the South Asia

10. South American Plate
• Approximate area -
43,600,000 sq km
• Movement - west
• Speed - 27–34mm(1.1–1.3in)
/year
• Includes the continent of
South America and also a
sizeable region of the Atlantic
Ocean.