Talk:Australasia
From Academic Kids
I must take issue with the replaced statement that "Australia" is Latin for South Asia. In fact it derives from the name originally given it by 15th and 16th century map makers, who called it "Terra Australis Icognica" i.e. the Unknown Southland"
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Australasia
I'd always thought of Australasia as meanign only Autralia and New Zealand. When Australia was considering federation, New Zealnd delegates attended several of our constitutional conventions and New Zealnd has the right to join the federation at any time.
- In New Zealand - or at least this part of it (southern South Island), "Australasia" generally means Australia or Australia and Papua New Guinea. I don't know of anyone in this part of New Zealand who uses the term to include NZ. (See comment in the article about Oceania). Australia is a continent, so how could it simultaneously be part of a larger continent?Grutness 02:30, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
The term has always meant NZ and Australia. I've never understood it to mean Papua New Guinea or any other countries. And yes I live in the south of South Island of NZ.
