Shouldn't there only be 4 continents on Earth?

Question

Shouldn't there only be 4 continents on Earth?

These continents would be:

1.) Canada/North America/South America

2. Africa/Europe/Asia

3. Australia

4. Antarctica

The reason I ask this is because after looking closely on Google maps, it becomes very clear that the above continents that I grouped together are infact connected by land!

Isn't the definition of a continent a major land mass on Earth separeted by a body of water?

Why are North America/South America considered two different continents?

Why are Africa/Europe/Asia considered three different continents? They're all connected by land?

Answer 1

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north/south america are separated by the panama canal. africa is separated by the suez canal. Antarctica should not be a continent, without its shelf ice it would actually be a small island, but early map makers were unaware there was no land under the ice.

Answer 2

In Africa we don't consider South and North America to be two separate continent but one. Anyway, those continent maybe connected but it is separated due to the large amount of differing cultures.

Answer 3

North and South America are barely connected. As are Africa and Asia.

Answer 4

Why not look up the definition of continent before asking this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent

Answer 5

maybe cause god made the world to have 7 continents