The ancient Greeks, mainly. But it was based on a totally different concept of continent than what we have today. The original three continents just recognized three segments of the shores of the Mediterranean: Europe from the Straits of Gibralter to the entrance to the Black Sea; Asia from the Black Sea to the Red Sea; and Africa from the Black Sea to the Straits of Gibralter. The fact that Europe met Asia on the far side of the Black Sea was irrelevant.
None, really. Europe is only considered a separate continent as a historical artifact of the way the continents were first defined. There is no logical basis to it at all. It’s boundaries are also arbitrary. If we are speaking of geographically defined continents rather than historically defined ones, Europe and Asia are a single continent, Eurasia.
Also pretty much arbitrary. Australia could just as well be considered the largest island as the smallest continent.
As has been stated by others, the definition of continents also varies culturally. I can verify that, in Latin America, the Americas are considered to count as a single continent (with three subdivisions, North, Central, and South).
However, to expand on this a little, there is some rationale for the dividing line to be between Australia and Greenland, rather than between Antarctica and Australia, since there is a much larger gap between Australia and Greenland than there is between Antarctica and Australia.
Eurasia 21,200,000 sq mi
Africa 11,700,000 sq mi = 55% of Eurasia
North America 9,400,000 sq mi = 80% of Africa
South America = 6,900,000 sq mi = 73% of North America
Antarctica = 5,400,000 sq mi = 78% of South America
Australia = 3,000,000 sq mi = 55% of Antarctica
Greenland = 840,000 sq mi = 28% of Australia
So each continent is at least half the size of the next larger continent; but Greenland is less than a third the size of Australia.
Or, you could go on the basis of tectonic plates, which more or less line up with the traditional continents. Greenland is part of the N. American Plate, and Australia has its own.
No it doesn’t. If you read the links provided above, you’ll see there’s a lot more than a national border involved in considering Europe and Asia as different continents.
I think I’m going to go around referring to ‘the European subcontinent’ from now on. Why do we just say ‘the Indian subcontinent’? It sounds like something of a putdown.
Well, since St. Pierre et Miqelon and French Guiana are considered part of the French state and use the euro, and are undoubtedly in the Americas, a precedent has been set. Next step: Canada to join the EU!
