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Australia is a country that is often referred to as an island continent. This is because, while Australia is a continent in its own right, it is surrounded by ocean and is therefore also technically an island. However, this term is not widely accepted by geographers, who insist that Australia cannot be an island because it is already a continent. The continent of Australia includes the mainland, the island of Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea, which comprises Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea.
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What You'll Learn
Australia is a continent, not an island
Australia is a continent and not an island. While it is commonly referred to as an "island continent", this is not a technical term. Geographers insist that Australia is not an island and may only be called a continent or a continental landmass.
The distinction between an island and a continent is clear. An island is a mass of land that is "'entirely surrounded by water' and also 'smaller than a continent'. Australia is the smallest continent, but it is still far bigger than Greenland, the largest island in the world.
Australia sits on its own tectonic plate, which is one of the criteria for classifying it as a continent. Another criterion is that the flora and fauna found in Australia are indigenous and specific to the country.
The continent of Australia includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea), the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands. It is situated in the geographical region of Oceania, in the subregion of Australasia.
Australia is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally. Its foreign relations are based on a commitment to the US alliance, engagement with the Indo-Pacific, and support for international institutions, rules, and cooperation.
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Australia is the smallest of the seven continents
Australia is a country that comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of 7,688,287 square km (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania.
Despite being a continent, Australia is often considered the largest island due to its geography. There are seven continents in the world, and according to landmass, Australia is the smallest at almost a fifth of the size of Asia. Its measurement is just under three million square miles, but this includes the major island continent of Australia and the surrounding islands, which are collectively referred to as Oceania.
The continent of Australia is sometimes known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to differentiate it from the country of Australia. The name "Sahul" comes from the Sahul Shelf, which is a part of the continent's continental shelf. The continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands.
Australia is the smallest continent in terms of land area, measuring 2,967,909 square miles (7,686,884 square kilometres). This is slightly smaller than the country of Brazil and the contiguous United States. If we consider size relative to population, Australia is the second smallest continent, with just over 40 million people in Oceania. Antarctica, the least populated continent, has only a few thousand researchers.
Australia is also the driest and most arid continent of the seven. It has a diverse range of landscapes and climates, from deserts in the interior to tropical rainforests along the coast. It is a megadiverse country, with many unique plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world.
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Australia is surrounded by ocean, so it's an 'island continent'
Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor Seas. It is the smallest of the seven continents and is nearly four times the size of Greenland, the largest island in the world.
While Australia is commonly referred to as an island or, more specifically, an island continent, geographers insist that it is not technically an island. This is because an island is typically defined as any mass of land that is surrounded entirely by water but is smaller than a continent.
Australia is the dominant land mass on its continental plate, whereas Greenland shares a tectonic plate with North America. This criterion, however, is not a very strict one since the continents of Europe and Asia share a tectonic plate.
Australia is also highly urbanised, with the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally. It has a population of over five million in its two most populous cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and is the ninth-largest immigrant population in the world.
Therefore, due to its size, economic power, and population, Australia is considered a continent and not an island.
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Australia is far bigger than Greenland, the largest island
Australia is sometimes referred to as an "island continent". However, most geographers consider islands and continents to be separate entities. According to Britannica, an island is a land mass that is "entirely surrounded by water" and "smaller than a continent". By this definition, Australia cannot be an island because it is already a continent.
Australia is nearly four times the size of Greenland, the largest island. With a total area of 7,688,287 square kilometres (2,968,464 square miles), Australia is the sixth-largest country globally and the largest in Oceania. It is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor Seas. Australia also includes the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller offshore islands.
Greenland, in comparison, has an area of 2,165,230 square kilometres (836,000 square miles). While it is the largest island, it is still significantly smaller than Australia. Greenland is part of the North American tectonic plate, whereas Australia is the dominant land mass on its continental plate. This geological distinction is one of the criteria used to distinguish a continent from an island.
The vast size difference between Australia and Greenland helps to draw a clear line between the two classifications. If Greenland were closer in size to Australia, it might have a stronger case for continent status, and Australia might be considered an island. However, as it stands, the significant disparity in their areas establishes a clear boundary between the two.
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Australia has its own tectonic plate
Australia is a country that comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is considered a continent and not an island because it is surrounded by oceans and is not connected to any other continent by land.
The Australian continent sits on the Australian tectonic plate, which is widely considered to be separate from the Indian Plate, with which it forms the Indo-Australian Plate. The Australian Plate includes the continent of Australia, including Tasmania, as well as portions of New Guinea, New Zealand, and the Indian Ocean basin. The Australian Plate is remarkably stable tectonically, with most of the coast classified as a passive margin or trailing edge.
The Australian Plate was originally part of the ancient continent of Gondwana, which included Antarctica and India. Gondwana began to break up around 1696 million years ago, with Australia and East Antarctica separating from the rest of Gondwana between 570 and 530 million years ago. Australia and Antarctica began rifting about 96 million years ago and completely separated around 60 million years ago, although some argue this occurred as recently as 45 million years ago.
India broke away from Australia and Antarctica around 100 million years ago and began moving north. The Australian and Indian Plates merged under the Indian Ocean to form the Indo-Australian Plate, but recent studies suggest that they have since separated once again. Earthquake and global satellite navigation system data indicate that the two plates are no longer moving on the same vectors northward.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Australia is not an island, but a continent.
Australia is considered a continent because it sits on its own tectonic plate, and the bio life found in Australia is indigenous to the region. Additionally, the general definition of an island is a land mass that is smaller than a continent and entirely surrounded by water. Australia is the smallest continent, but its size is still significantly larger than that of an island.
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as "Sahul", "Australasia", "Australinea", or "Meganesia" to distinguish it from the country of Australia.
Some islands that are part of Australia include Tasmania, Macquarie Island, Lord Howe Island, and K'gari, the world's largest sand island.
While Australia is not technically an island, it is often referred to as an "island continent" because it is a continental landmass surrounded by oceans.
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