Damon Mcknight
Australia is a continent that is also a country. However, the continent of Australia includes more than just the country of Australia. The Australian continent consists of three sovereign countries: Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The continent also includes portions of the island of New Guinea, which are under the jurisdiction of Indonesia, namely Papua and West Papua. The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Australasia or Oceania, and if considered through these terms, it may include up to 20 countries.
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What You'll Learn
- Australia is a continent and a country
- Two other countries are on the Australian continent: Papua New Guinea and New Zealand
- The continent of Australia is also called Australasia
- The Oceania region includes Australia and 11 Pacific Island countries
- The Australian continent includes thousands of tiny islands
Australia is a continent and a country
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as 'Sahul', 'Australinea', or 'Meganesia' to differentiate it from the country of Australia. The country of Australia comprises most of the continent and is sometimes informally referred to as an 'island continent', as it is highly urbanised and surrounded by oceans. The name 'Australia' is derived from the Latin 'Terra Australis' or 'Terra Australis Incognita', meaning 'unknown southern land'.
The continent of Australia consists of the country of Australia, as well as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Tasmania, New Guinea, and thousands of tiny, tropical islands in the Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian regions. These islands are often collectively referred to as Oceania, and there are 14 independent countries and 12 dependent overseas territories within this grouping.
Australia, the country, is a relatively prosperous independent country with a diverse landscape, including deserts, tropical rainforests, savannas, and mountain ranges. It has a strong Anglo-Celtic cultural orientation that is being transformed by immigration, bringing in culinary traditions and contributing to fusion dishes. Australia is a leading exporter and consumer of wine and ranks highly in beer consumption, with breweries in each state and territory.
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Two other countries are on the Australian continent: Papua New Guinea and New Zealand
Australia is the only continent that is also a country. It is the smallest of the world's seven continents and is also referred to as Oceania. The continent of Australia consists of the country of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.
The country of Australia makes up most of the continent and is highly urbanized. It has the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally. Australia also has the world's 9th largest immigrant population.
New Zealand, the second-largest country in Oceania, is sometimes categorized with the islands of Polynesia. It is regarded as a separate entity from Australasia, which is often confused with Australia.
Papua New Guinea, a country within the continent, is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. It is also one of the most rural, as only 18% of its people live in urban centres. Papua New Guinea is the third-largest country in Oceania.
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The continent of Australia is also called Australasia
Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's smallest continent and the sixth-largest country by total area. Australia is sometimes considered the world's largest island and is often dubbed the "island continent".
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Australasia. Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, which includes Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term was coined in 1756 by Charles de Brosses, who derived it from the Latin for "south of Asia". The term was used in the 19th century to refer to the "Australasian colonies", specifically the British colonies south of Asia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and New Zealand.
The name "Australasia" was originally used to refer to the Pleistocene landmass before the 1970s. This usage is considered obsolete today, as the term now generally refers to a wider region that includes lands like New Zealand that are not on the same continental shelf. The continent of Australia is also known by the names Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to differentiate it from the country of Australia. These names refer to the continent's landmasses, which sit on the Australian continental plate, including mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea.
In some countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, and China, Oceania is treated as a continent, and Australia is viewed as an island nation. In other countries, such as Kazakhstan, Poland, and Russia, Australia is considered a continent, while Oceania is regarded as a "part of the world".
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The Oceania region includes Australia and 11 Pacific Island countries
The Oceania region also includes 11 Pacific Island countries. These are New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Samoa, and Tonga. These countries are spread across the South and Central Pacific Ocean.
The term Oceania was originally a "great division" of the world in the 19th century. It included Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands. Over time, the definition of Oceania has evolved, and it now encompasses a broader range of countries and territories in the Pacific region.
The Pacific Island countries within Oceania vary significantly in size and population. For example, Nauru is the smallest independent country in Oceania, covering an area of only 21 square kilometres, while Papua New Guinea is the largest country in Oceania after Australia, with a land area of 462,840 square kilometres.
Australia and the Pacific Island countries of Oceania share a diverse natural environment and unique ecosystems. The region is known for its tropical rainforests, savannas, mountain ranges, and coral reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. The rich biodiversity of the region attracts tourists from around the world, who come to explore the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Oceania.
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The Australian continent includes thousands of tiny islands
Australia is a continent surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific Oceans. It is the smallest, lowest, flattest, and second-driest continent in the world. The continent includes the Australian mainland, 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.
The Australian continent is sometimes referred to as an island continent, and it does include thousands of tiny islands. These range in size from small rocks that are not covered by water at high tide to islands that are more than twice the size of the Australian Capital Territory. The continent also includes the world's largest sand island, K'gari, which has a World Heritage listing and the Great Sandy National Park.
Macquarie Island, located in the Southern Ocean, is one of Australia's most distant possessions. It is the exposed crest of the undersea Macquarie Ridge, raised where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate. The island is home to a research and Antarctic support station that was built in 1948 and hosts more than 40 people during the summer and around 20 during the winter.
The Australian continent also includes thousands of tiny islands in the Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia regions, scattered throughout the South Pacific. These islands are part of the 14 independent countries and 12 dependent overseas territories that make up the Australian continent and Oceania.
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Frequently asked questions
There is some debate over the number of countries in Australia, but there is only one country that shares the name Australia. The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as 'Oceania' and includes the country of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and numerous islands.
Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent and has the least fertile soils. It is home to the Great Barrier Reef, the Simpson Desert, and the Great Dividing Range.
The name Australia is derived from the Latin 'Terra Australis' or 'Terra Australis Incognita', meaning 'unknown southern land'. The name was first used by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in the 17th century.
