Why are Europe and Asia considered two different continents when they're all one body of land?

Question

Why are Europe and Asia considered two different continents when they're all one body of land?

Answer 1

Europe and Aisa lie on different continental plates. There are giant masses of rock bellow the surface of the earth that are slowly moving due to the heat in the earth's core.

Answer 2

In addition to the tectonic plate difference, the cultural difference is enormous (just look at architecture). In fact, most of the world's culture is divided between European Western and Asian Eastern (Oriental and Occidental).

Answer 3

they are considered as one continent but two different countries. So thats why some pronounce the words together as EurAsia

Answer 4

Europe and Asia are more of a cultural division than a physical division.  The Ural Mountains of Russia separate Europe from Asia and are not very convincing as a continent divider.  Many areas of the world consider Europe and Asia the same continent called Eurasia.

Answer 5

I think it is mainly a historical difference.  There is such a difference between European and Asian cultures that it was natural for people to think of them as separate entities.  Remember, when most of these things (like naming continents) occured there was no concept of tectonic plates.

For what it is worth, I think that Europe and Asia are on the same plate (the Eurasian Plate).