There are generally about 15 tectonic plates recognized on Earth, including seven major plates and several minor ones. The seven major plates are the Pacific, North American, Eurasian, African, Antarctic, Indo-Australian, and South American plates. In addition, there are multiple smaller minor plates such as the Somali, Nazca, Philippine Sea, Arabian, Caribbean, Cocos, Caroline, Scotia, Burma, and New Hebrides plates.
Major Tectonic Plates
- Pacific Plate (largest)
- North American Plate
- Eurasian Plate
- African Plate
- Antarctic Plate
- Indo-Australian Plate
- South American Plate
Minor Plates Examples
- Somali Plate
- Nazca Plate
- Philippine Sea Plate
- Arabian Plate
- Caribbean Plate
- Cocos Plate
- Caroline Plate
- Scotia Plate
- Burma Plate
- New Hebrides Plate
Together, these major and minor plates cover nearly 95% of the Earth's lithosphere surface, with some additional very small microplates making up the rest.
