Re^4: How many continents have you visited?

[fisher]

You know what
I'm old enough to be educated in an old soviet school. We there distinguished a so-called 'parts of the world' (as a cultural term) from 'continents' (as a geophysical term).

So there is 'America' as a 'part' but not 'continent' and also a 'New World' contained both Americas and Australia +New Zealand -- this is also a 'part of the World' -- a sociocultural term. The same for 'Europe', 'Middle Asia', 'Middle East'. And there were only 6 continents out there. Easy enough.

But I've asked my daughter and guess what? Now they're learn in a different manner, now they have all the 7 continents (with separate Europe and Asia). Things are more complicated than I thought before =)

[LanX]

> I'm old enough to be educated in an old soviet school.

Did you also learn handling a kalashnikov at school? (no joke =)

edit

> Things are more complicated than I thought before =)

Look, the source of the classification is Greece and their perspective.

They knew the Mediterranean area and the Black and the Red Sea, but things like Ural were out of scope.

It's pretty much impossible to have a logical definition which is acceptable for the masses...

[fisher]

Did you also learn handling a kalashnikov at school? (no joke =)

Not in a school but later, being a student, at 18 yo, yes.

In many countries you can actually buy and even use AK-47, so I can't understand why do you find it so exceptional about soviets.

[LanX]

> In many countries you can actually buy and even use AK-47, so I can't understand why do you find it so exceptional about soviets.

Well, not in (West-)Germany and I doubt in other Western European countries. =)

It's rather a taboo (or at least not PC) to let children play with weapons.