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

[littleducks]

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.

[Hulababy]

DH says 6 or 7 depending on whether you group the Americas. He also added that there are 5 rings on Oylmpic flag as Antartica isn't included, noone living there, etc.

I had seperated them all into 7.

DH is 36y and I am 37y (same academic year, same LEA, different schools).

[sherby]

5

taught in 80s/90s

Australasia
Africa
America
Europe
Antarctica

[ByTheSea]

I was taught seven and I grew up in the USA and am in my mid-forties now.

[TheFallenMadonna]

1. I seem to remember reading about it in a children's encyclopedia in primary school, so late 1970s. And Australasia was called Oceania in that I'm sure.

[NadiaWadia]

It's seven I'm sure. It just makes sense. North American may be joined to South America but that is just an accident. Millions of years ago it was joined to Antarctica and Australasia, so that's why you have some marsupials living in S America.

(or so I read once)

[OzMama22]

Australia is a country, an island AND a continent - at least that's how I was taught!

Though I truly believe Australia is not a "country" but a federation of states - no national curriculum, different laws in different states and the only place you can truly get away with anything is in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) where they invented Canberra to avoid the fight between Sydney and Melbourne as to who should be the capital?! Crazy "country"!

I could only think of 6 (North and South America and forgot Antarctica!) but don't ask me what I was taught...too long ago!

On a similar topic - how many planets are there these days? Have they finally decided?

[ihavenewsockson]

I love how Australia settled the dispute!! Priceless!

[mathanxiety]

It depends on the continental plates, I was taught (in Ireland, 70s) and there were 7 -- N & S America, Asia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica, Australasia, with India being a 'sub-continent' as it has its own plate and is bashing into Asia even as we speak (hence the Himalayas).

[strandedatsea]

So which continent do the Caribbean islands belong to?

[mathanxiety]

Map of various plates in the Caribbean area. There's a Caribbean plate, which is moving eastwards into the N. American plate (Haiti is on a plate boundary). I think the Caribbean islands are lumped in with N. America, but they may be divided between N & S America.

[strandedatsea]

Thanks, I have often pondered this....

[LittlePushka]

Five, taught in mid seventies...so plenty time for platectonics to slip in another couple since then

[mymeatballishorse]

5

[bulletpoint]

Five! same as what bucharest listed.

[Vietnammark]

In Vietnamese the word for continent is "luc dia" which literally translates as "six lands"

[bruffin]

Zombie thread
Strange one to bump

[BeckAndCall]

Well now that we've sorted continents and oceans, what about 'KiNGDOMS'??

When I was at school there was the ANIMAL kingdom and the PLANT kingdom. Sorted.

Now I find there are 5 or it might even be 7!!

Plants, animals, fungi, squirmy little things you see under a microscope and more squirmy things you see under a microscope! Where were they when I was little!

[PoppyAmex]

I was taught 7 in the early 80's abroad.

We were told Oceania, not Australasia.

[LittlePushka]

Bruffin, bumped by accident looking for someone!

[2rebecca]

I was taught 5 in the 1970s. Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Australia (can't remeber calling it Australasia at school although NZ was incorporated into the Australia continent.
I remember my son having this as a homework question 10 years ago and arguing with him about it and being amazed they had invented a few extra ones, it's not like the land mass has changed since the 1970s..

[AutumnMadness]

In my memory, a "continent" is defined as a very large land mass (as opposed to an island). Considering that the Americas are joined by a rather thin strip of land that is now cut through by the Panama canal, we can count 6 continents:

1. North America
   
2. South America
   
3. Eurasia
   
4. Africa
   
5. Australia
   
6. Antarctica
   

Islands could be incorporated into continents, esp. if they are close by and are part of the tectonic plate that the continent is sitting on.

[littleducks]

This just came up in active convos, I came on to post about my dh (still adamant 5) only to realise its actually my OP!

[Timetoask]

America is one continent.

[BackforGood]

Defintely 5 when I was at school.
I too, am very old....

[AutumnMadness]

Sorry, I am going to get pedantic. I have a problem with "America" being one continent considering that North and South Americas sit on completely different tectonic plates. There are actually six continental tectonic plates (there is some overlap, however, like a chunk of Eastern Siberia being on the North American plate).

But then, my definition is purely geological. There are lots of weird cultural ones out there.