Why is it named ‘Australia?’

Australia is named for the Latin world “Australis” and literally means “Southern.” The name came to be from early explorers such as the Romans. Many people had heard of some unknown land in the south but it was not until 1625 that the term Australia was actually used to describe this wild and untamed land.

Who were the first inhabitants of Australia?

It is estimated that the first inhabitants of Australia came to the continent via a land bridge about 48,000 years ago. These inhabitants were from South-East Asia and Melanesian people which inhabited the Torres Strait Islands and parts of northern Queensland. Some of the indigenous people were ancestors of the Aborigines. Later these indigenous Australians suffered great declines in their numbers due to white settlers and convicts assigned to penal colonies located within Australia. The settlers brought with them many diseases that the indigenous people were not immune to and as a result died from the afflicting diseases.

Is Australia a continent or a country?

Australia is both. It is the smallest continent in the world and it is a country. It is home to millions of people both indigenous and immigrants. It was once connected to South-East Asia via a land bridge but that was thousands of years ago.

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