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Afro-Eurasia1 or less commonly Afrasia2 or Eurafrasia2 are terms used to describe Eurasia and Africa as one continent. The constituent landmasses contain around 5.7 billion people, or roughly 85% of the world population.3
Normally, it is divided at the Suez Canal into Eurasia and Africa, the former of which can be subdivided into Europe and Asia. It can be divided alternatively into Eurasia-North Africa and Subsahara for cultural and historical reasons.4
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.5 The term excludes non-mainland islands and archipelagos.
The Old World refers to Africa, Asia, Europe, and their surrounding islands as separate landmasses.
Afro-Eurasia plus associated islands.
In geological terms, Afro-Eurasia is expected to be a supercontinent when Africa collides with Europe. This is estimated to happen over 600,000 years from now, when the southern tip of Spain reaches Africa. When this happens, the Mediterranean Sea will be isolated from the Atlantic Ocean. Africa is expected to collide with Europe completely over 50 million years from now, closing the Mediterranean, and creating new, future mountain ranges (with an addition to the Alps).6
References
- ^ Frank, Andre G. (1998), ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0520214743
- ^ 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).
- ^ Diamond, Jared (1997), Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Norton & Company, ISBN 0-393-03891-2
- ^ See Francis P. Sempa, Mackinder's World
- ^ Africa will collide Europe and Asia, 50 Million years from now
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