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Geographically, Australia is a continent, not an island. As a landform, it could be considered an island as it is entirely surrounded by water and not joined onto any other land mass. For this reason, it is often referred to as an island continent. Australia is too big to be formally classified as an island. The world's largest island is Greenland.
Another reason why Australia is also considered a continent is because it sits on its own tectonic plate. This is different from Greenland, which uses the same land mass as North America. That is why the geological appearances are much different in Australia from anywhere else. A place like Greenland shares the same geologic attributes as North America.
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What kind of government does Christmas Island have?
Christmas Island falls under the jurisdiction of Australia. It was annexed by the British in 1888 and considered Australian territory since 1958.
What makes a continent a continent?
An island is classified a continent for two main reasons: 1. it is too large to be considered an island. 2. It sits on its own tectonic plate. Examples are Australia, the world's smallest content, and Greenland, the world's largest island. Geographically, Australia is a continent, not an island. As a landform, it could be considered an island as it is entirely surrounded by water and not joined onto any other land mass. For this reason, it is often referred to as an island continent. However, it is too big to be formally classified as an island. Another reason why Australia is also considered a continent is because it sits on its own tectonic plate. This is different from Greenland, which uses the same land mass as North America. That is why the geological appearances are much different in Australia from anywhere else. A place like Greenland shares the same geologic attributes as North America.
Is Christmas Island part of Australia?
Yes. Christmas Island is one of Australia's seven external (offshore) territories.
Which was the biggest island in the world before the discovery of Australia by Captain Cook?
Firstly, Captain Cook did not discover Australia.Secondly, Australia is not an island. It is a continent.The biggest island in the world is and was Greenland.
What is the large island north of Western Australia?
Melville Island lies to the northwest of the Northern Territory coast, in Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. However, to Australia's northwest is the island of Timor, which is divided between East Timor and Indonesia.
