Leslie Massey
Australia is a unique continent as it is the only one that is also a country. It is the smallest continent in the world and is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans. The continent of Australia includes the mainland, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. There are 14 independent countries and 12 dependent territories in the region of Australia and Oceania. This article will explore the countries and territories that make up this diverse and fascinating region.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Countries | 3 confirmed countries, 14 independent countries in total when including the countries of Oceania |
| Area | 7,692,024 km² |
| Coastline Length | 34,218 km (excluding offshore islands) |
| Exclusive Economic Zone | 8,148,250 km² |
| Continent | Australia is the smallest of the seven continents |
| Oceania | Oceania is made up of thousands of islands across the South and Central Pacific Ocean. There are 15 countries in Oceania according to UN officials. |
| Largest Country in Oceania | Australia |
| Second-Largest Country in Oceania | Papua New Guinea |
| Third-Largest Country in Oceania | New Zealand |
| Smallest Country in Oceania | Nauru |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is a country and a continent
The continent of Australia, also known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia, is the smallest of the seven traditional continents. It has a total land area of 8.56 million sq km (3,310,000 sq mi). The continent includes the country of Australia, as well as the island of Tasmania, the island of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea), the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and several other nearby islands.
The name "Australia" is derived from the Latin "Terra Australis" or "Terra Australis Incognita", meaning "unknown southern land". The continent was historically referred to as "Oceania", and this term is still sometimes used to refer to the broader geographical region that includes Australia and several other islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Australia, the country, comprises the majority of the mainland of the continent, as well as Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with a diverse culture and one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world.
In summary, Australia is both a country and a continent. The country of Australia makes up the majority of the continent, and includes the mainland, Tasmania, and several smaller islands. The continent of Australia, meanwhile, is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres and includes the country of Australia, as well as several other islands in the region of Oceania.
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Oceania includes Australia and Pacific islands
Oceania is a geographical region that includes Australia and numerous Pacific islands. It is considered a continent by some, while others label it as the "liquid continent". The Pacific Ocean itself has been referred to as a "continent of islands", with approximately 25,000 islands, more than all the other major oceans combined.
The term Oceania embraces the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas. The most popular usage of the term excludes Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines, as the people and cultures of these islands are historically more closely related to the Asian mainland.
The Pacific Islands Forum expanded during the early 2010s, and areas that were already included in the UN definition of Oceania, such as French Polynesia, gained membership. The UN has used its own geopolitical definition of Oceania since its foundation in 1947, which utilises four subregions: Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
The CIA World Factbook also categorises Oceania as one of the major continental divisions of the world, but the name "Australia and Oceania" is used. Their definition does not include all of Australia's external territories but is otherwise the same as the UN's definition.
In its most restricted sense, Oceania consists of more than 10,000 islands, with a total land area of approximately 822,800 square kilometres. This definition includes Papua New Guinea and New Zealand but excludes Australia. Oceania is traditionally divided into Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Australia, the continent, comprises the mainland of the country of Australia, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the smallest continent in the world and is also considered the world's largest island. Australia is the largest country in Oceania in terms of area, followed by Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
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Australia has internal and external territories
Australia is a country that comprises the mainland of the Australian country, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the smallest continent in the world and is often referred to as the 'island continent'. Australia has six federated states: New South Wales (including Lord Howe Island), Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania (including Macquarie Island), Victoria, and Western Australia.
In addition to these federated states, Australia also has internal and external territories. There are three internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory, the Jervis Bay Territory, and the Northern Territory on the Australian mainland. The Jervis Bay Territory is the only non-self-governing internal territory. Every state and internal territory (excluding the Jervis Bay Territory) has its own independent executive government, legislature, and judicial system.
There are seven external territories: the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. These external territories are offshore dependent territories, and most are subject to the judiciary and legislature of either a state or internal territory. Only Christmas, Norfolk, and the Cocos Islands have permanent inhabitants.
Historically, two internal territories established by the Australian federal government no longer exist: Central Australia (1926-1931) and North Australia (1926-1931). These were reincorporated in 1931 as the Northern Territory. Additionally, the now-independent countries of Nauru and Papua New Guinea were once part of the Australian External Territories.
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Australia is the world's smallest continent
Australia is a continent that comprises the mainland of the country of Australia, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the smallest of the seven continents, with a land area of 7,686,884 to 8,600,000 square kilometres (almost 3 million square miles). This makes it slightly smaller than the country of Brazil and the contiguous United States.
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as the "island continent" and is considered the world's largest island. It is also the driest inhabited continent and has the least fertile soils. Australia is highly urbanised, with only 18% of its people living in urban centres, and it has the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally.
The name "Australia" comes from the Latin "Terra Australis", meaning "southern land". The continent includes the mainland of Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea, which comprises Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea. The continent also includes the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands.
Australia is situated in the geographical region of Oceania, specifically in the subregion of Australasia. The term "Oceania" was originally used in the 1810s as a "great division" of the world, and it included the large island of Australia and numerous others in the Pacific Ocean. In the 1950s, the concept of Australia as one of the world's continents replaced the term "Oceania" in English-speaking countries.
In conclusion, Australia is the smallest continent in the world in terms of land area, and it is considered a unique and diverse region with a range of geographical features, from deserts to tropical rainforests, and a distinct culture and history.
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Australia is a multicultural country
Australia is a country that is part of the continent of Oceania, which is made up of thousands of islands across the South and Central Pacific Ocean. Australia is the largest country in Oceania, with a total land area of around 7.6 million square kilometres (or 8.6 million square kilometres according to another source).
Historically, Australia's immigration policy was hampered by racism, with immigration restricted to those who qualified under the White Australia Policy. However, since the end of World War II, the proportion of overseas-born and second-generation migrants in Australia has steadily increased. In the first half of the 20th century, migrants to Australia primarily came from England, Ireland, and Scotland. Over 1 million migrants from the United Kingdom arrived between 1947 and 1981, largely due to immigration policies aimed at increasing Australia's population. Since 2006, the proportion of people born overseas has increased sharply due to changes in immigration policies, including an increase in the intake of skilled migrants. In 2015, an estimated 28% of the Australian population was born overseas, the highest proportion since the end of the nineteenth century. This trend has continued, with 50% of Australia's population growth in the early 2010s attributed to migrants.
The multicultural nature of Australia is reflected in its educational attainment, with children of immigrants attaining better average results than children of native-born Australians. This suggests that Australia's education system successfully integrates immigrant students, providing opportunities for them to thrive.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is the only continent that is also a country. However, the continent of Australia and Oceania includes 14 independent countries and 12 dependent territories.
Some of the 14 independent countries in Oceania include Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Nauru, the smallest independent country in Oceania.
Some of the 12 dependent territories in Oceania include American Samoa, the Cook Islands, and the Galapagos Islands.
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