Afro-Eurasia
Afro-Eurasia[1] or less commonly Afrasia[2] or Eurafrasia[2] is the term used to describe the largest landmass on earth. It may be defined as a supercontinent, consisting of Africa and Eurasia (further divided into Asia and Europe). The constituent landmasses encompass 84,980,532 square kilometers and have a population of approximately 6 billion people, or roughly 85% of the world population.[3] It is also known as the Old World, as opposed to the Americas, which are known as the New World.
The mainland of Afro-Eurasia has been referred to as the World Island, a term coined by Sir Halford John Mackinder in The Geographical Pivot of History.[4] (The term excludes non-mainland islands and archipelagos.) It was the original scope of the word "continent".[5]
Geology
Africa is expected to collide with Europe over 600,000 years from now, when the straits of Gibraltar close. When this happens, the Mediterranean Sea will be isolated from the Atlantic Ocean. Over 50 million years from now the Mediterranean is expected to disappear, creating new mountain ranges.[6]
Divisions
Normally Afro-Eurasia is divided at the Suez Canal into Africa and Eurasia, the latter of which can be subdivided into Europe and Asia. It has also been divided into Eurasia-North Africa and Subsahara for cultural and historical reasons.[7]
Geographical areas
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See also
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References
- ^ Frank, Andre G. (1998), ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-21474-3
- ^ a b For example, Henry Field uses both terms in The University of California African Expedition: I, Egypt. American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 50, No. 3, Part 1 (Jul. - Sep., 1948), pp. 479-493.
- ^ Based upon population estimates for 2007 cited in a UN report, World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision (Highlights).
- ^ See Francis P. Sempa, Mackinder's World
- ^ For example, in Heylin Cosmographie (1652), "the whole Continent of Europe, Asia, Africa."
- ^ Africa will collide with Europe and Asia, 50 Million years from now
- ^ Diamond, Jared (1997), Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Norton & Company, ISBN 0-393-03891-2
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