How Many Continents Are There?

[Normy]

Ok...I ran into this argument today with a European. He says there are SIX continents. I've always been told there are SEVEN continents:

1. North America

2. South America

3. Europe

4. Asia

5. Australia

6. Africa

7. Antarctica

What is wrong with that?


-My misguided friend tells me that Europeans think that north and south America are the same continent. I reply that if that is the case, then Germany is an Asian country, since that country and China share the same land mass!

What makes a continent? I was always taught 7 continents.....


N!

[emcon5]

Continent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MBAtarga]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Continents)

A continent is one of several large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are (from largest in size to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.[1]

Edit - beaten by half a minute!

[A930Rocket]

I was taught seven, but I guess it depends on where you were brought up. Now scientists use your reasoning of Europe and Asia.

Seven Continents - 7 Continents

A continent is one of several major land masses on the earth. There is no standard definition for the number of continents but you will commonly find that the numbers six or seven are used.

By most standards, there are a seven continents - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Most students in the United States are taught that there are seven continents.

European Division of Continents
In Europe and other parts of the world, many students are taught of six continents, where North and South America are combined to form a single continent of America. Thus, these six continents are Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Many scientists now refer to six continents, where Europe and Asia are combined (since they're one solid geologic landmass). Thus, these six continents are Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, North America, and South America.

Geographers divide the planet into regions, and generally not continents, for ease of study. Various geographers have various definitions of these world regions. This Official Listing of Countries by Region divides the world into eight regions: Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Australia and Oceania.

Edit: 3 minutes too late...

[AFC-911]

^ I'll go ahead and be cutting edge and mix the 2 theories and go with 5.

Eurasia
America
Africa
Antarctica
Australia

[wdfifteen]

I don't care how many there are, I want one.

[sc_rufctr]

I was taught 7.

[Paco Anton]

I was taught 5 continents with just America and not counting Antarctica.

[kach22i]

8

They forgot Atlantis.

[UconnTim97]

I forget is it 2? I was always taught that it was 7, but I can see combining Europe and Asia as one continent.

[fred cook]

I wonder how "they" did away with the break between the tectonic plates? That would be an interesting trick!

[Hugh R]

I was taught 7, but I never understood why Europe and Asia are counted as two. Geopolitical nonsense in the USA.

[fred cook]

See the attached picture of the earth's tectonic plate structure. Maybe this will help explain why there are supposed to be 7 continents.

[AFC-911]

Originally Posted by fred cook

See the attached picture of the earth's tectonic plate structure. Maybe this will help explain why there are supposed to be 7 continents.

According to that map, there should be 8 continents?

Eurasia
Australia
India
North America
South America
Antarctica
Africa
Arabia

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by kach22i

8

They forgot Atlantis.

Dang! You beat me to it!!!

[Taz's Master]

Where is DARISC when we need him? Clearly this is his kind of math problem.

[Normy]

So, basically the school system in Grosse Ile, Michigan taught me wrong: I was taught that North America is a separate continent from South America. The south end of Panama is like the Bosporus straights in Turkey- it separates what are considered two continents. And the Ural divide in Russia separates Europe from Asia.

I still say that there are SEVEN continents!

N!

[Tervuren]

I guess that is why we built the Panama and Suez canals. Otherwise it'd be four continents

[azasadny]

288

[Britwrench]

More to the point, how many incontinents are there?