Boundary between Europe and Asia in the context of "Emba River"

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⭐ Core Definition: Boundary between Europe and Asia

Determining the boundaries between the continents is generally a matter of geographical convention and consensus. Several slightly different conventions are in use. The number of continents is most commonly considered seven (in English-speaking countries) but may range as low as four when Afro-Eurasia and the Americas are both considered as single continents. An island can be considered to be associated with a given continent by either lying on the continent's adjacent continental shelf (e.g. Singapore, the British Isles) or being a part of a microcontinent on the same principal tectonic plate (e.g. Madagascar and Seychelles). An island can also be entirely oceanic while still being associated with a continent by geology (e.g. Bermuda, the Australian Indian Ocean Territories) or by common geopolitical convention (e.g. Ascension Island, the South Sandwich Islands). Another example is the grouping into Oceania of the Pacific Islands with Australia and Zealandia.

There are three overland boundaries subject to definition:

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👉 Boundary between Europe and Asia in the context of Emba River

The Emba (Kazakh: Ембі Embı or Жем Jem, Russian: Эмба) in west Kazakhstan rises in the Mugodzhar Hills and flows across the Sub-Ural Plateau and Caspian Depression into the Caspian Sea. It is 712 kilometres (442 mi) long, and has a drainage basin of 40,400 square kilometres (15,600 sq mi). It flows through the north of the Ust-Urt plateau, and reaches the Caspian by a series of shallow lagoons, which were navigable in the 18th century. The lower course traverses an area of salt domes and the petroleum-rich Emba fields. It is sometimes regarded as a definition for the natural boundary between Europe and Asia.

In its upper course, the Emba is a small river, its valley barely over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) wide. Lower down, after the waters of the Temir River flow into it, the Emba's valleys widen to almost 7 kilometres (4 mi). The Emba flows in a single channel, only breaking off into little arms in places. But around 100 kilometres (62 mi) before it enters the Caspian Sea, it breaks off in places to form several lakes, which are connected to each other through slender channels that only run during flooding. The Emba is a snow-fed river. It freezes over in winter, a process that begins in November and lasts until March.

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Boundary between Europe and Asia in the context of Geography of Europe

Europe is traditionally defined as one of seven continents. Physiographically, it is the northwestern peninsula of the larger landmass known as Eurasia (or the larger Afro-Eurasia); Asia occupies the centre and east of this continuous landmass. Europe's eastern frontier is usually delineated by the Ural Mountains in Russia, which is the largest country by land area in the continent. The southeast boundary with Asia is not universally defined, but the modern definition is generally the Ural River or, less commonly, the Emba River. The boundary continues to the Caspian Sea, the crest of the Caucasus Mountains (or, less commonly, the river Kura in the Caucasus), and on to the Black Sea. The Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles conclude the Asian boundary. The Mediterranean Sea to the south separates Europe from Africa. The western boundary is the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland is usually included in Europe because it is over twice as close to mainland Europe as mainland North America. There is ongoing debate on where the geographical centre of Europe falls.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Geography of Europe ← Emba River
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Americas → North America → South America → Afro-Eurasia → Africa → Eurasia → Europe → Asia → Australia (continent) → Oceania → Antarctica → Island country → Continent → Geography → List of countries by English-speaking population → Island → Continent → Continental shelf → Singapore → British Isles → Microcontinent → List of tectonic plates → Madagascar → Seychelles → Island → Geology → Bermuda → Australian Indian Ocean Territories → Geopolitics → Ascension Island → South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands → List of islands in the Pacific Ocean → Zealandia →