0
Originally, Australia was inhabited by Aborigines who had a grasp on their locality but did not concern themselves with the nature of the whole continent. They are not known to have had a name for the continent.
Once European exploration in the area commenced, Australia was initially known as Terra Australis Incognita, meaning "Unknown Southern land".
From the 1600s, the Dutch traders named the western half of the continent New Holland. But for many years, the continent was still referred to as Terra Australis Incognita on Dutch and Portuguese maps.
When Captain James Cook charted the eastern coast in 1770, he claimed it for England under the name of New South Wales. In between this time, some map-makers of the 1700s called it the Great South Land.
Matthew Flinders was the one who first proposed the name "Terra Australis", which became "Australia", the name adopted in 1824.
As a sovereign state, Australia has always been known as Australia, while its full name is the Commonwealth of Australia.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoBecause it is a continent completely south of the Equator, it is often called "the Land Down Under".
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe official name of the country of Australia is the Commonwealth of Australia.The continent is called Australia. Contrary to some people's belief, Australia is not the same as Oceania.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
People from which state are sometimes called banana benders?
People from Western Australia are sometimes called Banana Benders.
Is there a continent beginning with o?
Yes, Oceania is a continent that begins with the letter "O." It is a region comprising of thousands of islands throughout the central and western Pacific Ocean.
What are large ranches in the Australia where ranchers raise sheep?
Sometimes they are called stations.
What is nickname given to the inhabitants for Tasmania Australia?
Tasmanians are sometimes called "Taswegians".
Which island is called apple isle?
Tasmania is sometimes called the Apple Isle. It is also called the Holiday Isle. It is the southernmost state of Australia.
What is the state mammal of South Australia?
Hairy-Nosed Wombat or as it is sometimes called the plains wombat.
Which continent Australia?
None. Australia's nearest continents are Asia and Antarctica. Australia is both a country and an entire continent on its own. It is surrounded by ocean on all sides, and is sometimes called the 'island continent.'
What are the wild dogs in Australia called?
Wild horses are called different things all over the world. In America they are sometimes called mustangs. In Australia they are called a brumby. Another name is cayuse.
What is the names of each continent?
The continents are: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Australia (Oceania), and South America.
Which continent is sometimes called the island continent?
Geographically speaking, Australia is classified as a continent. It is also termed an island continent because, like the Antarctic, it is completely surrounded by water.
Is another name for Australia Oceania?
There is no specific name for the islands of Oceania. They are sometimes called the islands of the South Pacific, and sometimes they are referred to as Australasia but Oceania comprises too large an area to restrict any island groups to another name.And no, another name for Oceania is notAustralia.
What Australian company is sometimes called 'the big Australian'?
Broken Hill Proprietary company limited is a Melbourne based company involved in mining in Australia. This company is sometimes referred to as The Big Australian.
