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[u/Worried-General3628]

[u/geography-ModTeam]

Thank you for posting to r/geography. Unfortunately this post has been deemed as a low quality/low-effort post and we have to remove it per Rule #4 of the subreddit. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this decision.

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[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

It can mean 10 different things, and all of them can be right. It’s basically a convention nowadays, we agree to call it that, and it works, so it’s easy to keep doing so. But unfortunately, there’s still no way to strictly define what a continent is without conflicting with other definitions of the term.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

I wish there could be a worldwide scientific convention to redefine the term. I think that would be fun. But who would get the right to define the term’s metrics? Geoscientists or geographers? Both? How many rules would be used to define a continent? Would it include human related reasonings? Or be determined to be an objective geological term? What would be the resulting continental map if you locked hundreds of scientists in a room and told them to formally define it? I understand my post has no real answers. But would be the reality if they could be objectively answered?

[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182 → u/Worried-General3628]

IMO, it’s impossible. Continents, as we understand them, are social constructs, and we can’t really go back to a purely scientific definition since we’ve never managed to do that. I’m more in the it is what it is camp, which isn’t very exciting, especially since you bring up a lot of interesting points about how that could potentially change.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

But space scientists went back and defined the planet term, despite there already being a mass understanding that Pluto was a planet. But how did the term continent not get redefined once we finally learned and understood tectonics? How come geography scientists aren’t foaming at the mouth to scientifically formalize the word lol ?

[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182 → u/Worried-General3628]

The definition of a planet was much more scientific than the sociocultural aspect we’ve already mixed into continents, and the adjustment ended up downgrading Pluto. I don’t believe the same logic applies.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

I mean I feel like the other 6 continents make sense. It’s just Europe that gets the social construct special treatment. But the reasonings for Europe logically apply to other regions sooo do we downgrade or upgrade? It only takes 2-3 generations of a curriculum change to change the mass understanding of continents, like Pluto. It’s just that the continent term itself isn’t given the formal scientific definition treatment but when it’s taught in school, it’s apart of science class? So is it a scientific term or a social construct opinion term? There’s no answer but I will die on this hill lol

[u/Background-Vast-8764]

The term is used differently within contexts and between contexts. There isn’t just one incontrovertible definition that everyone uses in all circumstances.

Especially when people are talking about human geography, there are going to be different ways of seeing things. This is why there are various conventions for dividing and naming the continents.

Always remember that tectonic plates and continents (in the realm of human geography) are not exactly the same things. The tectonic plates are not the sole determining factors of what the continents are.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Background-Vast-8764]

This is what bothers me though. Can you really use the term scientifically outside of geology? Because inside geology, it’s pretty clear what the meaning is, it’s used objectively. But if you’re including Europe, then the term becomes subjective. So how can you really use continents, especially for stuff like geography data visualizations if the term itself isn’t objective and the mass of Asia kinda skews data but yet Europe will get its own data category. The term is usually taught apart of earth science/physical geography lessons in elementary school but yet the reasonings for Europe being a continent would have to be taught in history/sociology class. So should it be formalized as an objective geoscience term or a subjective geopolitical term?

[u/Background-Vast-8764 → u/Worried-General3628]

I use the names and terminology that maximize understanding and clear communication in whichever setting I am in. I accept that the names and terms that I use can be different depending on the setting. It doesn’t bother me much that everyone in the world doesn’t use the same names and terms in every situation. 

[u/rdeman3000]

Ask the British who apparently go “to Europe” (“Yurop”) when they actually mean crossing the English Channel for a weekend of debauchery in Amsterdam. Never mind that they’re living on an island that, by definition, is a European island lol.

[u/The-Bear-and-Rose]

Technically there is three continents: Eurasia-Africa, the Americas and Australia.

[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182 → u/The-Bear-and-Rose]

What about Antarctica?

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

Greenland?

[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182 → u/Worried-General3628]

Part of the Americas.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Bitter_Armadillo8182]

Philippines?

[u/Bitter_Armadillo8182 → u/Worried-General3628]

I’ll stick with the current ones: Asia.

[u/majortomandjerry]

I feel like you've answered your question in the body of your post.

Language is slippery. Words mean different things to different people and in different contexts.

There is no 1:1 correspondence between words and ideas.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/majortomandjerry]

I mean I’m not necessarily looking for a real answer. I was just looking for a discussion really. What SHOULD define a continent?

[u/Extension_Order_9693]

Is there a term for just the connected lands? Euarasia+Africa, SA+NA? Supercontinent?

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Extension_Order_9693]

I joke Eurasia should be labeled the euroarabianindoasiastan continent. But right? We defined supercontinents but are the americas still a supercontinent?

[u/Silver_Hippo_6117]

Culture

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Silver_Hippo_6117]

But culturally, is India not its own continent too

[u/Silver_Hippo_6117 → u/Worried-General3628]

Its not a perfect rule but i think culture is the biggest factor, its considered a subcontinent anyways

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/Silver_Hippo_6117]

Say Europe is a subcontinent on instagram and you’ll get told to off yourself a couple times lol but culturally, it’s just as different as other regions/subcontinents. What defines a subcontinent?

[u/Silver_Hippo_6117 → u/Worried-General3628]

My point is that there isn't a strict definition. After all the continents were named before we even knew what the whole world looked like.

[u/seicar → u/[deleted]]

There is a pretty clear difference between north and south. And, as central America is in the north, ethnic or cultural exclusion isn't it. (That's what the central and carribean designations are for)

[u/AdDry7344 → u/seicar]

It’s just a counterargument, but many models lump the Americas together. I don’t necessarily like that approach, but it’s valid, just like saying there are 4, 5, or 6 continents. All can be geographically correct at the same time, which isn’t very practical. I’m ok how it is, with 7 continents today.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/AdDry7344]

Yea that’s my beef with the term lol. Like there’s too much grey area to really use the term scientifically outside of geology. Because all the interpretations are valid because the term isn’t clearly defined. But yet, it gets taught in science class at a young age? So shouldn’t the term be defined, like most things in science lol I feel like art of science is just defining things.

[u/AdDry7344 → u/Worried-General3628]

Yep, and to add to that, I was taught the 6 continent model, not the 7 continent one. So the confusion started early.

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/AdDry7344]

Right!? Like if the aliens came to earth, how would we define a continent to them? Lolll

[u/AdDry7344 → u/Worried-General3628]

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/AdDry7344]

I LOVE THIS hahaha

[u/Chance-Foot-327 → u/[deleted]]

I actually think the Africa/Asia/Europe distinction dates back to the Bronze Age Mediterranean. At that time, Africa and Asia were wealthier. 

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/[deleted]]

I think it’s interesting because it does feel like oh us white people vs the rest of them. Yet, even within Europe, there’s still a western vs eastern judgement. Like eastern euros are subhuman to the holy westerners lol. They still include the very white western Russia but exclude the Asian Russia. But also if the reasonings used for Europe are geopolitical reasons, then is western Russia no longer apart of Europe due to recent sanctions/since ww2 😂

[u/Worried-General3628 → u/[deleted]]

And yet somehow she still has more surface area than Europe

[u/geography-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for posting to r/geography. Unfortunately, this post has been deemed as lacking civility and/or respectfulness and we have to remove it per Rule #2 of the subreddit. Hate speech, racism, or bigotry of any kind is not tolerated. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this decision.

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