[Closed] Austarlia not an island? (Human Planet content)

Whoops even Australia...

It is apparently a continent. I say it's an island and that folk are just talking bobbins.

Guess it depends how you define 'island', it is pretty damn big!

Sky burial looks grim.

Fed to the vultures! What a way to go...I wonder if I can add that to my will instead of a boring woodland burial...?

Not suprised the sons ****ed off out of there.

It's the main land mass on the Australasian continental plate. Smaller sections on the continent are islands - linked below sea level to Australia by continental shelf, like that under the North and Irish Seas.

scruzer - I contest this; 1 being Greenland, 2 being Australia

I contest this, 1 being Australia, 2 being Greenland.

Anyway here's a pub quiz question for you;

What was the largest island in the world before Australia was discovered?

Erm - it was Australia. Just because it hadnt been discovered doesnt mean that it wasnt there. 😀

I always thought Australia was a continental land mass.

Ok further research tells us its a continental landmass and not an island. Suppose its like saying America (that is Canada, States, Central and South)is an island, except its not just like Australia...

If you are going to say Australia why not Asia, Antarctica or America.

Because they are continents you DORK

this program and bruce parry's arctic are the best tv there has been for years....... 8)

What was the largest island in the world before Australia was discovered?

Same as now as Australia isn't an island.

bruce parry, true hero!

We all now agree then, Australia is not an island. Thanks Human Planet for correcting my geographical knowledge/light bulb moment 💡

australia is the largest discrete landmass on the indo-australian tectonic plate.

and that's one way to define a continent - it's as good as any other.

scruzer - Member
According to tonight's programme Papua New Guinea is the worlds second largest island. I contest this; 1 being Greenland, 2 being Australia.

Australia is over three times the size of Greenland - is your map broken?

ton - Member

this program and bruce parry's arctic are the best tv there has been for years.......

Bruce Parry's been great. And it's weird because all he's doing is wandering around and asking everyone "How does it make you feel" but he's really, really good at asking that question.

Australia is over three times the size of Greenland - is your map broken?

Probably using the wrong projection - the one you normally see in the Uk shows greenland being bigger than austrilia, which is obviously not the case

What's Bruce been up to? I can't get it on the BBC iplayer over here. Any quick summaries?

the same old tosh.

the producers round up a load of native-looking fellows, and pay them to put some feathers on their heads and invite Bruce to partake in an 'initiation ceremony' - which usually results in Bruce hallucinating, and vomiting.

apparently it's all very 'traditional' and hugely insulting if he doesn't drink a bucket of yak piss.

😉

if australia is an island so is America surely?

Ewan - Member
Probably using the wrong projection - the one you normally see in the Uk shows greenland being bigger than austrilia, which is obviously not the case

I love showing people a mercator next to a peters.. Greenland 14 times smaller than Africa? Not on my map!

Ever asked someone to draw a map of the world without any reference material? That usually reveals a lot about people's world view.

If you include continents then Europe, Africa and Asia all together are the largest island 🙂 Then possibly that long thin one across the bottom of the map. Speaking of which, the South coast of Antarctica really is very very long and straight, isn't it? That must be a hell of a beach. Why don't they do land speed record testing there?

What's Bruce been up to? I can't get it on the BBC iplayer over here

www.witopia.net

Now you can be everywhere.. like me...

molgrips - Member
If you include continents then Europe, Africa and Asia all together are the largest island Then possibly that long thin one across the bottom of the map. Speaking of which, the South coast of Antarctica really is very very long and straight, isn't it? That must be a hell of a beach. Why don't they do land speed record testing there?

Polar bears get in the way.

Maybe some kind of polar bear deflector shield?

It's an island continent. Make of that what you will....