The geographic and climatic characteristics typical of continental interiors; the quality of having extreme temperature ranges and low precipitation found far from ocean influence.
From 'continental' + '-ity' (suffix creating abstract nouns). In geography, the term describes how far from oceans something is, which determines its climate pattern.
Geographers use this word to explain why cities like Winnipeg have brutal winters while Vancouver (same latitude, much closer to ocean) is mild—continentality is why continental interiors go extreme, while coastlines stay moderate!
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