How many continents exist? (According to what you have been taught)

[Craig Tucker]

Well wheres my card offline, did not last long, bit like the Aussies in the world cup :P . I still think Beckham is worthy, still the best crosser of the ball on the planet, and VCDHunter deserved it

[offline]

Just for that jibe about the Aussies (who whip pale English backsides in ALL sports) photo's of you cavorting in Mykanos will be sent to your better half. I bet she believed your story about Crete. :P

/ Moderator offline

[Craig Tucker]

She did, hook line and sinker

[ofbarea]

Most of the people voted this one…

Antartica-North America-South America-Europe-Asia-Africa-Oceania

I live in Costa Rica and my country is part of Central America. Geologically speaking, North, Central and South America are 3 different regions.

But geology has never really matter in terms of political or historical naming.

So in school we learned that the world is divided in the following:

Antartica- America- Europe-Asia-Africa-Oceania

[BJ_M]

i dont see how north and central America are two different regions Geologically speaking ..

it is one land mass

[ofbarea]

Central America is a newer mass of land than North America. It was created from newer volcanic activity that north or south America.

[BJ_M]

where is the demarcation line ? the western mountain regions of USA and mexico are the same - as well much of the border between them..

oh wait -- wickpedia says mexico (and Belize) is and is not part of central america depending on which source you go from ... so a new topic completely ...

non the less - in all cases it is:

Variably defined, the geographic region constitutes the southern portion of the North American continent.......Central America is a narrow isthmus of southern North America

not a continent by any source i could check (cia fact book, UN, EC, wikpedia and other sources)



no mater if the land is newer or older -- is not a definition of a continent, if it was we would be talking about tectonic plates and in that case -- a whole different list ... Ten major tectonic plates and many more minor ones

[ofbarea]

I agree that central America is not a continent.

But around here North, Central and South America are considered just one continent.

[SatStorm]

It was America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia for me at school. And yes "Oceania" was present on the books and some official maps, but nobody used the term: It was Australia for us.

"Eurasia" also used, but after WW2, it turned more of a "political correct" term to refer to USSR....

[Doramius]

"Eurasia" also used, but after WW2, it turned more of a "political correct" term to refer to USSR....

Isn't Eurasia an 80's band? :P

I was taught 7. Some of the techtonic plates are submerged under water, so they are not continental plates. Continental plates are N AM, S AM, Eur, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Oceania. There are 10 major techtonic plates though. This is what I was taught. I think as we go through the years, people have been taught different things. I was taught the atom was the smallest particle known to man. Well, an atom now has 3 major parts to it. THen you get into useless information that isn't taught because there's really no need to. "Antarctica is at the south pole, it's cold, it's a desert, and there's very little life." Not very much in the way of History, unless you're a palentologist. And from what I've heard, it's not that impressive for them. :/