Subcontinent

Subcontinent

:"This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. For geopolitical treatments, see South Asia."

A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent.

The phrase "the Subcontinent", used on its own in English, commonly means the Indian subcontinent, i.e. South Asia. The term "Indian subcontinent" includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. The region is largely a peninsula of Eurasia and Asia south of the Himalayas and constitutes a geoculturally distinct region within Asia. The region however contains desert, plateau, rainforest, mountains, and a myriad of languages, races, and religions.

The Middle East is a subcontinent in southwestern Eurasia and Asia and a geocultural region within Asia. The Middle East is geographically contained from Europe, Asia and Africa, clockwise, by the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Iranian plateau, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the Sinai Peninsula, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea, and lies largely on the Arabian tectonic plate. The common definition of the term also includes Egypt, which lies mainly in northeastern Africa.

Europe is a large peninsula of western Eurasia [cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/europe|title=The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company. |date= 2005 ] and fits the profile of subcontinent, but is afforded the political status of a continent. The European peninsula is relatively contained from the rest of Asia by the Ural Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea.

The term subcontinent can also refer to Greenland, being a large island landmass that is smaller than the recognized continents. [cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/subcontinent |title=Random House Unabridged Dictionary |accessdate=2008-06-15 |publisher=Random House, Inc. |date=2006 ]

ee also

*Continent

*Europe

*Greenland

*Indian subcontinent

*Middle East

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • subcontinent — SUBCONTINÉNT s. n. parte vastă, delimitată, a unui continent. (după fr. sous continent) Trimis de raduborza, 15.09.2007. Sursa: MDN …   Dicționar Român

  • subcontinent — (n.) 1863, from SUB (Cf. sub ) + CONTINENT (Cf. continent) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • subcontinent — ► NOUN ▪ a large distinguishable part of a continent, such as North America or southern Africa. DERIVATIVES subcontinental adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • subcontinent — [sub′känt΄ n ənt] n. a large land mass, smaller than that usually called a continent; often, a subdivision of a continent, regarded as a geographic or political entity …   English World dictionary

  • subcontinent — UK [ˌsʌbˈkɒntɪnənt] / US [sʌbˈkɑntɪnənt] noun [countable] Word forms subcontinent : singular subcontinent plural subcontinents a large area of land that forms part of a continent, especially the part of Asia that contains the countries of India,… …   English dictionary

  • subcontinent — [[t]sʌ̱bkɒ̱ntɪnənt[/t]] subcontinents also sub continent N COUNT: usu sing A subcontinent is part of a larger continent, made up of a number of countries that form a large mass of land. The subcontinent is often used to refer to the area that… …   English dictionary

  • subcontinent — noun Date: 1863 a large landmass smaller than a continent; especially a major subdivision of a continent < the Indian subcontinent > • subcontinental adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • subcontinent — subcontinental /sub kon tn en tl/, adj. /sub kon tn euhnt, sub kon /, n. 1. a large, relatively self contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent: the subcontinent of India. 2. a large landmass, as Greenland, that is smaller than any… …   Universalium

  • subcontinent — noun A large landmass which is either smaller than a continent (such as Greenland), or part of an even larger continent (such as the Indian subcontinent) …   Wiktionary

  • subcontinent — sub|con|ti|nent [ˌsʌbˈkɔntınənt US ˈka:n ] n 1.) a very large area of land that is part of a ↑continent 2.) the subcontinent the area of land that includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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