this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2026
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[–] yucandu@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

We're repeatedly told in school and all throughout our media that Canada is the "second largest land mass in the world". Is that not true?

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Canada is the second largest country in the world by area.

[–] 13igTyme@piefed.social 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Land mass or country? Because the Americas make us the second largest land mass with Eurasia and Africa because the largest.

[–] TheMadCodger@piefed.social 2 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Isn't Africa connected to Eurasia? So we have the Americas and AfroEurasia plus some islands. Which is why "continents" has no meaning and is another social construct unless you divide them in a way that makes zero sense to anyone who isn't a geologist.

[–] 13igTyme@piefed.social 0 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Which is exactly why I said Eurasia AND Africa. I also never said continent. I said LND MASS which is what was previously said.

Work on your reading comprehension.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

We should divide the continents in:

Continents: the actual land, so we have the Americas (i'd count them as one as they are almost one), AfroEuroAsia

Sub continents: their definition is cultural so we have north and south america, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania

Don't take anything too seriously, i thought about this on two feets around 2 years ago and forgot about that until now

[–] TheMadCodger@piefed.social 1 points 2 hours ago

I know at the end of the day it doesn't really matter, but it always rubbed me the wrong way when Europeans claim that The Americas are one continent because it's one connected landmass, but somehow Europe is it's own continent. North/South America at least came from different super continents and only recently collided. Europe (minus the Balkans) and Asia (minus Arabian and Indian peninsulas) have been together since at least Pangaea.