Main Continent A continent is a landmass with specific characteristics. The great mountain ranges of the continents are found in these younger regions. Most continents also have extensive plains or plateaus. All of the continents, except Antarctica, are wedgeshaped, wider at the north than at the south.
Some geographers list only six continents, combining Europe and Asia into Eurasia.
For example, Europe and Asia are physically part of the same landmass, but the two areas are culturally diverse. Islands located near a continent are generally considered, in a geographical sense, part of that continent. Greenland, for example, is politically part of Europe but belongs geographically to North America, as do the islands of the Caribbean and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. There are some islands and island groups, however, that are not considered part of any continent, geographically speaking. New Zealand, Hawaii, and French Polynesia are among them.