Lexi Webster
Australia is the smallest of the world's seven continents and is the largest island. It is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres and is highly urbanized, with the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally. Australia has been a continent for approximately 35 million years, when it separated from Antarctica and drifted northward. The continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and most of the Coral Sea Islands, among others.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date Australia became its own continent | About 35 million years ago |
| Previous landmass | Part of the supercontinent of Pangaea/Pangea and subsequently its southern segment, Gondwanaland (or Gondwana) |
| Area | 8.56 million square kilometres (3,310,000 sq mi) |
| Position | Southern and Eastern Hemispheres |
| Landmasses | 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 |
| Population | 9th largest immigrant population in the world |
| Economy | 14th largest in the world |
| Human Development Index | 2nd highest in the world |
| Flora and Fauna | Eucalyptus trees, platypus, echidna, acacias, dingoes, kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras |
| Geological History | Archean rocks (more than 2.5 billion years old), Proterozoic fold belts (2.5 billion to 541 million years old), Paleozoic Era (252 million years ago), Mesozoic Era (66 million years ago), Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago) |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the world's smallest continent
Australia is the smallest of the world's seven continents, spanning approximately 3 million square miles or 8 million square kilometres. It is the only continent that is also considered an island, as it is surrounded by water. Australia is also the driest and flattest continent.
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Oceania, which includes not only the country of Australia but also Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and various islands in the Pacific. The name Oceania was originally a "great division" of the world in the 1810s. The continent of Australia is also known as Sahul, Australinea, Meganesia, or Australia-New Guinea.
The country of Australia, which comprises most of the continent, is highly urbanised and has the world's 14th-largest economy and the second-highest human development index globally. It is also home to a diverse array of unique flora and fauna, including eucalyptus trees, acacias, kangaroos, koalas, and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna.
The first Aboriginal explorers arrived in Australia over 60,000 years ago, and by 20,000 years ago, they had spread throughout the mainland and Tasmania. In 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip of the British Royal Navy arrived with the First Fleet, there were an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 Aboriginal people in Australia, living in robust, semi-permanent settlements.
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It was part of the supercontinent Pangaea
Australia has a long and complex geological history, with its landmass forming and shifting over millions of years. Initially, Australia was a part of the supercontinent Pangaea, which existed during the Paleozoic Era, roughly 335 to 275 million years ago. Pangaea, a massive contiguous landmass, comprised all the present-day continents we see today. This supercontinent began to break apart around 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, leading to the formation of new landmass configurations.
The breakup of Pangaea resulted in the creation of two major landmasses: Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south. Australia was a part of the Gondwana supercontinent, along with South America, Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and New Zealand. Over time, Gondwana also began to break apart, with Australia separating from Antarctica and moving northwards, a process that took millions of years.
The movement of the Australian continent was driven by tectonic forces, specifically the process of continental drift. This gradual movement resulted in the formation of new landforms and the separation of existing landmasses. As Australia drifted, it underwent significant geological changes, including volcanic activity, mountain-building events, and the formation of new landscapes. The isolation of the continent also played a crucial role in shaping its unique flora and fauna.
Being isolated from other landmasses for a significant period of time has contributed to Australia's distinctive ecosystems and biodiversity. The continent is known for its diverse and unique species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. This process of isolation and subsequent evolution is a key factor in understanding Australia's natural history. The continent's geological journey has provided scientists and researchers with valuable insights into the Earth's ancient past and the processes that have shaped our planet over millions of years.
It's important to note that the concept of continents and their definitions has evolved over time, influenced by cultural, political, and scientific perspectives. The identification of Australia as a separate continent is a relatively modern concept, shaped by European exploration and scientific advancements. Today, Australia is recognized as the smallest continent and the largest island in the world, a unique landmass with a rich geological heritage.
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Aboriginal explorers arrived 60,000 years before Europeans
Australia, the smallest of the seven continents, is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres. 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.
The first Aboriginal explorers arrived in Australia at least 60,000 years before Europeans. These explorers had come from Asia, and by 20,000 years ago, they had spread throughout the mainland and Tasmania. The earliest dates for human occupation of Australia come from sites in the Northern Territory, with the Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land widely accepted to be about 50,000 years old. Other sites of considerable antiquity include Lake Mungo in New South Wales and Devil's Lair in southwest Western Australia.
The settlement of Australia by these early explorers is the first unequivocal evidence of a major sea crossing, and it rates as one of the greatest achievements of early humans. The first Aboriginal explorers likely used rafts made of bamboo, a material common in Asia, though the exact type of craft used is unknown. The arrival of these explorers may have been a deliberate attempt to settle a new territory or an accident after being caught in monsoon winds.
The Aboriginal people have a profound connection to Australia, with their ancestors having occupied the land for thousands of years. Their history, knowledge, and traditions are deeply rooted in this country, and it is a fundamental part of their identity. The Dreaming, a system of belief held by many Aboriginal Australians, accounts for their origins and is an integral part of their cultural heritage.
It wasn't until 1606 that the first documented European sighting and landing on the continent of Australia occurred, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon reached the Cape York Peninsula. Then, in 1770, British explorer James Cook made his first recorded direct observation of indigenous Australians at Brush Island, and the first recorded European encounter with the eastern coastline of Australia occurred.
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It is also known as Meganesia, Australinea and Sahul
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Meganesia, Australinea, or Sahul, to distinguish it from the country of Australia.
The name Meganesia was suggested in 1984, meaning "great island" or "great island-group", and has been widely accepted by biologists. However, the term has been used with different meanings: travel writer Paul Theroux included New Zealand in his definition, while others have used it to refer to Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
The name Australinea was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2004.
The name Sahul is derived from the Sahul Shelf, which is a part of the continental shelf of the Australian continent. Archaeologists use the name Sahul, while Meganesia tends to be used by zoogeographers. The name Sahul was extended to cover the continent in 1975, having previously been used just for the Sahul Shelf. During the Pleistocene ice age, around 18,000 BC, the landmasses of mainland Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania were connected by dry land, forming the combined landmass of Sahul.
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Australia is drifting towards Asia
Australia, the smallest of the seven continents, is located within the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres. It is the last continent, apart from Antarctica, to be explored by Europeans. 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.
The Australian continent has had a long and complex geologic history. For millions of years, Australia was part of the supercontinent Pangaea, and subsequently its southern segment, Gondwanaland, which comprised India and the other southern continents of Africa, South America, and Antarctica. Australia's unique flora and fauna, including hundreds of kinds of eucalyptus trees and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna, are a result of its isolation from other continents.
However, Australia is no longer isolated, as it has been drifting towards the Southeast Asian landmass. In fact, the continent has been moving relatively fast, about 2.7 inches a year, and corrections to its latitude and longitude have been made four times in the past 50 years. This movement has already had observable effects, such as the crumpling of Timor, the northernmost edge of the Australian continental plate, due to the tectonic strain of a slow-motion collision with Indonesia.
In geologic time, Australia is in the process of merging with Asia, and its lifespan as a separate continent will be relatively short. This movement is not unique to Australia, as all the Earth's continents float on tectonic plates that glide slowly over a plastic-like layer of the upper mantle.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia became its own continent about 35 million years ago when it drifted northward away from Antarctica.
Australia was once part of the supercontinent Pangaea. After Pangaea broke up, Australia was part of the southern segment Gondwanaland, which included India and other southern continents.
The Australian 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. It has a total land area of 8.56 million square kilometres (3,310,000 sq mi), making it the smallest continent on Earth.
The first recorded European sighting and landing on the continent of Australia was made by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606. British explorer James Cook made his first recorded direct observation of indigenous Australians on 23 April 1770, and the First Fleet of 11 ships led by Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Sydney on 26 January 1788.
