Definitions of the continents in general are surprisingly variable, from what I’ve seen. I was surprised many years ago when I went online and found an Eastern European calling Eurasia one of the six continents. There are a few different systems taught in schools around the world, not just the 7-continent model we’re used to. Like they’ve said in the video, different branches of science benefit from different understandings of continents.
I’m a fan of Eurasia myself, personally. It makes sense. There’s zero geographic boundary between Europe and Asia, unlike the Suez and Panama isthmuses.
The 6 continent model that merges the Americas into one is the one I absolutely cannot abide. There’s no reasonable argument for saying North and South America are one continent that doesn’t also include making Afro-Eurasia a single continent.
But this video touches on something a bit different from that debate. Which is around completely different types of continent models. There’s the “large landmass” one that we usually discuss in school. But also plate tectonics. Biogeographic realms. Cultural regions. And other ways of defining it besides, probably.
Definitions of the continents in general are surprisingly variable, from what I’ve seen. I was surprised many years ago when I went online and found an Eastern European calling Eurasia one of the six continents. There are a few different systems taught in schools around the world, not just the 7-continent model we’re used to. Like they’ve said in the video, different branches of science benefit from different understandings of continents.
I’m a fan of Eurasia myself, personally. It makes sense. There’s zero geographic boundary between Europe and Asia, unlike the Suez and Panama isthmuses.
The 6 continent model that merges the Americas into one is the one I absolutely cannot abide. There’s no reasonable argument for saying North and South America are one continent that doesn’t also include making Afro-Eurasia a single continent.
But this video touches on something a bit different from that debate. Which is around completely different types of continent models. There’s the “large landmass” one that we usually discuss in school. But also plate tectonics. Biogeographic realms. Cultural regions. And other ways of defining it besides, probably.