Earth is the only planet we know of with a thriving biosphere. It is also the only planet we know that has a large ocean on its surface and two types of crust that together form ocean basins and buoyant continents. How are these features linked, and do these observations enable us to make predictions about the habitability of other planets? I will address these questions with a review of Earth’s geological and biological evolution and new datasets on the key sources of nutrients and energy that are thought to have sustained life over the past four billion years. Collectively, existing data suggest that the earliest biosphere was largely supported by high-energy processes associated with hydrothermal vents, meteorite impacts and atmospheric phenomena. The rise of land masses may have enabled the expansion of photosynthetic communities, fed by continental weathering, which ultimately laid the foundation for more complex life. This transition was possible on Earth, because its large hydrosphere, size, heat budget and internal composition allowed the crust to differentiate and give rise to mountain ranges. These conclusions may place boundary conditions for finding an Earth-like biosphere elsewhere, while also inviting thoughts on what a biosphere may look like on a planet with a different geological setup.