Damon Mcknight
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, with a land area of 2.989 million square miles, and is sometimes referred to as an island continent. The continent includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas that divide it into several landmasses, including mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea. When considering the closest land mass to Australia, one must consider the distance between these landmasses that make up the continent. The Arafura Sea and Torres Strait separate mainland Australia from New Guinea, and the Bass Strait separates mainland Australia from Tasmania.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Distance from the closest land mass | The closest land mass to Australia is Papua New Guinea, a country within the continent. |
| Land area | 7,688,287 km2 (2,989,000 sq mi) |
| World ranking | Sixth-largest country in the world |
| Comparison to other continents | Australia is the smallest continental land mass |
| Comparison to Greenland | Australia is nearly four times as large as Greenland |
| Comparison to the US | Australia is slightly larger than the continental US |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the world's largest island
Australia is a country that occupies an entire continent. It is surrounded by oceans and is the smallest continental land mass in the world, covering just 5% of the world's land area. It is also the sixth-largest country in the world, with a land area of 7,688,287 square kilometres.
While Australia is sometimes referred to as an "island continent", most geographers consider islands and continents to be distinct. According to Britannica, an island is a landmass 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.
However, the term "island continent" predates the modern definition of a continent, and the idea of Australia as an island persists in popular usage. Additionally, the definition of a continent is not strictly scientific. For example, Greenland, which is considered the world's largest island, shares a tectonic plate with North America. In contrast, Australia sits on its own tectonic plate.
Australia's unique geography has resulted in a high level of biodiversity, with a large percentage of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. The continent includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas, dividing it into several landmasses, including mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea.
In conclusion, while Australia is technically a continent, its status as an "island continent" surrounded by water has led to ongoing debates about its classification. With its vast land area and distinct geographical features, Australia could be considered the world's largest island.
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The continent is known as Sahul, Australinea or Meganesia
Australia is the closest continent to Australia. The country of Australia is mostly on a single landmass and comprises most of the continent. It is sometimes informally referred to as an island continent, surrounded by oceans.
The continent of Australia is sometimes known by the names Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to differentiate it from the country of Australia. The name "Sahul" takes its name from the Sahul Shelf, which is part of the continental shelf of the Australian continent. The term Oceania, originally a "great division" of the world in the 1810s, was replaced in English language countries by the concept of Australia as one of the world's continents in the 1950s.
Sahul, or Greater Australia, was a paleocontinent that encompassed the modern-day landmasses of mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and the Aru Islands. Sahul was in the south-western Pacific Ocean, located approximately north to south between the Equator and the 44th parallel south and west to east between the 112th and the 152nd meridians east. The name "Sahul" is used by archaeologists, while the name Meganesia tends to be used by zoogeographers.
The name Australinea was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2004. The name Meganesia was suggested in 1984, meaning "great island" or "great island-group", and has been widely accepted by biologists. Others have used Meganesia with different meanings: travel writer Paul Theroux included New Zealand in his definition, and others have used it for Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
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Australia is the smallest continental land mass
The continent is sometimes referred to as an island continent, surrounded by oceans. It has a total land area of 8.56 million square kilometres (3,310,000 sq mi), accounting for just 5% of the world's land area. Despite being the smallest continent, Australia is nearly four times the size of Greenland, which is not considered a continent.
Australia is the only First World country on the Australia-New Guinea continent and has the largest and most dominant economy in the region. It is highly urbanised, with the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally. Australia also has the ninth-largest immigrant population in the world.
The continent of Australia is sometimes known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to distinguish it from the country of Australia. The name "Sahul" derives from the Sahul Shelf, which is part of the Australian continent's continental shelf. Australia is also known for its unique biodiversity, as a large percentage of its plant and animal species are found nowhere else in the world.
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The closest land mass is New Guinea
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country and accounts for five percent of the world's land area. It is sometimes referred to as an island continent, surrounded by oceans. The Australian continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea, among other nearby islands.
The closest land mass to Australia is, indeed, New Guinea. The two countries are separated by the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait, with roughly 3.75 km separating them at Saibai Island in the Torres Strait. During the Pleistocene ice age, including the Last Glacial Maximum around 18,000 BC, Australia and New Guinea were connected by dry land, forming the combined landmass of Sahul.
New Guinea is located in the Oceania region and is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18 percent of its population living in urban centres. The southern half of eastern New Guinea (the Territory of Papua) was annexed by the Colony of Queensland in 1883 on behalf of the British Empire, though this annexation was not ratified by the United Kingdom, and the land was placed under a protectorate.
Today, Papua New Guinea maintains close relations with Australia, with 61 percent of respondents in a 2022 poll by the Lowy Institute viewing the country favourably. The two countries have agreements in areas such as trade and rugby league, and Papua New Guinea is one of the largest recipients of Australian aid.
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Australia is about the same size as the continental USA
Australia is the smallest continental land mass, but it is the world's largest island. The country of Australia comprises most of the continent and is sometimes referred to as an island continent. The continent of Australia is sometimes known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to differentiate it from the country of Australia. The land area of Australia is 2.989 million square miles, and the US is 3.797 million square miles, making the US 27% larger than Australia.
The Australian continent includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas that divide it into several landmasses. These include the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait between mainland Australia and New Guinea, and Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Australia is the only First World country on the Australia-New Guinea continent, and it has the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is a part of the Australia-New Guinea continent and includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Arafura Sea, and Torres Strait, which are all considered landmasses.
Australia is considered an island continent and is surrounded by oceans.
The island of New Guinea is separated from mainland Australia by the Arafura Sea and the Torres Strait.
The Australia-New Guinea continent covers 8.56 million square kilometres (3,310,000 sq mi), making it the smallest continent on Earth.
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world and is about the same size as the continental US.
