Abso-fucking-lutely. I've been through hurricanes. I can't imagine going transoceanic, no weather routing, just fucking striking out on a latitude in one of these old small boats
Interestingly, a theoretical method of propelling spacecraft in the future is by means of vast sails to catch high-speed solar wind particles, known fittingly as solar sails. We could live in a reality where a hundred years from now, solar sailors take to the final frontier bracing and tacking their golden "canvas" to the cosmic winds.
I can't stop thinking whenever I eat about how much "European" cuisine is based off of crops native to America.
Tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, squash.
All didn't exist in the rest of the world til the Columbian exchange.
WTF did people in Italy eat before tornatoes?
Anyway, RIP native Americans.
I'm not sure that's accurate. I don't believe Columbus actually ever made to North America. He only made it as far as Cuba. I did watch these ships sail past Puerto Rico though. They were just a few miles off the the NW coast.
Correct. It is an island.
Which is part of a continent, as most islands are.
**Edit** I can't believe I'm getting downvoted.
Do you guys not know that islands are part of continents?
Do you know what a tetonic plate is? What the continental shelf is?
> When geographers identify a continent, they usually include all the islands associated with it. Japan, for instance, is part of the continent of Asia. Greenland and all the islands in the Caribbean Sea are usually considered part of North America.
- source **National Geographic**
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/
I can’t believe it either. On a site ripe with pedantry, this is one of the most pedantic exchanges I’ve ever seen- on the part of u/theheliumkid and u/pirat not you. You are entirely correct.
They seem to be taking the most pedantic, *literal* construction of the word; ignoring both the common parlance and the **geopolitical context**.
All land on earth is divided into seven continents: those continents have various features, some have peninsulas, some have islands, etc etc- but all those features fall under the parent umbrella of the overall continent.
Is Staten Island part of NYC and one of the five boroughs…but not part of North America? Use common sense u/theheliumkid. **Leave it to a Reddit contrarian to argue with geographers and National Geographic**
Oxford dictionary: any of the world's main *continuous* expanses of land (Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Antarctica)
Edit: my stressing the word continuous before you tell me Cuba is part of North or South America
You do understand islands don't float right? And the land mass beneath Cuba is part of the North American tectonic plate making it part of North America.
Actually Cuba is part of the Caribbean tectonic plate and yes, I'm fully aware islands don't float. They are also islands, not part of the continuous land mass that makes up a continent.
Common man [fact check yourself first.](https://www.britannica.com/science/Caribbean-Plate#:~:text=Cuba%2C%20was%20sheared%20off%20the,to%20the%20North%20American%20Plate.) Cuba is part of the NA plate and has been for millions of years. Just admit you're wrong like an adult and stop doubling down like that's going to make it any truer.
I'm not a geologist but this map shows the Caribbean tectonic plate:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics?wprov=sfla1
Edit: I don't particularly care which tectonic plate Cuba is on, but I do draw the line at calling Cuba part of a continent!
Hahaha so I link you an article written by actual geologists on Britannica and you send me and article on Wikipedia written by who knows who based on a picture?! Good god man.
Islands **are** part of continents.
I'm not **telling** you like thats an **opinion**. It's an objective fact.
This is easily googleable. You're misinformed and doubling down instead of admitting you might have been wrong.
Read below.
In the spirit of public service allow me to educate you-
> When geographers identify a continent, they usually include all the islands associated with it. Japan, for instance, is part of the continent of Asia. Greenland and all the islands in the Caribbean Sea are usually considered part of North America.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/
> In geology, a continent is defined by continental crust, which is a platform of metamorphic and igneous rock, largely of granitic composition. Continental crust is less dense and much thicker than oceanic crust, which causes it to "float" higher than oceanic crust on the dense underlying mantle. This explains why the continents form high platforms surrounded by deep ocean basins.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent#:~:text=In%20geology%2C%20a%20continent%20is%20defined%20by%20continental%20crust%2C%20which,on%20the%20dense%20underlying%20mantle
You live somewhere near the water, right? Think of your local island right offshore. Do you **really** think that's not part of the continent?
As I said, these are the objective definitions. Who are you going to believe, geographers and geologists, or the OED?
Of the groups listed above, which are the experts?
Come on.
Not to be picky, but your use of Zealandia is a bad example as National Geographic are demonstrating that it is a flooded micro-continent with a clearly raised landmass above surrounding areas. The wikipedia page you referred to discusses this too.
The wikipedia definition talks about oceanic islands \*occasionally\* being grouped with continents. The word "grouping" infers that they are not natively part of the continent but grouped with it for convenience. When talking about sailing and exploring that grouping falls away. The same page goes on, in the definition section, to reiterate what the Oxford dictionary says: "By convention, continents "are understood to be large, continuous, discrete masses of land, ideally separated by expanses of water"."
No idea what you're talking about with "zealandia"
I think you should do some more googling. Use this term,
"Are islands part of continents"
If you don't want to listen to me that's fine, go do your own research and use the above.
Your initial assertion that Cuba is not part of North America is wrong.
Go learn my friend.
**Edit**
Here is Prudence Island-
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1GLqAszEP57f3W2o9
Are you really still arguing that this island is not part of the North American continent, despite the assertion of the fields of geography and geology that it is?
Like stop, and think about what you're saying and what groups you're disagreeing with.
You know that it's geographers and geologists who define the entire concept of what a continent is, right?
To go back to where we started-
Me - Cuba is part of North America.
You - no, islands aren't part of continents.
So is Prudence island part of NA?
Obviously yes, right?
So how do we define continents?
As major land masses with their associated tectonic plates and islands.
- Japan is part of Asia.
- Cuba is part of NA.
- Hawaii is its own thing.
This is all easily googleable. "Are islands part of continents"
Looking at the link about tectonic plates posted by u/theheliumkid, I now know Cuba is part of North America. The other Caribbean islands are part of the Caribbean plate but, since that plate also includes several Central American nations, I would concede that the Caribbean plate is also most likely part of North America.
It just never occurred to me that the Caribbean islands were part of any continent. TIL.
Same with the *Elizabeth II* in Roanoke, it’s always crazy to me how small the vessels they took across the ocean were
Abso-fucking-lutely. I've been through hurricanes. I can't imagine going transoceanic, no weather routing, just fucking striking out on a latitude in one of these old small boats
Interestingly, a theoretical method of propelling spacecraft in the future is by means of vast sails to catch high-speed solar wind particles, known fittingly as solar sails. We could live in a reality where a hundred years from now, solar sailors take to the final frontier bracing and tacking their golden "canvas" to the cosmic winds.
I for one welcome our Treasure Planet future
I can't stop thinking whenever I eat about how much "European" cuisine is based off of crops native to America. Tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, squash. All didn't exist in the rest of the world til the Columbian exchange. WTF did people in Italy eat before tornatoes? Anyway, RIP native Americans.
hand-built replicas, on their way to texas to be left to rot >=(
On the way to Corpus Christi, Tx. To then succumb to lack of maintenance, dry rot, then finally demolition
I'm not sure that's accurate. I don't believe Columbus actually ever made to North America. He only made it as far as Cuba. I did watch these ships sail past Puerto Rico though. They were just a few miles off the the NW coast.
What continent is Cuba part of?
WTF?? Cuba is an island!
Correct. It is an island. Which is part of a continent, as most islands are. **Edit** I can't believe I'm getting downvoted. Do you guys not know that islands are part of continents? Do you know what a tetonic plate is? What the continental shelf is? > When geographers identify a continent, they usually include all the islands associated with it. Japan, for instance, is part of the continent of Asia. Greenland and all the islands in the Caribbean Sea are usually considered part of North America. - source **National Geographic** https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/
I can’t believe it either. On a site ripe with pedantry, this is one of the most pedantic exchanges I’ve ever seen- on the part of u/theheliumkid and u/pirat not you. You are entirely correct. They seem to be taking the most pedantic, *literal* construction of the word; ignoring both the common parlance and the **geopolitical context**. All land on earth is divided into seven continents: those continents have various features, some have peninsulas, some have islands, etc etc- but all those features fall under the parent umbrella of the overall continent. Is Staten Island part of NYC and one of the five boroughs…but not part of North America? Use common sense u/theheliumkid. **Leave it to a Reddit contrarian to argue with geographers and National Geographic**
Oxford dictionary: any of the world's main *continuous* expanses of land (Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Antarctica) Edit: my stressing the word continuous before you tell me Cuba is part of North or South America
You do understand islands don't float right? And the land mass beneath Cuba is part of the North American tectonic plate making it part of North America.
Actually Cuba is part of the Caribbean tectonic plate and yes, I'm fully aware islands don't float. They are also islands, not part of the continuous land mass that makes up a continent.
Common man [fact check yourself first.](https://www.britannica.com/science/Caribbean-Plate#:~:text=Cuba%2C%20was%20sheared%20off%20the,to%20the%20North%20American%20Plate.) Cuba is part of the NA plate and has been for millions of years. Just admit you're wrong like an adult and stop doubling down like that's going to make it any truer.
I'm not a geologist but this map shows the Caribbean tectonic plate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics?wprov=sfla1 Edit: I don't particularly care which tectonic plate Cuba is on, but I do draw the line at calling Cuba part of a continent!
Is this island part of North America? https://maps.app.goo.gl/AYngpLxtKdb1QzKu9
Hahaha so I link you an article written by actual geologists on Britannica and you send me and article on Wikipedia written by who knows who based on a picture?! Good god man.
Islands **are** part of continents. I'm not **telling** you like thats an **opinion**. It's an objective fact. This is easily googleable. You're misinformed and doubling down instead of admitting you might have been wrong. Read below. In the spirit of public service allow me to educate you- > When geographers identify a continent, they usually include all the islands associated with it. Japan, for instance, is part of the continent of Asia. Greenland and all the islands in the Caribbean Sea are usually considered part of North America. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/ > In geology, a continent is defined by continental crust, which is a platform of metamorphic and igneous rock, largely of granitic composition. Continental crust is less dense and much thicker than oceanic crust, which causes it to "float" higher than oceanic crust on the dense underlying mantle. This explains why the continents form high platforms surrounded by deep ocean basins. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent#:~:text=In%20geology%2C%20a%20continent%20is%20defined%20by%20continental%20crust%2C%20which,on%20the%20dense%20underlying%20mantle You live somewhere near the water, right? Think of your local island right offshore. Do you **really** think that's not part of the continent? As I said, these are the objective definitions. Who are you going to believe, geographers and geologists, or the OED? Of the groups listed above, which are the experts? Come on.
Not to be picky, but your use of Zealandia is a bad example as National Geographic are demonstrating that it is a flooded micro-continent with a clearly raised landmass above surrounding areas. The wikipedia page you referred to discusses this too. The wikipedia definition talks about oceanic islands \*occasionally\* being grouped with continents. The word "grouping" infers that they are not natively part of the continent but grouped with it for convenience. When talking about sailing and exploring that grouping falls away. The same page goes on, in the definition section, to reiterate what the Oxford dictionary says: "By convention, continents "are understood to be large, continuous, discrete masses of land, ideally separated by expanses of water"."
No idea what you're talking about with "zealandia" I think you should do some more googling. Use this term, "Are islands part of continents" If you don't want to listen to me that's fine, go do your own research and use the above. Your initial assertion that Cuba is not part of North America is wrong. Go learn my friend. **Edit** Here is Prudence Island- https://maps.app.goo.gl/1GLqAszEP57f3W2o9 Are you really still arguing that this island is not part of the North American continent, despite the assertion of the fields of geography and geology that it is? Like stop, and think about what you're saying and what groups you're disagreeing with. You know that it's geographers and geologists who define the entire concept of what a continent is, right? To go back to where we started- Me - Cuba is part of North America. You - no, islands aren't part of continents. So is Prudence island part of NA? Obviously yes, right? So how do we define continents? As major land masses with their associated tectonic plates and islands. - Japan is part of Asia. - Cuba is part of NA. - Hawaii is its own thing. This is all easily googleable. "Are islands part of continents"
Looking at the link about tectonic plates posted by u/theheliumkid, I now know Cuba is part of North America. The other Caribbean islands are part of the Caribbean plate but, since that plate also includes several Central American nations, I would concede that the Caribbean plate is also most likely part of North America. It just never occurred to me that the Caribbean islands were part of any continent. TIL.
Continents are ultimately just a human generated idea, and like most they resist simplicity. Cheers 🥂