•   According to Puranic cosmography, the world is divided into seven concentric island continents (sapta-dvipa vasumati) separated by the seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one.

•   The seven continents of the Puranas are stated as:

1.  Jambudvipa,

2.  Plaksadvipa,

3.  Salmalidvipa,

4.  Kusadvipa,

5.  Krouncadvipa,

6.  Sakadvipa, and

7.  Pushkaradvipa

•   Jambudvipa is one of the seven continents.

•   It is a name often used to describe the territory of Greater India or Bharatvarsha in Ancient Indian sources.

•   The term is based on the concept of dvipa, meaning ‘island’ or ‘continent’ in Ancient Indian cosmogony.

•   The term Jambudvipa was used by Ashoka to represent his realm in the third century BCE.

•   Other Dvipas corresponds to -

o  Kusha dvipa (land of grass) - Oceania including Indonesia and the Philippines (excl. Australia)

o  Plaksha dvipa (land of the fig trees) - South America

o  Pushkara dvipa (land of lakes) - Africa

o  Shalmali dvipa (land of the silk cotton trees) - Australia

o  Krauncha dvipa (land of the krauncha birds or the demoiselle crane) - North America

o  Shaka dvipa (land of the trees) - Europe or Greater Europe.