Australia, Australasia or Oceania?

[MKR&*42]

Right,

I have debated with so many people about this because I fail to believe that Australia itself is a continent. In some fact book from 2004, it said that Australia is the only continent containing 1 island + quite a few people I know are convinced Australia is its own continent.

Can someone please tell me if I am right; Australia isn't a continent itself because New Zealand (and another country right above Australia) would also be its own continent. The continent is actually 'Oceania' or 'Australasia' isn't it?

Just wondering aha, I'm fed up of people thinking that Australia is a continent because I'm 99% sure it isn't. Can someone clarify this?

* Also, didn't know where to put this so I shoved it here... close enough.

[Blinger]

I thought Oceania is Australia, New Zealand, Christmas Island, Indonesia (although I doubt it) etc. Its just a part of the world to describe us from down under whereas Australia is the actual continent- that's what I've always been told

[Red]

I was always taught the continent was Australasia. Australia is a country.

[Milarz]

Australia "should" be a country. But it's known as an Island. The reason it should be a country, is because it is the 5th largest country/continent (whatever you wanna call it), in the world.

[Blinger]

Read the wikipedia.

Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. [1] Opinions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific (ethnologically divided into the subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia [2] ) to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago.

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Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean.

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Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands.

[orientalframe?]

i have always thought the continent was australasia, as australia is just a county. but i have never heard of oceania

[MKR&*42]

Read the wikipedia.

Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. [1] Opinions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific (ethnologically divided into the subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia [2] ) to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago.

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Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean.

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Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands.

Hmm, they never make these things easy do they aha. Anyway, thank you for this answer & to everyone else, I'll +Rep all I can

[Lee]

Edited - what an idiot I misread the whole thread :S

Oceania is the continent housing Australia.

[Jordan]

I have heard of all three but I've never seen Australia as a continent. Always known the continent as 'Oceania' which has Australia and all the other bits in it.

[Cerys]

I've always used the term Australasia as New Zealand and Australia etc.
Never used the term Oceania, though!

But Australia is definitely not a continent.