Concept in Definition ABC

The word platform comes from French, specifically from the word plate (flat) and de forme (shape). In Spanish, by platform we mean several different things. On the one hand, it is some kind of material support. It also refers to the organization of a protest project by a group. Finally, it refers to the geological structure of the Earth.

The material meaning of the term

There are different ways of referring to a platform in a material sense. It can be a board intended to place material or people, a structure intended for the extraction of oil, a railroad car used to load goods, or an access point similar to a lift. In short, platform is a generic term that can be used to refer to some type of transport-oriented structure, the storage or to the infrastructures.

The non-material sense of the term

If a group of people organizes a series of activities in order to claim something, we are facing a platform citizen, that is, a group of individuals who share the same concern and who work with the same objective. In general, platforms tend to have a claim component. Thus, there are platforms against

gender violence, against the mistreatment of animals, against evictions, in favor of public health, etc.

It can be seen that the idea of ​​a platform incorporates a series of general characteristics: it goes for or against something, it arises from the citizen unrest, does not have an official or state character and, ultimately, is a way of expressing freedom of expression within the framework of a democracy. It must be remembered that in totalitarian regimes there are no such types of social organizations, since freedom of expression and freedom right of meeting are limited.

The geological structure of the Earth

Beneath the underwater world there is a land surface known as the continental shelf. Knowledge of this geological structure is important because it provides relevant information on seismic movements, volcanoes, the evolution of the Earth, the geological relief, the temperature of the seabed or the evolution of the climate change.

The concept of continental shelf is not only part of geology, but also of the geography and even of international right. It should be noted that the continental shelf of a state must be accurately described for there to be a objective reference when establishing a legal debate on jurisdictional waters and their limits.

Photos: iStock - Yuri_Arcurs / pixdeluxe

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