Here's why:
* Continents are not individual entities: They are large landmasses that are geographically distinct, but not like individual named objects.
* We use "continent" as a general term: We use it to refer to any of the seven major landmasses of the Earth.
Example:
* Incorrect: I traveled to the Continent last year.
* Correct: I traveled to Europe last year.
Here's how you would use "continent" in a sentence:
* "Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth."
* "The seven continents are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia."