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[Capergirl]

I have a geography question for my fellow educators on Dave's. In my technical English class this morning, my students and I got into a discussion about continents. The students, who are from Russia, insisted that there are five continents: Africa, Australia, Eurasia, America, and Antartica. I countered that there are seven continents: Africa, Australia, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Antartica. They told me that "Europe and Asia are different 'parts of the world', but one continent" and likewise for North and South America. In a previous (similar) discussion with a student from Kuwait, I was informed that there are six continents (no Antartica). My Kuwaiti student had never heard of Antartica and doubted its existence.

Now, granted, I'm not especially knowledgeable in the field of geography. However, I am now wondering if am I so geographically challenged that I don't even know the world's continents?

[veiledsentiments]

Well Capergirl,

As a fellow 'North' American, I was taught the same as you. But, I must admit that I was always a bit suspicious of the Europe / Asia split. When I looked at a map then and now, it all looks like one big blob to me - so why arbitrarily split into two - seemingly based on culture themes.

I can accept that North and South America are two because of the narrowness of the attachment - which has actually been cut by the canal. Because if you say that the attachment makes them one - what about the attachment of Africa to Asia where the Suez Canal was cut.

Seems to me that this is all wonderful fodder for classroom discussion with a mixed nationality classroom.

VS

[cimarch]

[lozwich]

I don't believe this! I had a huge argument with my TOEFL students last week all about continents! So much so, that I made a webquest about it!

Being fiercely proud of coming from the largest island/smallest continent, imagine how insulted I was that they suggested that Australia was part of a continent called 'Oceania'. I still maintain that they were thinking of the World Cup football divisions, but my interest was piqued, and I found out that nobody, not even geographers, agrees on what a continent is.

IMHO, there are 7: Australia (YAY!!), Antarctica, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America. Other people say other things.

I've got a whole heaping pile of (well, about 10) web links about this, so if you want a URL, just let me know.

Have a great day,
Lozwich.

[Capergirl]

[VanKen]

[VanKen]

[johnslat]

Dear VanKen,

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

This is from a Geography major:

Australia is not a continent, but rather an island nation. New Zealand is part of that continent, as are thousands of other islands. The continent in question is called: Australasia or Oceania.

As for the Kuwaiti not believing that Antarctica even exists, all I can say is:

hahahaha! Your student is a maroon!

[Aramas]

Australia and NZ are not joined as a continental mass. While one could argue that Africa and Eurasia are part of a single continent, AU and NZ are not. AU and NZ are seperated by continental shelves and slopes that terminate in deep ocean (or the Tasman Sea in this case). NZ is the result of volcanic activity and was never part of the Australian landmass.

Claiming that AU and NZ are of one continent is no different to claiming that Antarctica or Hawaii is part of the Americas. However, PNG and several island groups share a continental shelf with Australia, and so would effectively be part of the same continent - but again, the same argument would make Eurasia/Africa one continent.

Imo anyone that thinks that Europe is a seperate continent to Asia is overly imaginative.

If one were to argue that it should be based on tectonic plates then India would be a seperate continent to Eurasia and California would be seperate from North America. Not a viable position, imo.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Aramas wrote:

[Joachim]

I ahve always been tuaght (and never really questioned) that there are seven continents: Europe, Asia, Australasia, North America, South America, Africa and Antarctica.

I have also been tuaght that the Middle East is part of Asia, that Greenland is part of Europe and that the majority of the Pacific Islands, along with New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are in Australasia.

But then I have seen contradictory ideas elsewhere - that the Middle East is Africa, that Egypt is in the Middle East, that Greenland is in North America and that Australasia is called Oceania. I also read somewhere that Antarctica is actually part of South America........

[Aramas]

[arioch36]

I was greatly surprised me how many people concidered Australia a continent. This has to be an Anglo Whitey thing. Certainly Greenland is bigger then Australia. Personally I could never concieve as Australia being a continent. Personally I consider it part of Asia.

What is Oceania? Japan? Japan is no longer Asia? Isn't Australia part of the Asian Pacific Economic Alliance? (or whatever it is called)

These things actually are quite important in our world today. Why was Turkey denied entrance to the European Union? And if they are admitted, will that change the perception of what is Europe? What about Syria next?

Such things do shape our self image and our politcs; economics and military. Why does Russia want to be seen as European? WIll the European Union let them in (no because France is afraid of not being the biggest)

[Roger]

What's wrong with calling Australia and New Zealand the continent of Oceania? What does 'continent' mean anwyay? To me, it means "that which is contained within". Don't be incontinent!
On the other hand, why are there two American continents? What's the definition of the South American continent? Is it in terms of latitude? Or in terms of geopolitical considerations? Why? Isn't Mexico part of the southern cultural and geopolitical hemisphere?