History and Origin of Names Continent in the World

1. AUSTRALIA

The name Australia is derived from the Terra Australis Incognita , which means "Land of the Unknown in the South" . The existence of the world's smallest continent is said to have been known since ancient Roman times, certainly no valid evidence / strong invalid, because the maritime exploration technology was not yet sophisticated and can reach areas far. The name was adopted when Europeans began to explore the continent, such as the British sailor James Cook and Dutch sailor Abel Tasman.

But the name of Australia recently began bustling used since Matthew Flinders popularized in 1804, then in 1817 to the British Governor General in Australia at the time, Lachlan Macquaire issued a petition to name a British colony dipimpinnnya. The new petition is approved by the British Parliament in 1824. 

2. AFRICA

There are several theories about the origin of the name of the African continent. The first theory is derived from the time of the Roman conquest of Carthage (located in Tunisia now) in the 3rd Punik War. The area was named Africa conquered, taken from the name of the local indigenous tribe, which Afri, so it literally means Land of the Afri.

The second theory is derived languages ​​Phoenicia, AFAR which means "dust" plus -ica Latin suffix, which means the soil / land, so that Africa means "dusty ground." 

3. ASIA

Derived from ancient Greek, "Ἀσία" , which is used since the year 440 BC by Herodotus in his book "Histories", although said to have been used much earlier. At first not to mention the whole of Asia, but the mention of the area on the east coast of the Aegean and Anatolian peninsula (part of Turkey).

People associate the Roman province of Asia to-2: Asia Asia Minor and Major. Another theory says that the name is derived from Phoenicia Asia, asu , meaning "east" or Akkadian, asu, meaning "sunrise, appearing". In the context of the circle of the sun, Asia translated as "land of the rising sun (land of the sunrise)." 

4. EUROPEAN

Named of Europa, one of the mistresses of Zeus in Greek mythology, who kidnapped Zeus in the form of a white buffalo and taken to Crete. Although it is difficult to explain etymologically, there is a theory that the name come from the Akkadian, erebu, which means "drowned, sunset" or language Phoenicia, ereb, which means "night or west". So as opposed to word / antonym of Asian ya name?

However, at first, as well as the Asian title to pinch a small area, Europe is also intended to name some parts of Turkey is called Thrace / Thrace , not the entire continent of Europe as we know it. 

5. AMERICA

Name continent America (North and South) named after Amerigo Vespucci , a sailor (navigator) Italian nationality, which explore the continent 's new in 1499 and wrote in his wanderings results published in 1502 and 1504. Vespucci from the beginning to believe that The new continent is not a part of Asia, such as the assumption of many people at that time, including Columbus.

In 1507, German artisan maps, Martin Waldseemüller , making a map containing the new continent.He and all his 2 partners cite the writings of Vespucci and ignoring the results of the Columbus expedition and they were named the new continent with the first name Vespucci, Amerigo ie, with the following considerations:

 "But now Reviews These parts (Europe, Asia and Africa, the three continents of the Ptolemaic geography) have been extensively Explored and a fourth part has been discovered by Americus Vespuccius (the Latin form of Vespucci's name), I do not see what right any one would have to object to calling this part after Americus, WHO discovered it and who is a man of intelligence, and so to name it Amerige, that is, the Land of Americus, or America: since both Europa and Asia got Reviews their names from women. "

 (When Europe, Asia and Africa (3 continents in the geography of Ptolemy) has explored all-out, then to the continent to 4 which was discovered by Americus Vespuccius, I do not see any objection to call him by his first name Americus, to appreciate the discovery and intelligence, so that continent called Amerige or Land of Americus, or America, to be more masculine because Europe and Asia was taken from a female (feminine).

Originally was the name of the newly added AMERICA Waldseemüller to the area found directly by Vespucci, which is about Brazil now. Waldseemüller wear Vespucci travel records as a reference so that any new maps include the so-called South America now alone, not to North America. When North America added, mapmakers retain its original name. In 1538, the famous geographer Gerard Mercatorchose the name for the entire American continent, north and south. 

Addendum: 

There are 2 other opinion but still weak validity, namely: 

1. the name of indigenous peoples Amerrique , which supposedly found Columbus and Vespucci 

2. name a British trader, Richard Amerige , which his men, led by John Cabot explored and fur hunting / fishing in the area which is now Newfoundland, long before Columbus and Vespucci came to America.

6. ANTARCTICA

Antarctica name comes from the Greek, "antarktike" or "anti arktike", which means "the opposite of the north" or "anti-Arctic". Arctic or Arctic is the name for the north pole (in the form of a closed sea ice), so the Antarctic easily associated to the south pole, which happens to form large land (continental) and covered with ice.

Mapmaker nationality Scot, John George Bartholomew , believed to be the first to use this term in the maps made. This name is also used by the French before, but instead refers to the frozen continent, but for the French colony in Brazil in the sixteenth century, called France Antartique. 

Captain James Cook was assigned seek Terra Australis Incognita in 1772. Returning to England with a map of the east coast of Australia , large enough to be called a continent, unfortunately he was rejected by high-ranking royal who believe that the land still further south again. So, Cook set sail again to the south, but because it ran out of supplies, he decided to cancel the trip. If exploration is continued, it could be the one who named the Australian Antarctic.