Lyla Lindsey
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with a population of almost 28 million. The nation's capital is Canberra, and its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne. Australia is home to a diverse range of landscapes and climates, from deserts in the interior to tropical rainforests along the coast. The continent has a rich biodiversity, with many unique animal and plant species found nowhere else in the world.
There is some debate about whether the continent should be referred to as Australia or Oceania. In most non-English-speaking countries, Oceania is treated as a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its continental landmass. The term Oceania is often used to refer to the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean. The definition of Oceania has varied over time, and some sources consider Australia and Oceania to be interchangeable terms for the same geographical area.
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What You'll Learn
Australia: a country and a continent
Australia is a country and a continent. It is officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Australia comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands, with a total area of 7,688,287 square kilometres (2,968,464 square miles). This makes it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania.
The country of Australia is a part of the continent of Australia, which is the smallest continent. The continent includes the island of Tasmania, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Australia is sometimes referred to as "the Oldest Continent" and "the Last of Lands" as it was the last continent, apart from Antarctica, to be explored by Europeans. The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, and by the time of British settlement, they spoke 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world.
The term Oceania is often used to refer to the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the 19th century, many geographers divided Oceania into mostly racially based subdivisions: Australasia, Malaysia (encompassing the Malay Archipelago), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Today, the Malay Archipelago is typically considered part of Southeast Asia, and the term Oceania is used to refer to the region that includes Australia and various Pacific islands.
There is some debate about whether Australia is a continent or part of Oceania. Some argue that Australia is a continent because it is a large, continuous landmass on its own tectonic plate, while Oceania is not a contiguous expanse of land. Others consider Oceania to be a continent, with Australia being its continental landmass. In most non-English-speaking countries, Oceania is treated as a continent, while Australia is seen as an island nation within it.
Australia has a unique and diverse landscape, with deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast. It is home to a wide variety of endemic animals and bird species, including the koala, emu, platypus, kangaroo, and Tasmanian devil. The country has a highly urbanized population of almost 28 million, with the capital, Canberra, and the largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, all located on the eastern seaboard.
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Oceania: a region or a continent
The continent of Australia comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Australia is a country within the continent of Australia. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere.
The term Oceania is often used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean that are not included in the seven-continent model. It has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the world's five major continental divisions since its foundation in 1947, along with Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The United Nations definition of Oceania excludes the island states of Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan, as well as the states of Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the nation of Brunei.
The broadest definition of Oceania encompasses the islands between mainland Asia and the Americas, including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the small island nations in the Pacific. The term Oceania has been used historically to refer to a continent in anthropological studies, similar to Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In the 19th century, many geographers divided Oceania into mostly racially-based subdivisions: Australasia, Malaysia (encompassing the Malay Archipelago), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
The classification of Oceania as a continent or region varies depending on cultural and geographical perspectives. In most non-English-speaking countries, Oceania is treated as a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its continental landmass. In English-speaking countries, the term "continent" is typically applied to larger landmasses, and Australia is considered a continent in its own right. However, the definition of a continent is not universally agreed upon, and some have suggested abandoning the term altogether in favour of simply referring to regions.
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Australasia: a subdivision of Oceania
The continent of Australia is often referred to as a part of Oceania, a view held especially in non-English-speaking countries. Oceania is a geographical region that includes thousands of islands in the Central and South Pacific Ocean, including the continent of Australia, Zealandia, New Guinea, and New Zealand. It is recognised by the United Nations as one of the world's five major continental divisions.
The term Australasia is used in a number of contexts, including geopolitical, physiogeographical, philological, and ecological. It is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia and New Zealand, New Guinea, and neighbouring islands of the Pacific. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in 1756, derived from the Latin for "south of Asia". In the late 19th century, the term was used in reference to the "Australasian colonies", specifically the British colonies south of Asia, including New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and New Zealand.
The definition of Oceania has varied over time. In the 19th century, geographers often divided it into mostly racially-based subdivisions, including Australasia, Malaysia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Today, the Malay Archipelago is typically considered part of Southeast Asia, and Oceania is often used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The distinction between Australia and Oceania is a matter of debate. Some argue that Australia refers specifically to the country of Australia, while Oceania is a broader term for the region. Others consider Australia to be a continent in its own right, with Oceania being one of its parts. Still, others use the terms interchangeably, referring to the entire continent as either Australia or Oceania.
The continent of Australia has a unique geography and ecology. It is the world's driest and flattest inhabited continent, with a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts and tropical rainforests. Australia has a high level of endemism, with many species found nowhere else in the world. Marsupials, such as koalas, kangaroos, and wallabies, are native to Australia and Oceania, thriving in the absence of large predators.
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Papua New Guinea: a nation in the Australian continent
The continent of Australia is often referred to as Oceania, which is recognised by the United Nations as one of the world's five major continental divisions. The term Oceania is used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean.
One of the nations that make up the Australian continent is Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea (PNG), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania. It comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia. The territory of Papua New Guinea was split in the 1880s between German New Guinea in the north and the British Territory of Papua in the south, the latter of which was ceded to Australia in 1902. All of present-day Papua New Guinea came under Australian control following World War I, and the nation became self-governing on 1 December 1973 and achieved independence on 16 September 1975. Papua New Guinea has maintained continuous democratic elections and changes in government since independence.
The capital of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby, and the country has a land border with Indonesia to the west and maritime borders with Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. Papua New Guinea's magnificent and varied scenery reflects a generally recent geologic history in which movements of the Earth’s crust resulted in the collision of the northward-moving Australian Plate with the westward-moving Pacific Plate. The low-lying plains of southern New Guinea are geologically part of the Australian Plate, and the island was separated physically from Australia only some 8,000 years ago by the shallow flooding of the Torres Strait.
Papua New Guinea is a member of the Commonwealth realm with Charles III as king, and the monarch's representative is the governor-general of Papua New Guinea, who is elected by the unicameral National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. The National Parliament elects the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, who is then appointed by the governor-general. The other ministers are appointed by the governor-general on the prime minister's advice and form the National Executive Council of Papua New Guinea, which acts as the country's cabinet.
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New Zealand: part of the Australian continent
The continent of Australia is often referred to as Oceania, which is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Oceania is recognised by the United Nations as one of the world's five major continental divisions, along with Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The term Oceania is often used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The nation of Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Australia is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with a population of almost 28 million. Its capital is Canberra, and its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with over five million people.
New Zealand is usually considered part of the Australian continent due to proximity and shared continental plate. It is included in Oceania, along with Australia and various Pacific islands. New Zealand is one of the more highly developed and globally competitive financial markets in the region.
The broader region of Oceania has a population of around 46.3 million as of 2024. It is the smallest continent in land area and the second least populated after Antarctica.
In non-English-speaking countries, Oceania is often treated as a continent, while Australia is seen as an island nation. In English-speaking countries, the term Oceania is sometimes considered outdated, with Australia being referred to as a continent.
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Frequently asked questions
The Commonwealth of Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.
New Zealand is usually considered part of the Australian continent as it lies on the same continental plate.
Papua New Guinea is a country in the continent of Australia.
Australia is the only piece of land in the area that is large enough to be considered a continent. However, the term Oceania is often used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean.
