A ridge of high land that separates waters flowing to different sides of a continent, determining which ocean or sea the water will ultimately reach. The Continental Divide in North America separates Atlantic and Pacific drainage.
From 'continental' (relating to a continent) + 'divide' (from Latin 'dividere,' to separate). The term emerged in 19th-century American geography as explorers mapped the watershed boundaries of the western territories.
You can literally straddle the Continental Divide in Colorado and pour water from the same cup in two directions – one drop will eventually reach the Atlantic Ocean, the other the Pacific! This invisible line has shaped everything from wildlife migration patterns to the routes of transcontinental railroads.
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