Mumsnet Talk

Domestic argument here atm.

According to dh he was taught there are 5 continents, he combines the Americas and ignores Antartica.

I was taught 7 (Asia, Antartica, Africa, Australasia, Europe, South america and North America).

Seven appears to be the textbook answer now, but apparently in some parts of the world 'America' is one continent.

I was taught 5

(sorry to side with your dh)

Its ok, and when roughly were you taught that? Should have asked in OP

According to dh there are only 13 countries in the EU too, i dont think they bothered to teach is a number as it kept changing!

well I'm 33 now, really should keep up to date with these things, 20 odd years ago

DH is happy now!

I was taught 7 continents - I guess in the early 80's but I lived abroad - maybe it just all depends!

Oooh just asked DH as he wandered in - he is adamant there are only 5 - but then he was taught in the mid 70's! He has now disappeared off upstairs (I suspect to google) muttering darkly about shifting sands and change ....

I cannot actually remember being taught this at all at school, but when I read the title in Active I thought 6... I missed Antarctica.

So I side with neither and stand alone in the Dunce corner!

You only have to look at the Olympic rings: the answer is def 5.

I was taught 5 (am very old) but I believe there are now 6.

(reason being Antartica is one, the Artic isn't because it's not land) (or something)

I guess Antartica isn't on the Olympic flag because penguins are rubbish at hurdles and horseriding?

( and I think the 5 are Asia, Africa, Europe, Australasia and America)

There are 7 but i do agree I think it all depends on where and when you went to school.

Bucharest you are correct in your reasoning about the antarctic.

National Geographic makes it 7

dd learnt seven with a little ditty: there are 7 continents in this world, in this world, yeah etc : Europe, Africa, North and South America, Antartica, Australia, Asia

Dh stuck his oar in here to say that South America is not a different continent but she put him firmly in his place.

I'm siding with dd. I can't remember what they taught us at school, too long ago.

Bit like this:

sing it

I was taught there are 5. I am very old...

Just to add to the confusion Australasia since the early '90s has been called Oceania. Have taught in UK and abroad and we teach 7.

I was taught 5 but accept that times change and there are now 7. I suppose we know more about continental plates etc.

However, Australia is a country, not a continent. You can call it Australasia or Oceania!! It includes New Zealand (they get very upset, remember, if you call them Australian ) and I believe Malaysia/Indonesia (can't remember which!)

They've also changed the number of oceans - it used to be Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific but they've now added Southern which encircles Antarctica!!

good point

dd was taught 4 oceans still, southern not included.

definitely 7, (I went to school in the UK)

Loving the mental image of penguins doing hurdles and horseriding (although they'd be quite good at luge)

I was taught 5 in the 1950s/60s but I would now say 7. And 27 countries in the EU.

Your dh is correct originally 5 continents (hence the 5 Olympic rings - These five rings represent the five (inhabited) continents of the world: Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Australasia.) Spain & Portugal apparently still teach 5 (inhabited) continents.

7, I was taught in the 80s and 90s