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Australasia

Australasia

1 5.4
A region including Australia, New Zealand, and nearby South Pacific islands
  • noun
  • /ˌɔːstrəˈleɪʒə/
: Australasia
  • The debt crisis and the consequent cutbacks in imports by the developing nations are estimated to have cost Europe, North America, and Australasia approximately six million jobs during the 1980s.

For readers outside the United Kingdom and Australasia, there may be a few unfamiliar terms.

Examples

  • I've got Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, North America and South America.

  • Confronted with this scholarly tradition, what influence can comparative studies originating outside the United States, and especially in Australasia, have on American historians?

    Academic text (1995)
  • Gained entry to the major defense, finance and infrastructure systems of Russia, India, Israel, Australasia, all of Europe.

  • The country is a prime target for skills raiders from Europe, North America, and Australasia.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The continent is Australasia, which includes the very large islands to the north of Australia.

    Blog text (28)
  • For readers outside the United Kingdom and Australasia, there may be a few unfamiliar terms.

  • Two years after arriving, at only 28 years old, Higham became the first professor of prehistoric archaeology in Australasia.

    Academic text (2006)
  • It is important to note that similar pedagogical models have been employed in schools in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Australasia for several years.

    Academic text (2014)
  • In the three decades since Michel Foucault rejuvenated the study of prisons, historians of Europe, North America, and Australasia have enthusiastically accepted the intellectual challenges posed by his Discipline and Punish.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The Great Barrier Reef, located in Australasia, is the largest coral reef system in the world.

Surface Forms

Australasia singular
Australasiae plural

Morphology

Australasia = Austral + Asia (opaque) = Austral + Asia

The term is a geographical designation combining 'Austral' and 'Asia', but the specific regional meaning is not directly derivable from the components.

Etymology

Australasia comes from the Latin australis, meaning 'southern', plus Asia, and it shares the same root as Australia. So, the name points to a 'southern Asia' area — Australia, New Zealand and the nearby islands in the South Pacific.