Why do some people belive that there is not 7 continents?

Question

Why do some people think that North and South America are one continent? When they are clearly seperated by the Panama Canal. Why do some people think that Oceania exsists? When it was a made up continent name for fun.

Its confusing how people could have been taught that there are not seven continents. Its sad to know that people are being taught wrong.

These are the seven continents

1. North America
2. South America
3. Australia
4. Antarctica
5. Asia
6. Europe
7. Africa

Answer 1

They either:

- Don't consider Australia to be a continent

- Don't consider Europe and Asia to be two separate continents, or

- They forget about Antarctica.

The "regular" list is (no order in particular):

1) North America
2) South America
3) Europe
4) Asia
5) Africa
6) Australia
7) Antarctica

Answer 2

It would be nice if you explained which are the seven continents.
Let's see if I get it:
1 - North America
2 - South America
3 - Africa (separated from Asia by the Suez Canal)
4 - Eurasia (there's no physical separation between them)
5 - Antartica
6 - ?
7 - ?

Please, add a commentary to explain.

I think we can divide the continents geographically, culturally, by tectonic plates, by economic blocks and so on.
And why can't we use different names to them. Some people use Antartida, others Antartica, for example.
It's good to know all the different divisions but is there only one that is right?

Answer 3

The separation is not the panama canal. The canal has been placed there by man within the last 120 or so years.

North and South America where always two distinct continents.

Answer 4

Actually Pangia is what the world used to be. All of the continents were one big continent, until they split apart. if you notice, the eastern part of South America fits into the western part of Africa.

Why people believe there's not 7 continents, maybe they skipped school.

Answer 5

While you are correct that there are seven continents, Oceania is not a made up name "for fun". It may have been used by fictional writers like George Orwell, but it was orignially coined by the French explorer Dumont d'Urville in 1831.

Answer 6

By the way: I wouldn't consider Asia and Europe to be different continents. That distinguishment is just a cultural one, not a geographical one: They're on the same tectonic plate.

Answer 7

Because there is only one continent, it's just in its fragmented state right now and so it appears there are seven. In a few hundred million years it will reunite. Go to www.reunitepangaea.org for more information. If it doesn't exist, wait for a few hundred million years and try again.

Answer 8

I have no clue it's the way they see it they might need to go back to school

Answer 9

a lot of people forget about Antartica too