In the world there are two continents that are geographically linked: Europe and Asia. This circumstance has the only term used to refer to this great continental mass: Eurasia.
Data of interest about Eurasia
- – This part of the planet is formed by a total of 91 countries, which constitutes practically half of the world total (in 2017 there are 194 countries).
- – If we consider that in the world there are about 7.5 billion inhabitants according to 2010 data , in Eurasia there are more than two thirds of this total (4,500 million in Asia and 1100 in Europe).
- – In terms of surface area, the European and Asian continents add up to approximately 54 million square kilometers, with America, Africa and Oceania together amounting to approximately 81 million square kilometers.
- – The Ural Mountains have been considered since the 16th century as natural borders between the two continents.
Europe and Asia are different continents for cultural reasons
Europe is the cradle of Western civilization and East Asia belonged to several civilizations (Mongol Empire, Persian Empire, Chinese dynasties, etc.).
From a religious point of view, Europe is predominantly Christian, whereas in Asia Christianity is a minority compared to Buddhism and the Muslim religion. In terms of languages, Latin originates from many European countries (such as French, Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Portuguese, etc.) while in Asia, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese and its variants are the main languages.
From a racial perspective, in Europe the Caucasian ethnicity is in the majority, while in Asia the situation is much more complex (most Asian countries have a multiethnic population ).
The city of Istanbul is the link between Europe and Asia
The Turkish city of Istanbul has a part in Asia and another in Europe. This is because both parts are divided by a water channel: the Bosphorus Strait. In addition to this geographical feature , the city of Istanbul is a symbol of cultural mixture between East and West.
Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and, on the other hand, the capital of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire.
We must remember that the fall of Constantinople in 1453 is considered an episode that marks the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.