How many continents are there?

[GameGeeks]

I'm curious how many continents people think there are?

[Skylar1]

I'm still surprised by the fact that most Americans can't name off all 50 states on a map

[Eris]

It's easy to get them all if you're the least bit systematic. First look at a map of the world. There are four major landmasses ("super-continents"): Americas, Afro-Eurasia, Australia and Antarctica.

Politics and a small bit of geography divides these into the continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

[Anoleis]

I've always operated as if Europe and Asia are the same continent, North and South America are separate, and the other three(Africa, Antarctica, Australia) are separate as well. It just seems odd to make Europe and Asia two separate land entities when they're only divided by culture(s).

[GameGeeks]

It's easy to get them all if you're the least bit systematic. First look at a map of the world. There are four major landmasses ("super-continents"): Americas, Afro-Eurasia, Australia and Antarctica.

Politics and a small bit of geography divides these into the continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

Yes, but if politics and culture are taken into account then shouldn't places like Canada, the Middle East and India also be considered there own continents?

[Velvet_Nightmare]

Yes, but if politics and culture are taken into account then shouldn't places like Canada, the Middle East and India also be considered there own continents?

Funny you mention that...here's a recent convo I overheard at lunch:

Friend 1: "Friggin Asians are ruining this country!"
Friend 2: "You know I'm Asian right?"
Friend 1: "What, no way."
Friend 2: "Yeah, I'm Indian"
Friend 1: "Oh, that's not Asian, you're cool."
Me and Friend 2 "*facepalm*"

[SuXrys]

Funny you mention that...here's a recent convo I overheard at lunch:

Friend 1: "Friggin Asians are ruining this country!"
Friend 2: "You know I'm Asian right?"
Friend 1: "What, no way."
Friend 2: "Yeah, I'm Indian"
Friend 1: "Oh, that's not Asian, you're cool."
Me and Friend 2 "*facepalm*"

People actually don't know that India is in Asia?
*joining the facepalming*

[Light Buster]

Well, there are supposedly seven continents today but there was I super continent wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in the day and it spitted into seven continents so...

[-GAZKUL-]

7!!

[Eris]

Yes, but if politics and culture are taken into account then shouldn't places like Canada, the Middle East and India also be considered there own continents?

It's not divided according to politics, it's divided by politics. It's quite arbitrary.

Personally, I would prefer the following division

NA, SA, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.

[GameGeeks]

@Eris Explain, the countries themselves are dictated by politics but not the continents as far as I'm aware.

[Xeyuzio]

Isn't it 7?

[Uta-chan~]

I hope no one forgot Antarctica!! :'D

[Manhattan_Project_2000]

The only continent I recognize is Pangaea. Get off my lawn.

[sabishii1/2]

All the continents you know +1 ( there is always a +1 )

[Eris]

@Eris Explain, the countries themselves are dictated by politics but not the continents as far as I'm aware.

International relations are also dictated by politics, and they decide where borders are drawn. Historical national borders have a fairly significant impact on continental borders. The European-Asian border is pretty damn close to the extent of the Republic of Novgorod, for example.

[Kentaro Kurosaki]

WTH 7
North America- Where I live.
South America- Brazil Continent.
Africa- Libya etc.
Europe- Where @Eris is from.
Asia- Where Anime comes from.
Australia- Where Steve Irwin got his Crikey.
Antarctica- Where penguins come from.

If someone doesn't know the 7 Continents they must have slacked off school, or never went, and if they never went their parents should be put in jail... >.> "Pisses me off" -- Walter (Jeff Dunham puppet)

[Meenah]

Funny you mention that...here's a recent convo I overheard at lunch:

Friend 1: "Friggin Asians are ruining this country!"
Friend 2: "You know I'm Asian right?"
Friend 1: "What, no way."
Friend 2: "Yeah, I'm Indian"
Friend 1: "Oh, that's not Asian, you're cool."
Me and Friend 2 "*facepalm*"

1. Asians ruined no country.
2. People from India is considered to be part of the Asian continent. >>;

btw, I was watching a game show and a Japanese family had to guess what region is India part of and they said its part of the Middle East. :/ I facepalmed big time.

[animeyay]

Friend 1: "Friggin Asians are ruining this country!"
Friend 2: "You know I'm Asian right?"
Friend 1: "What, no way."
Friend 2: "Yeah, I'm Indian"
Friend 1: "Oh, that's not Asian, you're cool."

The president of the Asian American Students Association at my college when I was there was an Indian girl. Whenever she introduced herself as the president of the AASA, the response she would receive the most was "But you're Indian!"

---------- Post added at 06:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:53 PM ----------

Oh, and I have always been taught there are 7 continents. However, I won't call you blasphemy if you use a different scheme =P

[Ezza Obsuna]

Well, I think it was taught in High School: Asia, Australia, Antactica, Africa, Europe, South America, North America

[Zainox]

Answer to the question.... to many..

[Velvet_Nightmare]

Answer to the question.... to many..

There's not enough facepalmage to describe how painful [and hilarious] that was to watch. XD

Sadly I saw my hometown in there =/

[Dr. Evil]

Well, there are 7. And that's a fairly poor count. Europe and Asia should just be counted as one and maybe the Americas should be too. Any connected land masses that are seperated by politcs should just be counted as one. I can see the reason for the division of countries, but there should be five the way I see it. And unfortunately, the video above makes me sad. I almost don't want to live in the USA after seeing that show of brilliance. It's biased though. They only showed the dimwitted waste of air that runs around in this country. I mean, not all of America is stupid. Just most of it. Whoa that ran off topic but the point remains.

[Kentaro Kurosaki]

Fyi Americas aren't connected, Europe and Asia have plates(where the ural mountains come from) and water dividing them. Sometime in the past, no continent was connected... Ever wonder what happen to pangea? PLATE TECTONICS :P

[Dr. Evil]

The Americas (by that I mean the northern and southern continents) are connected by Central America which consists of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama. Look at this map:



Just saying man.