The Latin "Australis" mean "southern. In the late 20th century, the National Library of Australia came upon a different document labeling the continent "Australia.
Etymology is an inexact science, and the rest of the continent names have even hazier histories. The theories are very logical, though.
Who can argue that Africa isn't "sunny" -- or, in Latin, "aprica"? Since the first use of the name "America," Amerigo Vespucci has been viewed as a bit of a scoundrel. Some think he stole discovery credit from Christopher Columbus; some even claim he changed his name to "Amerigo" only after the continent was referred to as "America. Others think America got its name by mistake, and Vespucci had nothing to do with it.
The first person to create a map with the name "America" on the newly discovered land may have misunderstood Vespucci's role in the discovery, possibly after misinterpreting a letter written by Vespucci years earlier. The rest of the continents -- Africa, Asia and Europe -- were most likely named by the sailors who frequented their ports on naval and merchant voyages, but no one knows for sure.
Asia may have initially been named for the Trojan ruler Asios. The name "Asia" in its Greek form is found in writings dating back to B.
Some believe the names "Europe" and "Asia" come from Phoenician sailors who designated between the two destinations by the movement of the sun.
Regardless of their exact origins, the names most likely came from simple oral use; sailors had to call the places something, so they made something up. After a while, the names stuck, eventually showing up in writings and on maps. The origins of the continents' names are not written in stone, and neither are the boundaries. Ultimately, borders between continents are nearly as politically determined as borders between nations. For instance, neither Europe nor Asia is by definition a continent; neither is completely surrounded by water.
They're connected, with the boundary between the two running through both Turkey and Russia, defined by mountain ranges. They were likely designated separate continents for reasons linked to nationalism and racial, cultural and trade distinctions. Likewise, North and South America are connected. For these reasons, in certain parts of the world, people recognize only five continents: The Americas, Africa, Eurasia, Antarctica and Australia.
In other parts, there are six continents, and in yet other areas there are seven. Geography, it seems, can be a very political discipline. For more information on continents, plate tectonics and geographical politics, explore the links on the next page.
When I learned about the continents in school, the designations seemed so permanent, the land masses such a staple element of geography they were almost on the level of hemispheres. You memorize them. You sing about them. You identify them on tests. That the continental designations are, in fact, so politically and culturally motivated as to be practically random -- four of the seven recognized in the West don't even meet the definition of "continent" -- was attention-grabbing. Did I even learn that in elementary school?
What will my daughter learn in geography class? I would have loved to include a map from the days before seven or six or five named continents, but it turns out it's tough to read them at just pixels wide. If you do a Google search for "historical maps," though, you'll find countless examples.
The ones showing routes of exploration are especially worth a look, since many of those explorers had hardly a clue where they'd come ashore. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.
Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Historical Events. How Naming the Continents Works. Continents may be constantly shifting and changing, but to most people, their shapes are as recognizable as faces. Before There Were Continents " ". The German geologist Alfred Wegener was the first to use the term Pangaea. Continental Numbers. The population of Africa numbers 1 billion, while the North American continent is home to million souls.
Russia is about 1. Drag and drop it near the equator, and you see how truly huge Africa is: at Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist seen by millions as the father of African literature, has died at the age of Word games. Why do continents start and end with a? How many continents end with the letter A? What continents start with the letter A? What is a continent in the alphabet?
Christine Perfect. Sep 19, PM. William Laughlin. Jerry Edwards, While I appreciate you efforts to explain the confusion, I cannot concur. Proper alphabetization dictates that proper nouns are filed in the order of the first part of a multiple word name.
It is a region. Oceania is generally a term of convenience, but cannot be considered accurate when referring to continental plates.
Continents are defined by the science of plate tectonics. Australia is a continent; Oceania is not. Jul 24, AM. Jul 23, PM. Jul 15, PM. Stevie G, Exactly. Jul 10, PM. Europe and Asia are more of a single landmass than that, with a border of 1, miles 2,km! Oceania also includes three island regions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, including the U.
This question was far too easy. Are we still in 2nd grade?
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