I am a native Spanish speaker, who likes to speak English.
Growing up in El Salvador, I learned that there are six continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Antarctica and America (or the Americas). This is what my atlas portrays.
However, most English speaking countries learn 7 continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA and AUSTRALIA. All English sources portray that model.
I have also found out that Spanish speakers educated in Anglo-Saxon schools, located in Latin America, learn 7 instead of 6.
This has led me to a search on the net, in which I have found several interesting articles.
The Europschool website, in its German and French version gives the exactly same number of continents I was taught.
Europschool Europschool
The Nations Online organization claims:
" We have been taught in school (way back in the 60's in Europe) that there are five continents, Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe, for instance symbolized in the five rings of the Olympic Games" and gives other continent models, including the 7 one.
Continents of the World: Africa | The Americas | Asia | Australia/Oceania | Europe - Travel Earth by Continents
But my big question is: which continent model is taught in which country?
So, for the English speakers living overseas:
How many continents have they (the citizens of your resident countries) been taught?
Please note that new generations can learn different from what adults learned in their school years.
i.e.: Dutch people used to be taught the same as I did, but nowadays, Dutch kids learn that the continents are: EURASIA, North America, South America, Antarctica, Africa and Australia.
Note also if your friends went to a national school, or an Anglo-Saxon school located in their country.
P.S.: Do NOT quote the wikipedian article. I have read it too many times. But I doubt about the information provided in it.