Afro-Eurasia

Afro-Eurasia

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Afro-Eurasia

Afro-Eurasia^[1] or less commonly Afrasia^[2] or Eurafrasia^[2] are terms used to describe Eurasia and Africa as one continent. The constituent landmasses contain around 85% of the world population (around 5.7 billion people).^[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 (excluding islands such as the British Isles, Japan,Madagascar and the Malay Archipelago ) has been referred to as the World Island. (The term may have been coined by Sir Halford John Mackinder in The Geographical Pivot of History.^[5])

The Old World refers to Africa, Asia, Europe, and their surrounding islands as separate landmasses.

Afro-Eurasia plus associated islands.

Eurasia
- Asia
- Europe

Africa
- North Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa

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]