"Major earth division" refers to the large scale geographical classifications used to categorize the earth's surface. There are several synonyms that can be used to describe major earth division, including continent, landmass, and supercontinent. Continents are the seven large land masses that are distinct from one another, while landmass refers to any large body of land. In addition, supercontinent describes large land masses that have united in the past, such as Pangea. Other synonyms include plate, which refers to the tectonic plates that make up the earth's surface, and hemisphere, which refers to one half of the earth. These terms can all be used to describe major earth divisions and are often used interchangeably.