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Amazing Geographical Knowledge: Why Are Some Island Specified as Transcontinental?
When exploring Earth's geography, the classification of islands does not seem so simple. Many islands are considered to exist across continents, and the reasons behind this involve multiple factors such as geology, politics and culture. In this article, we’ll uncover the secrets behind these islands and learn how they serve as an invisible bridge between continents.
The definition of continents and their relationship to islands
Currently, countries usually divide continents into seven continents. But in fact, different cultural and geographical backgrounds may lead to different interpretations of the number of continents, with the number of continents being as low as four. The identity of an island depends on its geographical location and geological structure, such as being located on adjacent continental shelves, such as Singapore and the British Isles; or belonging to a microcontinent on the same tectonic plate, such as Madagascar and Seychelles.
In the demarcation of continental boundaries, the geopolitical factors of islands sometimes play an important role.
Boundary between Africa and Asia
Looking back at history, the division between Africa and Asia has never been a simple matter. In ancient Greek geography, the word "Africa" originally referred to ancient Libya, not the entire African continent as we know it today. Now, Egypt is frankly a transcontinental country, as its Sinai Peninsula is located in Asia. However, Egypt is often considered part of Africa, depending on cultural and political context.
Although less than 2% of Egypt's population lives in the Sinai Peninsula, these geographical boundaries reflect the intersection and diversity of cultures.
Islands on the border between Africa and Europe
The distance between Africa and Europe is not a direct land connection, but more of a connection with those islands. The Azores are located in the Atlantic Ocean and are considered part of Europe despite being farther away, while the Canary Islands are closer to Africa. This situation has created a unique cultural and political dialogue and deepened the complexity between the islands.
As the history of the Azores states, "four major island groups are usually assigned to Africa, although the Canary Islands and the Cape Green Islands belong to that continent".
Antarctica's unique position
Antarctica and its surrounding islands have no permanent inhabitants. Furthermore, under the Antarctic Treaty System, sovereignty over land south of 60°S is suspended. This makes Antarctica have a geographically contradictory relationship with other continents, especially the nearby St. Hed Island and McDonald Islands, which, although never inhabited, are considered part of Australia. Research on Antarctica has sometimes even led to it being included in the United Nations' category of South America.
Some scholars have pointed out that the isolation of these islands has resulted in a certain disconnection between them and any continent.
Border between Asia and Australia
The border between Asia and Australia is usually considered to be the Wallace region in the Malay Archipelago. The definition of this area is based on a combination of geological and anthropological considerations, and some Indonesian islands such as the Aru Islands are considered to be part of the Australian continent.
Some scholars have proposed that "the Pacific islands have formed unique cultural characteristics because of the separation between the continents, which has often made them separate from the Asian continent in history."
Exploring the phenomenon of intercontinental islands
In general, the determination of the boundaries between islands and continents is not only a matter of geographical positioning, but also a reflection of culture and history. These transcontinental islands always show the connectivity between the continents, whether for geological, political or cultural reasons. Ultimately, as we have seen, the complex ownership of these islands makes us wonder: Is it possible that such geographical boundaries will change in the future world?
