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Does anyone remember there only being five continents? Or are you abroad and there are still only 6?

59 replies

littleducks · 08/04/2010 23:30

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.

OP posts:
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PlumBumMum · 08/04/2010 23:34

I was taught 5

(sorry to side with your dh)

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littleducks · 08/04/2010 23:36

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!

OP posts:
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PlumBumMum · 08/04/2010 23:38

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

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littleducks · 08/04/2010 23:40

DH is happy now!

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PlumBumMum · 08/04/2010 23:41
Grin
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beagle101 · 08/04/2010 23:43

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

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beagle101 · 08/04/2010 23:48

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 ....

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Nemain · 08/04/2010 23:51

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!

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senua · 09/04/2010 09:06

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

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Bucharest · 09/04/2010 09:08

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?

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Bucharest · 09/04/2010 09:09

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

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soapboxqueen · 09/04/2010 09:28

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.

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Portoeufino · 09/04/2010 09:33

National Geographic makes it 7

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ZZZenAgain · 09/04/2010 09:37

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.

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ZZZenAgain · 09/04/2010 09:40

Bit like this:

sing it

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MissAnneElk · 09/04/2010 09:40

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

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Jolibee · 09/04/2010 13:58

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.

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Tinuviel · 09/04/2010 14:01

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!!

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ZZZenAgain · 09/04/2010 14:26

good point

dd was taught 4 oceans still, southern not included.

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IMoveTheStars · 09/04/2010 14:29

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)

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prh47bridge · 09/04/2010 17:21

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

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mrz · 09/04/2010 20:14

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.

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StewieGriffinsMom · 09/04/2010 20:17

This reply has been deleted

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morejuiceplease · 09/04/2010 20:20

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

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mrz · 09/04/2010 20:30

Apparently China and English speaking countries generally teach 7
North America
South America
Antarctica
Africa
Europe
Asia
Australia

Latin America Russia and large parts of Europe teach 6
America
Antarctica
Africa
Europe
Asia
Australia

and Spain & Portugal teach 5 America Antarctica
Africa
Eurasia
Australia

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