Everyone learns different definitions based on their education system’s world view, leading to a number of continents somewhere between 3 and 20. It turns out that nature doesn’t care for humans’ desire to put everything into neat, well-defined little boxes.
My own view is 4: Antarctica, Australia, America, Afro-eurasia. I’m not sure how you’d get to 3, unless you disqualified Australia.
I’ve also heard 7: Antarctica, Australia, split North + South America, split Africa + Europe + Asia.
I suppose you could add a few – I’ve heard the phrase “subcontinent of India”, so that could be an 8th continent. Then maybe Greenland for 9. Beyond that, though? IDK what would even make sense.
BRB, I have to go search for expansive continent definitions.
Everyone learns different definitions based on their education system’s world view, leading to a number of continents somewhere between 3 and 20. It turns out that nature doesn’t care for humans’ desire to put everything into neat, well-defined little boxes.
20?!
My own view is 4: Antarctica, Australia, America, Afro-eurasia. I’m not sure how you’d get to 3, unless you disqualified Australia.
I’ve also heard 7: Antarctica, Australia, split North + South America, split Africa + Europe + Asia.
I suppose you could add a few – I’ve heard the phrase “subcontinent of India”, so that could be an 8th continent. Then maybe Greenland for 9. Beyond that, though? IDK what would even make sense.
BRB, I have to go search for expansive continent definitions.
See
here.
Ah, the plates! Thank you.
You could discount Antarctica because without all the ice it’s just an archipelago.
Huh, I would think you’d drop Australia before Antarctica. Still, yeah, I suppose that works to get you down to 3.
What would be a reason to exclude Australia? It’s huge, surrounded by ocean and has unique wildlife.
“That’s not a continent, that’s an island with delusions of grandeur!”
Personally, I include it.
I would have hoped it had something to do with tectonic plates