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A comment on North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent. Parent comment

Re:North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent by rmeno12 on Sunday December 24, 2023 @09:35AM (#38753697)
Can you talk more about what models of geography you're referring to? In school in the US, I was always taught there were 7 continents, including the North and South Americas as 2 separate ones. As far as I remember, there was never even a mention of other models apart from maybe some historical understanding before lands had been fully explored by Europeans.
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Re:North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent by bossyTeacher on Sunday December 24, 2023 @10:20AM (#38754007)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent#Number

This, like history, is one of those dogmatic aspects of state education where only one side get taught and implicitly assumed to be the only one. Geography books need one big asterisk in so many sections

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Re:North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent by ianburrell on Sunday December 24, 2023 @07:52PM (#38758560)
Continents are not natural features, but human determined. Some of the models don't make logical sense.

If Americas are one continent, then Afro-Eurasia must be continent. And end up with the four continent model with continuous landmasses.

If isthmuses make continent, then get the six continent model with tectonic plates.

If can split into non-geographical regions, then Europe and Asia can be separate continents and get the seven continents in the US model.

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Re:North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent by boomboomsubban on Sunday December 24, 2023 @10:01AM (#38753864)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent#Number

I was never really taught a different model either, but the entire distinctions always felt strange. Moreso with Eurasia.

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Re:North America: Hand-Drawn Portrait of a Continent by bossyTeacher on Sunday December 24, 2023 @10:21AM (#38754020)
Different models are taught in different countries. Like with many things, if you never left your country, you are highly unlikely to find out.
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