What continent is The Middle East a part of? Where exactly is the split between Africa and Asia?

The Red Sea is generally regarded as the dividing line between Asia and Africa, making the Middle East part of Asia. THe Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Marma, and the Black Sea are all borders of Asia.

D -- Haven't I read somewhere that there is now debate over a Europe/Asia continental division? As I recall the point of contention is that there is no real division of the land mass containing Europe and Asia. Seems I have heard of some desire to rename the thing Eurasia officially.

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Originally posted by teeceeum:
D -- Haven't I read somewhere that there is now debate over a Europe/Asia continental division? As I recall the point of contention is that there is no real division of the land mass containing Europe and Asia. Seems I have heard of some desire to rename the thing Eurasia officially.

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It's a fact in at least some countries other than the U.S.:

"In some parts of the world students are taught that there are only six continents, as they combine North America and South America into one continent called Americas. Other experts use only six continents by combining Europe and Asia into a continent called Eurasia." World Atlas

Why?:

"[Europe] is actually a vast peninsula of the great Eurasian land mass. By convention, it is separated from Asia by the Urals and the Ural River in the east; by the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus in the southeast; and by the Black Sea, the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles in the south. The Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar separate it from Africa." The Columbia Encyclopedia

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Originally posted by Doriangreyed:
The Red Sea is generally regarded as the dividing line between Asia and Africa, making the Middle East part of Asia. THe Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Marma, and the Black Sea are all borders of Asia.

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The Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas, is a generaly recognized dividing line between the Asian And African continents.

Of course, you're right, 'fuse, and I should have included it. Frankly, I have no idea why I didn't. Maybe I was just thinking in terms of natural boundaries. It does seem odd to use a man-made object as a boundary between geographic features. Isn't the Red Sea part of a huge rift between Africa and Asia. Isn't that rift getting larger ?