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Comment by bossyTeacher | Hacker News Reader

Interesting. I only know 2 models of geography that consider North America a continent, the rest treat America as a continent.

I guess this is no different than people calling United States of America "America". I wonder what citizens of the countries in North or South America think about it.

UPDATE: my comment got downvoted. I wonder why

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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.

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.

Different models are taught in different countries. Like with many things, if you never left your country, you are highly unlikely to find out.

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

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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