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submitted 1 month ago by Quilotoa@lemmy.ca to c/til@lemmy.world
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[-] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

That's why there's always the argument that the country should not be called "America". English speaking countries split North and South America as separate continents, so America the country does not get confused with America the continent. In Spanish (might be regional), it's all one continent, so someone saying that they are from "America" doesnt narrow it down to a country.

I think it's fine to just have different conventions in different languages. If you want country names to be 100% unambiguous in all languages, you basically have to change the name of half of the countries out there. E.g., "Deutschland" could refer to all germanic-speaking countries, but everyone recognizes that it just means Germany.

[-] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 month ago

That’s why there’s always the argument that the country should not be called “America”.

I think, though am not sure, that this comes from the 13 colonies having once been "British America", which was by default what people meant when they talked about "America" in English, which stuck after independence.

E.g., “Deutschland” could refer to all germanic-speaking countries, but everyone recognizes that it just means Germany.

nowadays anyway; before the German Empire was founded, "Deutschland" was usually understood as the entire German-speaking region (what we call "deutschsprachiger Raum" today), and between 1949 and 1990 "Deutschland" could mean the Federal Republic of Germany (usually including West Berlin), or the Federal Republic of Germany plus German Democratic Republic plus Berlin, or Germany in the borders of 1937, or even just East Germany whose constitution initially started "Deutschland ist eine unteilbare demokratische Republik".

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[-] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 month ago

why does Australia get one they don't even do it right

[-] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

I was taught it was Australasia.

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two: america and eurasrika

[-] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

If antarctica is a continent, then so is outer space.

[-] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 month ago

What do you define as a continent?

A continent is something that contains people, i guess.

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[-] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Europe isn't a continent, it's a political entity. A continent is geographic. EurAsia is a continent.

[-] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 month ago

Lol no. The european union is the political entity. Europe is a continent. Asia is a continent. If you want to talk about both of them together you can say eurasia but they are not one continent.

[-] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 0 points 1 month ago

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

[-] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 0 points 1 month ago

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

[-] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today -1 points 1 month ago

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.

[-] fenrasulfr@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

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?

[-] mrlemmyhimself@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

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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[-] Tiger_Man_@szmer.info 0 points 1 month ago

imo europe is a colonialist excuse, not a continent

[-] WolfmanEightySix@piefed.social -1 points 1 month ago

People can’t even agree on whether the earth is flat or not.

[-] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 month ago

All you need is one nitwit arguing for a nonsense position for there to be "no agreement."

There are 7 continents. Anyone who disagrees is just soapboxing for clout.

[-] Allero@lemmy.today -1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

6, actually. Eurasia is one continent and it takes a lot of mental gymnastics to claim there are two separate continents there.

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[-] msokiovt@lemmy.today -2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I theorize that the Vatican can only control 172 countries at any one time, and have a seat selected for the NWO. As for the other 21 (as found in the UN), they have to be targeted for destruction by the Vatican.

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this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2026
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