Continental Overview
There are seven continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Asia is the largest continent, and Africa is the second largest. The Earth’s land is divided into tectonic plates which loosely correlate with the positions of these continents.
Defining Continents
Conventions rather than strict criteria generally identify continents. For example, Europe and Asia are sometimes considered one continent called Eurasia.
Continental Debate
Despite commonly accepted models, there is debate over whether Zealandia qualifies as an eighth continent. Zealandia meets many necessary criteria: it is a separate landmass from Australia and has a continental crust.
Continental definitions vary between countries. For example, the UK recognizes seven continents while some European, Asian, African and American nations recognize fewer.
Educational Perspectives
Depending on where you went to school, you may have learned that there are five, six, or seven continents. This is because the criteria for determining continents are not strictly defined. Some count Europe and Asia as one continent, Eurasia, while others consider North and South America as one continent.
If you were educated in the United States, you were likely taught that there are seven continents. However, many geologists using more specific criteria believe there are six: Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Americas, and Eurasia. Students in many parts of Europe are taught that there are six continents, combining the Americas.