[Geo4All] asking for help

[Christian Willmes]

Hello,

This is an interesting question, which I asked myself also recently.

I would prefer plate tectonics as the ground for defining continents, 
but this is not a Law. ;) In the according Wikipedia article [1] you can 
find a nice map, which clarifies at least the border between Asia and 
Africa, that is through the Red Sea and Jordan valley (east of Sinai). 
Arabia has its own plate, but geographically it is part of Asia.

For Europe and Asia, this is more complicated, because Eurasia is one 
large tectonic plate. According to the German Wikipedia article [2], 
there is no international law based definition of this border. But you 
will find two maps showing borders in this article, based on different 
historic definitions.

I would propose to define the inner Eurasian border based on River 
catchments or Hydrobasins. HydroSHEDS [3] draws the border between 
Europe and Asia, where the Volga (Europe) and the Ob (Asia) Basins meet. 
Further south, I would go west of Caspian Sea through the Caucasus to 
the Black Sea through the Bosporus... but this is not clearly defined as 
fa as I know?

Best regards,
Christian

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics

[2] https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasien

[3] https://www.hydrosheds.org/page/hydrobasins

Am 02.11.18 um 08:33 schrieb labrinos at eled.auth.gr:
>
> Dear GeoForAll members,
>
> In the context of an undergraduate thesis, a student of mine is 
> looking for the official borders between continents.
> The "problem" rises between Europe and Asia, Asia and Africa.
> Can you show me references and/or links where I can find official 
> documents regarding the borders between these areas?
> I understand that in many cases it is a matter arranged between 
> countries (except Russia where the borders divide the country into 
> European and Asian part and Turkey where Vosporus separates the two 
> continents) because the borders between countries form the borders 
> between continents.
> I would appreciate any idea and help.
>
> Thank you very much
> Nikos Lambrinos
>
>
-- 
Dr. Christian Willmes	
AG GIS & Fernerkundung      | GIS & RS Group
Geographisches Institut     | Institute of Geography
Universität zu Köln         | University of Cologne
Tel.: +49 (0)221 470 6234
http://www.geographie.uni-koeln.de/14126.html
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http://crc806db.uni-koeln.de
http://publons.com/a/1316706/
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5566-6542