this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2026

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TIL there is no agreement on how many continents there are. (en.wikipedia.org)

submitted 4 months ago by Quilotoa@lemmy.ca to c/til@lemmy.world

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[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

They are one continuous landmass. A continent is one continuous landmass. You can't split a single landmass and call it two separate continents.

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[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 1 point 4 months ago (2 children)

So is North and South America. Is that also one continent?

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[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

There are going to be little isthmuses connecting landmasses, but that doesn't make them combined. Africa is technically connected to both Europe and Asia, but nobody is suggesting that they be combined with Europe and Asia. Europe and Asia are literally the same landmass, with just a border between them.

Even the Middle East probably has a better claim on being a Continent than Europe.

Besides, the Panama Canal essentially makes North And South America separated by water.

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[–] fenrasulfr@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago* (1 child)

Aren't Europe and Asia on the same techtonic plate? Isn't that also the reason India is considered a subcontinent because it is on a different techtonic plate?

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[–] mrlemmyhimself@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago (1 child)

Iceland is between two tectonic plates, and that rule would separate the Somali plate from the rest of Africa, make the Caribbean its own continent, etc

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[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

Don’t forget zealandia being its own continent

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[–] homura1650@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago

North and South America are joined by a thin strip of land that serves as the continent border. Africa and Eurasia are joined by a thin strip that serves as a continent barrier. Europe and Asia have no natural border between them.

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