Australia (continent)

The continent of Australia, sometimes called Sahul, is in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres near Maritime Southeast Asia. It includes 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. It is the smallest of the seven traditional continents and lies in Oceania, more specifically in Australasia.

Long ago, when sea levels were lower, Australia was connected with New Guinea and Tasmania as one landmass called Sahul. As sea levels rose, they became today’s islands. Australia is the smallest, flattest, and second-driest continent after Antarctica.

Papua New Guinea is very diverse in culture and languages. Australia is highly urbanised and has the world's 14th-largest economy. It also has a large number of people from other countries.

Terminology

The continent of Australia is sometimes called by other names like Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia. These names help us talk about the whole landmass, not just the country of Australia. It includes mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea. New Guinea is made up of Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea, which is part of Indonesia.

Long ago, people used the name Oceania to describe this area. Today, Oceania usually means the area around the Australian continent, Zealandia, and many islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the world’s continents.

History

Main articles: History of Australia, History of Western New Guinea, and History of Papua New Guinea

The Australian continent and Sunda were important places where early humans traveled after leaving Africa. People used bamboo rafts to reach the land called Sahul.

Main articles: Netherlands New Guinea, European exploration of Australia, and History of Australia (1788–1850)

Indigenous Australians, including Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, were the first people to live on this continent and nearby islands. They moved from Africa to Asia about 70,000 years ago and reached Australia at least 50,000 years ago. They are among the earliest human migrations out of Africa. There was trade between people in northern Australia and New Guinea.

In 1606, a Dutch sailor named Willem Janszoon was the first European to see and land on Australia, at a place called Cape York Peninsula. Another Dutch explorer, Abel Janszoon Tasman, later discovered islands such as Tasmania, New Zealand, and Fiji. In 1770, British explorer James Cook was the first European to meet Aboriginal people on the east coast of Australia. Later, in 1788, a British group arrived and began a new colony in Sydney.

Main articles: History of Australia (1901–1945), History of Australia since 1945, Military history of Australia during World War II, and Pacific War</a">

In 1901, several areas came together to form the Commonwealth of Australia. During World War II, Australia had to defend itself against attacks. After the war, many people from different countries moved to Australia. Australia also became friends with the United States and increased its trade with Asian countries.

Geography

Main articles: Geography of Australia, Geography of Papua New Guinea, and Geology of Australia

The Australian continent is the lowest, flattest, and oldest land on Earth. It includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, and several smaller islands. Unlike New Zealand, which is part of Zealandia, the Australian continent has been stable for a long time and has no active volcanoes today.

Rising sea levels separated the continent into today’s landmasses long ago. The continent sits on the Indo-Australian Plate. Over millions of years, unique plants and animals developed here because of its long isolation. The climate changes a lot, from deserts in Australia to tropical rainforests in New Guinea. Some high mountain areas even have snowfall.

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Australia and Politics of Papua New Guinea

Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. King Charles III is the monarch, represented by a Governor-General and Governors at the state level. The two main political groups are the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition, which includes the Liberal Party and the National Party.

Papua New Guinea is also a Commonwealth realm with King Charles III as its sovereign. The monarch is represented by a Governor-General, who is elected by the legislature.

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Australia and Economy of Papua New Guinea

Australia has the biggest and most important economy on the Australia-New Guinea continent. Its economy is strong, with people earning a good amount of money compared to many other places. The main city, Sydney, has a large place where people buy and sell shares, and it is a nice place to live.

Papua New Guinea has many natural resources such as minerals and oil, which are important for its economy. Even with these resources, it is still developing and growing. At one time, its mining and resource sector grew very quickly, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Demographics

Main article: Immigration to Australia

Since 1945, many people have come to live in Australia. From the late 1970s, more people from Asian and other non-European countries moved to Australia. This made Australia a multicultural country. Sydney is a very multicultural city in Oceania. Over 250 different languages are spoken there, and about 40 percent of people speak a language other than English at home. Also, 36 percent of people in Australia were born overseas. Some top countries people came from are Italy, Lebanon, Vietnam and Iraq. Melbourne is also very multicultural. It has the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Europe, and the second largest Asian population in Australia after Sydney.

Main articles: Religion in Australia and Religion in Papua New Guinea

Christianity is the most common religion on the continent, but many Australians belong to no religion. Other religions in the area include Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. These are common minority religions in Australia. Traditional religions are often animist, found in New Guinea. Islam is common in the Indonesian New Guinea. Many Papuans combine their Christian faith with traditional indigenous beliefs and practices.

Main articles: Languages of Australia, Languages of Papua New Guinea, and Languages of Indonesia

"Aboriginal Australian languages", including the large Pama–Nyungan family, "Papuan languages" of New Guinea and nearby islands, including the large Trans–New Guinea family, and "Tasmanian languages" are names for the native languages of the continent that are not from the Austronesian family. The main languages are English in Australia, Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea, and Indonesian (Malay) in Indonesian New Guinea. Immigration to Australia has brought many languages such as Italian, Greek, Arabic, Filipino, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Spanish. Contact between Austronesian and Papuan languages created some mixed languages like Maisin. Tok Pisin is an English creole language spoken in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea has many languages, more than any other country, with over 820 indigenous languages. Most of these languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers.

Culture

Main articles: Culture of Australia, Culture of Papua New Guinea, and Australian Aboriginal culture

Australian culture comes mainly from Anglo-Celtic and Western culture since 1788. It also includes Indigenous traditions. Recently, American popular culture has had a big effect, especially in TV and movies. The Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne are the oldest and largest museums on the continent.

Papua New Guinea has many cultures, with over 7,000 groups, each with its own language and traditions. The country is known for carved wooden sculpture, like masks and story-boards. Australia has a long history of Aboriginal art, including rock art that is very old, found in places like Uluru and Kakadu National Park.

Sport

Main articles: Sport in Australia and Sport in Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, people enjoy rugby league, rugby union, soccer, and cricket. Rugby league is very popular in the highlands. In Australia, cricket is the most popular sport. Many women like netball, and Australian rules football brings together big crowds. Australia has hosted big events like the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000, as well as several Commonwealth Games.