There are only six continents on planet Earth. The mainland is a crustal massif that rises above the level of the World Ocean. The smallest continent on our planet is Australia.
Continents of the globe
The continents also include the coastal shallow-water zones of the seas (shelves), and the islands located near them. Once upon a time, all parts of the world formed one continent - Pangea.
And today there are six continents, which are separated by oceans: Eurasia has the largest territory of all the continents of the planet, its area is 55 million km. sq., South America - 18 million km. sq., Africa - 30 million km. sq., Antarctica - 14 million km. sq., North America - 20 million km. sq., Australia is the smallest continent, its area is 8.5 million km. sq.
Australia is the smallest mainland on the planet
The area of Australia together with the islands is about 8, 9 million km. sq. Australia is washed by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The southern tropic runs almost in the middle of Australia. At the base of the relief of this continent is the Australian Platform. Its western part is raised. The Western Australian Plateau is located here, its height is 400-600 m, crystalline rocks emerge on its surface.
In the east of the mainland, from the northern Cape York Peninsula to southern Tasmania, there is a fold area - the Great Dividing Range.
In the old days, Australia was called "Terra Incognito", today this land for us is still full of surprises and mysteries. Australia surprises with its diversity. There are endless ocean beaches, beautiful roads. This is the land of coral reefs and rough mustangs. Australia has no rivals in the number of unique animals and plants. The whole country, in fact, is a world-class nature reserve, while 80% of the animals are endemic, since they are found only here.
This continent, which turned out to be the smallest in the whole world, was first discovered by the Dutch. A significant amount of information was provided by the expedition led by Abel Tasman. He explored the northwestern and northern coasts of Australia in 1642-1643, while simultaneously discovering the island of Tasmania. And James Cook pioneered the East Coast in the 18th century. The development of Australia began at the end of the 18th century.
Country Australia
Australia is the sixth largest country in terms of land area. This is the only state that occupies an entire continent.
The capital of Australia is Canberra. Its area is 7682 thousand km. sq. Its share of the planet's land area is 5%. The population is about 19, 73 million people. Of the total population of the world, this share is 0.3%. The highest point is Mount Kostsyushko (2228 meters above sea level), the lowest point is Lake. Air (16 meters below sea level). The southernmost point is Cape Southeast, the northernmost is Cape York. The most western is Cape Steep Point, the most eastern is Cape Byron. The coastline is 36,700 km long (including Tasmania).
Administrative division: 2 territories and 6 states. The national anthem of the country: "Go ahead, beautiful Australia!" Holiday - Australia Day.
