Why is Europe and Asia two diffrent continents while they are on the same land?

Question

Even from a geological point of view, Europe and Asia share the same tectonic plate...

So how come they're not one really big continent?

Answer 1

most of the reason for the division is a cultural geography perspective, rather than a physical geography perspective.

Answer 2

It is Europeans who created the concept of Europe and called the rest as Asia. Europe is only one fifth of Asia that has a mind-boggling diversity. Even the demarcation line passes through Ural mountains, which are low hills of less prominence. The Caucasus mountains are a better defining line. Is 'Georgia' Asia or Europe?

It is better to call it Eurasia, discarding the definitions of the times when cartography was non-existent.

Answer 3

It's simply an arbitrary drawing of boundaries which pay no real notice to geography, geology or even political boundaries.  It is just an accepted convention that Europe and Asia meet at the Eural Mountains.  The term "Eurasia" is sometimes used to include both continents.

In the same manner, there is no distinct boundary between Oceana (Australasia) and Asia and the place where North America ends and South America begins is really a matter of dispute although I believe that convention has now accepted the Panama Canal to be the dividing line

Answer 4

The reason these two countries share the same land mass but are considered to be two distinct continents is pretty baffling, I guess.  However, one explanation is that centuries ago, these nations' leaders decided that since the people that reside in these two countries (Europe and Asia) are just as distinct and dissimilar as the countries themselves, that they might as well, for POLITICAL NECESSITY, say that Europe and Asia are two distinct continents.

So, the decision to call designate Europe and Asia as two continents, though they share the same land mass, was much more of a political decision than it was a geographical one.

Answer 5

they do share the same eurasiasn plate and i see no reason to separate them. however it was done many centuries ago and change comes slowly.

Answer 6

thats because in early time two seperate groups of people ruled the land so they had to split it

also the two are very different landform wise

Answer 7

<<Even from a geological point of view, Europe and Asia share the same tectonic plate...>>

Incorrect.  Asia is made up of various tectonic plates, and they aren't shared with Europe at all, as far as I know.  However, I can't rule out perhaps some Meidterranean overlap.  The Ural Mountains resulted from the collision between the continents of Asia and Europe.