Calling Australia an island is so stupid don't ya think?

Question

Some people do say that Australia is an island, and I find that way too dumb. Really, saying Australia is an island is like saying Africa or the Americas are islands. It's a continent.

Don't get mad, that's just my opinion. I just find it stupid that Australia is STILL called an island when it's quite large for one.

So, why is Australia called an island? Do you think 'continent' suits it much better because of its size?

Answer 1

I think that there is no matter how you call the thing. The really language destination is to bring to somebody your thought. And if he understands you, the language mission is fully realized. Du u anderstend mi? =)

Answer 2

I would say that it is both an island and a continent.

Answer 3

Either the world's largest island

or

the world's smallest continent

Answer 4

Australia is a continent. It is not an island because the name includes the island of Tasmania. the Bass Strait islands and all other islands that compose the continent. The big part is the mainland

Answer 5

Australia is an island as it is completely surrounded by water. It is also a continent because of the land mass it is part of, albeit alot of it under water. Neither is it the largest island; Greenland is. On maps, Australia looks larger because of the way the features on the circular globe are transferred to a flat sheet of paper, called the Mercator Projection. Neither Africa, nor the Americas are islands because they are connected to other land masses, even though only by a tiny bit. Admittedly, they have the Suez and the Panama canals, but both are to some dgree manmade. I love islands, called my son after an island in Scotland, the Isle of Arran, (only called him Arran, not the Isle of).

Answer 6

It is an island.  But so is Eurasiafrica, and America(well, it's two islands now, with the Panama canal there), and Antarctica.

Answer 7

No, it is cool to be an island, and a bloody big one!

Answer 8

i'm not one of those who call it an island rather than continent. it is the smallest to be sure but still a continent.

Answer 9

because by definition an island is a land that is completely surrounded by water on all sides. Last I looked Australia is smack dab in the Pacific Ocean so yes, it's an island. Just because something is an island doesn't necessarily mean it's a small island.

Answer 10

I think there is a solution to this dispute.

In 'Sanskrit' language (India), 'Dweep' means an island. 'Maha Dweep' (Mega island) is a continent. So, a continent is a 'Mega island'.

Answer 11

Australia IS AN ISLAND because it is surrounded by water on all four sides....Americas are not surrounded by water on all sides...there is a panama canal between them...so they are joined somehow and that is why they are not called islands....africa is also the same ecause it is joined by something with Saudi Arabia wich i dont remember.....

Is your confusion clear???????

Answer 12

Asia is an island, North America is an island, etc.  If your gonna call Australia an island, then you have to call all the other continents islands too.