2006-07-17 17:36:09 · 9 answers · asked by dorotheasosial 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
Technically, Australia a continent because it is a large land-mass surrounded by water and it is the above-water portion of a separate techtonic plate. Australia is the size of the continental United States and is roughly 3,000 wide by 1,800 miles north-south - this is significantly larger than even the largest islands of Greenland and Madagascar.
Some refer to it as an island continent because it is much smaller than the other continents. Nevertheless, it is a continent because of it is its own plate.
India is referred to as a sub-continent because it is on its own plate but that plate rammed into Asia, forming the Himalayan mountains and fusing itself to Asia. Greenland, even though it is large, is still an island because it is part of the North American plate and does not move independently.
Hope this answers your question.
2006-07-17 18:04:06 · answer #1 · answered by Andy in the OC 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It's an island. What's a countinent?
2006-07-17 17:41:39 · answer #2 · answered by roscoe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why shouldn't they? It's a seperate landmass, perfectly suited to being a continent. If you think it should be called an island: it is. Every continent is an island also. Just really big islands.
2006-07-17 17:42:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cause is to small to be call an Island
2006-07-18 07:22:00 · answer #4 · answered by ray 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
umm the word is continent and yes we are a continent made of up a country that has several states and many territorys including many islands.
I think that you will find that a continent is a slab of land and its associated isalnds that is on a particular continental shelf.... but I'm not up on my geology...
2006-07-17 21:14:09 · answer #5 · answered by wollemi_pine_writer 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a continent coz it has its own tectonic plate and it larger than the other countries and it is the origin of other countries
continents are countries that are the origin places of other smaller counties..
take philippines and japan for example, they originally came from asia which is a coninent...
2006-07-17 23:18:03 · answer #6 · answered by mitchiegirl14 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no i think it's because of techtonic plates yes theres many but the big ones with lots of land on is called "continet" and if i believe corrrect it needs continental line (rocky mountains, andes, ural)
2006-07-17 17:47:59 · answer #7 · answered by gothicirishpeople 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To know more please visit the following site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia
Hope you like this site.
2006-07-17 20:06:37 · answer #8 · answered by Sherlock Holmes 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cause it is.
2006-07-17 17:50:19 · answer #9 · answered by sublime 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋