6 or 7 continents?

[Obstructed_View]

North America and South America are the same continent. Just look at the names! Sheesh.

[The Reckoning]

south america just wants to get in on nafta

[MrChug]

Don't forget about the continent of Texas...

[MB20]

The seven-continent model is usually taught in Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, China and most English-speaking countries.
The six-continent combined-Eurasia model is preferred by the geographic community, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Japan.
The six-continent combined-America model is taught in Latin America, and some parts of Europe including Greece, Portugal and Spain. This model may be taught to include only the five inhabited continents (excluding Antarctica)[20][21] — as depicted in the Olympic logo.[22]

The names Oceania or Australasia are sometimes used in place of Australia. For example, the Atlas of Canada names Oceania,[13] as does the model taught in Latin America and Iberia.[23][24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contine..._of_continents

[DAF86]

The names Oceania or Australasia are sometimes used in place of Australia. For example, the Atlas of Canada names Oceania,[13] as does the model taught in Latin America and Iberia.[23][24]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contine..._of_continents

Does this mean that are some places where instead of Oceania the continent is called Australia?

[Extra Stout]

The six-continent combined-America model[/B] is taught in Latin America, and some parts of Europe including Greece, Portugal and Spain.

I'm going to hazard a guess...

For Portugal and Spain, the Americas are combined because they cons ute the 'New World;' the treatment of 'continents' is anthropological, which is why Anatarctica is excluded.

In Latin America, they are combined for cultural and political reasons, to dissuade from the conflation of the United States with all of the Americas (which is why a Latin American would call a U.S. citizen estadounidense, "Unitedstate-ese," rather than americano, since he views himself as much an americano as the U.S. citizen is).

[Extra Stout]

Does this mean that are some places where instead of Oceania the continent is called Australia?

I never knew other people called it Oceania until I read this thread.

The name of the airline on Lost makes more sense now.

[DAF86]

I never knew other people called it Oceania until I read this thread.

The name of the airline on Lost makes more sense now.

Lol the people of the other countries of that continent must feel really bad when they found out about this.

[Extra Stout]

Lol the people of the other countries of that continent must feel really bad when they found out about this.

This remark made me chuckle, since Americans are taught that Australia is the only country that takes up its entire continent.

In the U.S. context, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, etc. are considered "Oceania," but they are not considered part of the Australian continent because they do not make up a contiguous landmass.

Geologically, I know that is incorrect. Politically, for the British, it was probably advantageous to differentiate Australia from a nearby landmass that wasn't filled with white colonists, and the U.S. likely adopted the convention since in the mid-19th century the U.S. still tended to see Great Britain as the authority on such things.

[smeagol]

Five:

- America

- Asia

- Africa

- Europe

- Oceania

It could be six if you consider Antartica, but who cares about that cold miserable place.

[Spurminator]

1. Texas
2. U.S.A.
3. Savagelands

[ploto]

My son who is a huge geography buff has always called it Australasia.

[velik_m]

The Europeans and Asians could end a lot of this confustion by getting their act together and digging a canal to separate their continents like we over here in the Americas had the good sense to do

I think they refuse to do it because they are all lazy...

You can get from though Europe mainland with ship on several places

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_canal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine-Main-Danube_Canal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Canal

Anyway separating Europe and Asia wouldn't last as Europe is shoving itself into Asia.

[velik_m]

It could be six if you consider Antartica, but who cares about that cold miserable place.

You've made penguins everywhere sad.

[Sec24Row7]

LOL for South Americans who think they get to be lumped in with First world countries.

[smeagol]

LOL for South Americans who think they get to be lumped in with First world countries.

Actually, it was Obama who sucked on Chavez' in that meeting of American (North and South) presidents last week. Looks like North Americans want to be associated with South Americans . . .

[CuckingFunt]

Actually, it was Obama who sucked on Chavez' in that meeting of American (North and South) presidents last week. Looks like North Americans want to be associated with South Americans . . .

Oh, let's be realistic.




We all want to be Canada.

[DAF86]

LOL for South Americans who think they get to be lumped in with First world countries.

Lol for the xenophobia

[Wild Cobra]

I guess it depends on if you are religious (7 = the number of God) or an atheist (6 = the number of man).

[Johnny RIngo]

The other day chatting with an American I learned that in the U.S is taught that North-America and South-America are diferent continents while down here is taught that they both are part of one: America. I found it strange that there isn't an unified form of separating the continents. I would like to know how is it taught in other parts of the world.

I actually had an argument with my uncle about this the other day. He was born and schooled in Europe and insists that there are six continents(he includes North and South America as one continent).