How many continents are there?

Question

The Olympic logo symbolizes the "5" main continents (as taught in Europe). Why do you suppose that Europeans see Europe and Asia as two continents, but N. and S. America as one? Granted, the Americas are joined by the isthmus of Panama. But there is no such division in Eurasia.

It would seem to me that the Ural mountains are a much less defined continental division that a very narrow strip of land dividing two very large and distinctly defined land masses.

Answer 1

7
North America
South America
Africa
Antarctica
Australia
Europe
Asia

Answer 2

There are 7 continents. North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antartica.
North and South America are 2 continents, just not named very differently. Africa connects to asia by a narrow isthmus too.
Before they had accurate maps or globes, Greeks felt that people east of them were different (we get the name Europe from the Greeks). Once they used that name, it stuck, even after the rest of the world was explored, and maps showed that the two lands were connected. The Americas are named after the Italian map maker Amerigo Vaspuchi.
I'm not aware that the Olympic symbol has 1 ring for each continent, only that the colors were chosen because every flag in the world has at least one of those colors.
I don't know that the Ancient Greeks used that symbol or not, but they surely didn't know about more continents than Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Answer 3

A continent is one of several major land masses on the earth. There is no standard definition for the number of continents but you'll commonly find that the numbers six or seven are used. By most standards, there are a maximum of seven continents - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Most students in the U.S. are taught that there are seven continents.
In Europe, many students are taught about six continents, where North and South America is combined to form a single America. Thus, these six continents are Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Many geographers and scientists now refer to six continents, where Europe and Asia are combined (since they're one solid landmass). Thus, these six continents are Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, North America, and South America

this is a straight copy/paste from http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzcontinents.htm

Answer 4

The number of continents can vary depending on how you define them. Most people are taught the 7 continent model, but there are arguments in favour of 4, 5 or 6 continent models as well as explained in the attached link.

"The flag of the Olympic Games has five interlocking rings (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) on a white ground. The rings represent the five parts of the world that were joined together in the Olympic movement: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe."

The designers of the Olympic flag considered North America and South America as one continent. Antarctica did not have any representatives during the Olympics and so was not represented on the flag.

Answer 5

perhaps the most natural way to define continents is by reference to plate tectonics. as you say, europe and asia are one continent (eurasia), and north and south america are separate. oddly, arabia, india and the carribean may also be considered continents although perhaps not since they don't have oceans at the plate boundaries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics

the theory however is only a little over 40 years old and hasn't completely caught on yet.

Answer 6

Well, the number of continents as most people define, 7.

Answer 7

Here's a song to help you remember them...I remember this from when I was in elementary school.

North and South America, Europe, Asia, too...Africa, Australia, Antarctica is true.

That's how I remember how many continents there are. Seven of em.

Answer 8

there are 7 continents in this world,

Answer 9

It is hard to say they are seven continents known.We dont know exactly the number of planets either such as pluto.

Answer 10

There are just 3 large landmasses the Euroasian, the americas and the antarctic. Current continental classification is a more cultural thing than a scientific thing.