Debate Night: Australia or Oceania

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First published: Saturday October 21st, 2023
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Before We Begin

Welcome back, everybody! Our latest Debate Night Blog is about the name of a controversial continent.

Premise

Most people agree that there is a continent in between the Pacific and Indian oceans. But what they do not agree on is what it is called. The main debate is whether the continent is named Australia or Oceania. Australia refers to just the country of Australia and excludes other countries, such as New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Oceania refers to Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and so on. Australia is argued to be a geological continent-it is one main land mass and dwarves all other nearby island nations. Oceania, however, is used by JetPunk as a way of dividing countries into geographical groups.

What is it called?

Instructions

Debate amongst each other about the name of the continent.

Rules

For this blog, the main rule is to just be kind.

Level 50

Oct 24, 2023

Does anybody have any suggestions for the next Debate Night blog?

Level 60

Oct 21, 2023

Oceania is a region, Australia is an island country

Level 60

Oct 21, 2023

A continent is a landmass, so that would exclude the islands, and I feel mainland Australia is just to small to be it’s own continent

Level 66

Oct 22, 2023

Australia is the continent, Oceania is a region.

Level 74

Oct 22, 2023

Right, the continent of Australia does not include all of the region of Oceania, but Oceania does include Australia.

Level 74

Oct 24, 2023

One extra bit to mention as well is the continent of Australia isn't the same as the country of Australia either. While the continent does include most of Australia it also includes New Guinea, including the Indonesian bit (which isn't Oceanic (unless it is idk)).

Level 60

Oct 24, 2023

I’m pretty sure the whole of New Guinea is part of Oceania.

Level 66

Nov 1, 2023

You'd be correct.

Level 66

Oct 23, 2023

Also, Australia is too big to be an island.

Level 63

Oct 22, 2023

I would argue that Australia on its own is the continent. The rest of the geopolitical area Oceania is largely ocean, and cannot be counted as a continent, since a continent is a large landmass. I always think of the continent Australia and next to it, the region Oceania.

Level 59

Oct 23, 2023

Oceania frfr continents include islands, Cuba is in the Americas, it is counted tho it's an island, also the pacific nations need to be somewhere, and they aren't australia

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