When is a destination a country?

[Deleted member 29185]

Just a bit of trivia here as I notice a student in the US was failed because she referred to Australia as a country.

My Google search is a bit confusing. Continents like Asia and Europe are easy, as there are many countries within the continent, but Australia is a bit different. Is it a continent and a country (as we do seem to fit the definition of a country)? I seem to recall during my school days, being taught Australia is both the largest Island in the world and the smallest continent and further, it being the only place to be both continent and island.

So for you academic travellers out there ... what are we?

 

[Buzzard]

As far as I'm concerned, we are an island, country and continent.
By definition, who knows.

 

[Denali]

....... what are we?

 

[RooFlyer]

She got failed because she referred to Australia as a country???

It is a continent as well as a country; island subject to more debate.

 

[Major]

A bit more info for discussion

Australia: The World's Smallest Continent

 

[codash1099]

It's definitely not an island. "Australia" is lots of islands - one very big one, lots of small ones, and Tasmania (special mention for you lot!).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

and Tasmania

Where?

couldn't help myself

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It's definitely not an island. "Australia" is lots of islands - one very big one, lots of small ones, and Tasmania (special mention for you lot!).

Is Tasmania not a lots of islands too

 

[n7of9]

I seem to recall during my school days, being taught...

You can't go by what you learnt in school. I was taught that Russia is part of the Asian continent, but Europeans are taught it's part of Europe. I was taught that the American continent consists of North, Central and South America, and that the colloquial 'American' refers to those from the USA, whereas children in South American schools are taught 'America' is one and they refer to themselves as American

Another student in Australia said he'd been taught the '7 continents' teaching was false because 'what about the Indian subcontinent'

When it comes to schooling the right answer on a test is 'whatever the teacher told you'

 

[JohnK]

Some of us in this country are Australians.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

I don't know the legal difference, actually seem to remember New Guinea is also part of the continent of Australia to make it even more confusing.

Still, it says it on the cover of my passport so that is good enough for me

 

[Deleted member 29185]

actually seem to remember New Guinea is also part of the continent of Australia to make it even more confusing.

Papua New Guinea was certainly an Australian administered territory until independence in 1975, when it became a country and also a member of the Commonwealth in its own right as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. New Guinea (as in the entire Island) may still be regarded as part of the Australian continent as it is connected by a reasonably shallow continental shelf. The closest Australian Territorial land (Saibai Island) is only 4km from PNG (about a 20 minute trip in a banana boat),

Edit ... I just did a search and came up with this wiki. I have no idea if it's right or wrong. If it is right, then the student was right and the professor was wrong. Australia is a country and part of the greater continent of Australia. No wonder everyone is confused!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I couldn't add a pic in an edit, so here is the wiki pic from the post above. It specifically mentions New Britain, but that has me wondering about New Ireland and Bougainville, not to mention the Solomon's!