Is America One continent or Two?

Question

Please only answer if you have research base answer.

I was taught in school that America was one Continent. I am originally from Panama..When I moved to the State, I saw that they Teach America as two Continents..This is my concern..The Panama Canal is the only place that divides land on this continent, but the division of the continents that they teach in the U.S. is actually in Mexico....Why is this like that..Who is wrong? or better, What is the right answer two continents or one continent? Please Back up YOur Answers

If the Panama Canal is what made the two continents official, then why is the division in Mexico and Not in Panama? I do not think that the canal is what make the americas two continents, I dont think america is two continents..I learned that America was one continent with three areas: North, Central and SOuth

I appriciate your answers, but many of you are just telling me what you have learned, I need back up research...some of you are saying two, but how sure you are about that..I was taught that it is one...please use research and tell me where you got the info...

Answer 1

Hello

The information I could find quickly on the net was from Wikipedia. Which I have pasted below. Hope this helps you out.

Continent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. Depending on the convention and model, some continents may be consolidated or subdivided: for example, Eurasia is often subdivided into Europe and Asia (red shades), while North and South America are sometimes reckoned as one American continent (green shades).
Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land masses with minimal distortion as nearly one continuous continentA continent is one of several large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, but seven areas are commonly reckoned as continents – they are (in descending order of size): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia (notice that some countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and all the South American and Central American Countries only recognise 5 continents: Asia, Africa, America, Europe, and Australia)

Hope this helped you out. As even according to this one it depends on where you are learning as whether america is one or two.

All the best to you.

Answer 2

1. There are four tectonic plates that divide the continents; the Aztec, Central America, Caribbean, and South American plates.
2. The Panama Canal acts as a divider of the two continents much like the Suvez Canal acts as a divider of Europe and Africa.
3. If Eurasia can be split into two countries, Europe and Asia, even when there are no real division (that includes the stoutly Causas mountains that don't even fully cut off any edges) then why should North and South America?

Answer 3

One Continent

Answer 4

North America goes from north of the Panama Canal to Canada... although the countries south of Mexico are often referred to Central America, they are still part of North America. South of the Panama Canal is South America.

I have never seen the division of the two continents tought to be in Mexico.

There really is noplace called "America". The United States of America is a country, and is part of the continent "North America". There is also "South America", which consists of many countries, most of which are in the southern hemisphere.

Answer 5

North America is one continent which consists of Canada, America, Mexico, Central America, past the Panama Canal to the tip of South America.
http://www.militarypartners.com/Links/Market_Directory/mp_world-map.gif

Answer 6

We can say two. If we're allowed to consider Eurasia to be two continents when they have no clear divinding line between them, we could definitely consider the Americas to be two eventhough they have a very slim connection.


Would anyone argue that the Panama canal made them officiallt two? 8)

Answer 7

It's easier. The USA are a country, yes. But they have the continent's full name in the countrie's name. You call people from Canada Canadians, people from Mexico Mexicans, people from Brasilia Brasilians - and so you call people from the USA Americans because USians sounds not really good ;-) So that make it complicated to younger children to understand that "America" is more than only the USA, but everone understand what is meant by this misnomer.

Answer 8

Because North America and South America are huge land masses with little connecting them, they are generally considered to be separate continents. They are arguably less connected than Europe and Asia. Conventions and politics are at work here, there isn't a strict geographical reason to consider them separate.

I learned, here in the U.S., that the Panama is the connection between N.A. and S.A., not Mexico. That is the only convention that makes sense to me.

Answer 9

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent it states: "The 7-continent model is usually taught in Western Europe, Northern Europe, Central Europe, China and most English-speaking countries. The 6-continent combined-Eurasia model is preferred by the geographic community, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Japan. The 6-continent combined-America model is taught in Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Iran and some other parts of Europe; this model may be taught to include only the 5 inhabited continents (excluding Antarctica)." I guess that would mean that America is 2 continents because you do not exclude Antartica where your from. I havn't ever heard anyone say that they do not count America as 2 continents... I've ALWAYS thought of America as 2 continents...

Answer 10

North America is generally considered to be Canada, the US, Mexico, and the other 'Central' American countries (including Panama).

South America is the other continent.

.