Question regarding Africa on "Wer wird Millionär?"

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On Monday, there was a question about the African continent on Wer wird Millionär?, the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

The question was as follows:

How many African countries have both an Atlantic coast and one adjacent to the Indian Ocean?

Answers: A: one | B: two | C: three | D: four

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eins? right?  S.Africa....but it's so obvious I fear it must be a trick question.

Some people on FB say the editors gave a wrong answer...

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eins? right?  S.Africa....but it's so obvious I fear it must be a trick question.

Some people on FB say the editors gave a wrong answer...

How so?

This is a map showing the Atlantic Ocean: And this is a map showing the Indian Ocean:

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Did they say two, including Egypt as well as South Africa? Or three, including France (Mayotte) as well as Egypt and South Africa? Can't think of a country that would make it four, but there are clearly multiple reasonable (if tricky) answers.

"One" was supposed to be the correct answer, which the candidate eventually chose.
Mayotte is definitely wrong; it only has coasts adjacent to the Indian Ocean.

Edit: Now I know why you included France. However, France is a European country, and in the question they explicitly referred to African countries only.

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I think "one" is a totally fair answer, excluding the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, but there are at least subtle assumptions involved such that the question is not precise enough to have a definitive answer, where they would have had to count both "two" and "three" as technically correct answers to this particular question also (but it didn't come to that because the candidate chose the answer they intended).

But why should one exclude the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean?
Egypt must be one correct answer.

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I think "one" is a totally fair answer, excluding the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, but there are at least subtle assumptions involved such that the question is not precise enough to have a definitive answer, where they would have had to count both "two" and "three" as technically correct answers to this particular question also (but it didn't come to that because the candidate chose the answer they intended).

But why should one exclude the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean?
Egypt must be one correct answer.

What an "ocean" is is not defined in any way other than by convention. It seems reasonable to me to say that the Mediterranean Sea is not part of any ocean or is its own ocean, at least as reasonable as to say that it is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

What about the Red Sea? Do you consider it a part of the Indian Ocean?

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Both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are marginal seas, and those aren't usually included in the oceans. in a quiz you should be asking about the conventional definition that normal people learn in school and have a chance to know, not some "technically correct" trickery.

But we learned it that way at school!

The North Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Caribbean Sea are marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are inland seas of the same ocean.

The Red Sea is not a marginal sea, btw, but rather an inland sea, like the Persian Gulf is.

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are you saying they teach you that the Med is part of the Atlantic Ocean?  That's weird, but if that's true, then the answer should be two if asked in Germany (or anywhere that teaches the Med is part of the Atl).

Well, the Wikimedia map I embedded shows the definition by the International Hydrographic Organization. Thus what we were taught at school couldn't be that wrong...

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2 - Britain and France since this is all their rightful territory.

I think you'll find that Tanzania and Namibia should actually be German

Did you know that "Tanzania" is a portmanteau?

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Hm, most of you seem to have a different opinion of the correct answer than me.

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LOL what? The Mediterranean Sea is not part of the Atlantic. That's ridiculous.

Do you consider it an ocean?
Maybe it is really a cultural thing.

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LOL what? The Mediterranean Sea is not part of the Atlantic. That's ridiculous.

Not really, as Wikipedia says: "Although the sea is sometimes considered a part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is usually identified as a separate body of water."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea

German Wikipedia says it differently. The Mediterrean Sea is a Nebenmeer (an English Wiki article isn't linked, thus I don't know the technical term for the English language) and a Nebenmeer is defined as a zoned area of the main sea - exactly as we learned it at school - and that's the definition by the IHO.

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LOL what? The Mediterranean Sea is not part of the Atlantic. That's ridiculous.

Not really, as Wikipedia says: "Although the sea is sometimes considered a part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is usually identified as a separate body of water."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea

German Wikipedia says it differently. The Mediterrean Sea is a Nebenmeer (an English Wiki article isn't linked, thus I don't know the technical term for the English language) and a Nebenmeer is defined as a zoned area of the main sea - exactly as we learned it at school - and that's the definition by the IHO.

Yes, i get that. I was objecting to the claim that it is "ridiculous". Its a widespread belief and likely more common than the IHO definition in most Western countries.

Ah, I see. Sorry. I misread your post.

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LOL what? The Mediterranean Sea is not part of the Atlantic. That's ridiculous.

What about the North Sea and the Baltic Sea? Do you consider it an "autonomous" waterbody?

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LOL what? The Mediterranean Sea is not part of the Atlantic. That's ridiculous.

What about the North Sea and the Baltic Sea? Do you consider it an "autonomous" waterbody?

The Baltic Sea is definitely its own sea, yes. The North Sea might be more debatable, given that there is no clear strait to delimit it, but I'll let the British and Norwegians decide what they think about it. As an Italian, I tell you for a fact that the Mediterranean is not part of the Atlantic.

Oh, now I see your mistake. You confuse the terms ocean and sea.
The North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are their own seas, but they are all part of the Atlantic.

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But you agree that this question is contentious, don't you?
If someone had said "two", you wouldn't have denied that answer, would you?

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All of this clearly calls for a giant sea battle to set all seas and oceans borders all over the world, and once again, one more giant global mess on borders begins by Germany, obv.

Oh God, please no! We are not good at sea.

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I have never heard anyone claim that the Mediterranean is part of the Atlantic.

None of you heretics have been able to explain to me why the IHO defined the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Atlantic Ocean.

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One (South Africa).

But technically you may argue Egypt, because the Mediterranean Sea belongs to the Atlantic and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.

Zank ju!