Foil Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 What defines an island? If its just land thats surrounded by water then i'm right. I don't think "An island is a country surround on all sides by water." is right because that would mean alot of islands that are part of a country are not islands. For example by your definition, svendopel, Hawaii is not an island and thus should not be called island of Hawaii. What ultimately defines an island then? Beawulf, what makes Australia and island but not what I said? Whats the difference? =Han= here is Ask Yahoo's take on it from what I have see there are varied opinions on the definition of an island. We are taught here that Australia is and island continent, and with a larger land area than any other island. The guinness book of records also agrees. I guess it is similar to the argument of what defines the tallest building, habitable space, tallest point? infact there are 5 different categories for tallest building. My original comment was part national pride I guess. If you are really wanting to deflate that, I can take solace in the fact that we are soon to complete the worlds tallest structure at over 1km high. :D I vote continent. Ask yourself if you have ever heard anyone call Australia "Australia Island" or "Australian Isle". (Actually, I think even the British Isles are stretching it a bit). All in all it probably comes down to symantics but I was always tought it was a continent. BTW, what is bigger, Antartica or Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest c4evap Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I could have sworn I posted in this thread already. Is this topic in another section as well? Or am I going insane?!? :thinking: Oh well...I voted both. c4 B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foil Posted September 9, 2005 Author Share Posted September 9, 2005 I could have sworn I posted in this thread already. Is this topic in another section as well? Or am I going insane?!? :thinking: Oh well...I voted both. c4 B) :cyclops: What post??? :cyclops: Ya, sorry bout that. Since yours was only one post saying "I forgot the Both option" I thought it better to delete and start over with all three options (Truly it will make the world a better place). ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabianh20 Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I think of Austalia as a continent, but i guess technically it's an island. I couldn't decide so I just said both. I would like to ask the people that live there what they think it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostShadow Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 isnt it both??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meateater Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 If one counts Australia as an island, then there would be no continents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juhan Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 According to that Yahoo link, an island is a land mass surrounded by water thats smaller than a continent?? Ok.. I guess by that definition Australia is infact an island continent. @_@. But that Greenland arguement is kinda interesting. By this arguement, UK would be an island(s) too? Borneo is just another big island (small compared to Australia or course), And Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philipines and Indonesia are all islands too. =Han= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beawulf Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I vote continent. Ask yourself if you have ever heard anyone call Australia "Australia Island" or "Australian Isle". (Actually' date=' I think even the British Isles are stretching it a bit). All in all it probably comes down to symantics but I was always tought it was a continent. BTW, what is bigger, Antartica or Australia?[/quote'] often what is used in common language doesnt reflect the fact of a situation, for example, we often say "my weight is 80kg" however 80kg is our mass, our weight is infact about 785N (in this case). As for the size of antarctica, would you count the ice as well? I think we need a poll ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TetsuoShima Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 There are only 6 continents and Australia is not one of them! However, Australia IS the largest piece of its continent! New Zealand is another part of this particular continent btw. Oh, and Antarctica IS a continent. The division of the continents has fairl little to do with landmasses, islands and seas. But instead it has everything to do with continental plates (you know: the ones causing Earthquakes and such...)! At least, that's the way they teach it in my country... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beawulf Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 interesting, so I guess that puts the eastern part of russia on the north american continent hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celestra Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Australia is the smallest of the seven continents. It is also the sixth largest country. There are seven continents on Earth now: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. It is generally accepted that Australia is not an island - if it were considered as such it would rank seventh. I hope this helps :D We have always thought of Australia as a continent, I live in South Australia which has been described as the driest state on the driest continent on Earth. I have never really heard anyone here describe it as an island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caldor Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Its a continent. Of course, Canberra, being the nations capitol, is where the important people like myself reside ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Dictionary.com:[br] Something resembling an island, especially in being isolated or surrounded, as: An unattached kitchen counter providing easy access from all sides. A raised curbed area, often used to delineate rows of parking spaces or lanes of traffic. The superstructure of a ship, especially an aircraft carrier. They "say" that Australia is the largest island on our loverly planet, I am only speculating but I am guessing that is because there is nothing spectacular attached to it. Wonderful place to start a penal colony right? Yep, thats exactly what happened! :p Also a good place to bake your tea (or your skin), since it's so hot and humid there. NEVER going back if I can help it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juhan Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Australia: Best place to get melenoma (skin cancer... hope I spelled it right). Melbourne rocks! (int'l student studying here... technically I shouldn't bother with this silly interstate arguement... but I just wanted to state the TRUTH! Eat that! Ha... =p) Just havin a bit of a laugh... I'm not trying to start a war here... Or should we start a poll for this? =Han= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerotop Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Continent for me but here is a answer that may satisfy anyone I think;) http://www.earthsky.com/scienceqs/lqshows.php?t=20020715 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martog Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 continent no proof, just an opinion. i know that Australia has some of the toughest terrain around and is much bigger that it appears. for instance, for those that travel away from the populated cites and into the desert one would see its size. in fact i hear that if you get lost in Australia's desert that you better stay with your vehicle and have pleantly of water because the area is so vast, you may never be found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StitchInTime Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 It's an island continent. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pella Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 It's an island continent. ;) Ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S0V13T Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Austraila = Continent. Ireland = Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psheldrake1 Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 We all live on an island. Any land surrounded by water is an island. Earth is an island on the ocean of space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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