Explanation: A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly-shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. Plates move horizontally over the asthenosphere as rigid units.

• The lithosphere includes the crust and top mantle with its thickness range varying between 5 and100 km in oceanic parts and about 200 km in the continental areas.
• A plate may be referred to as the continental plate or oceanic plate depending on which of the two occupy a larger portion of the plate.
• The Pacific plate is largely an oceanic plate whereas the Eurasian plate may be called a continental plate.
• The theory of plate tectonics proposes that the earth’s lithosphere is divided into seven major and some minor plates.

Some important minor plates are listed below:

1. Cocos plate: Between Central America and Pacific plate
2. Nazca plate: Between South America and Pacific plate
3. Arabian plate: Mostly the Saudi Arabian landmass
4. Philippine plate: Between the Asiatic and Pacific plate

Source: NCERT – Fundamental of Physical Geography