Australasia

Australasia (south of Asia) described in the broadest sense, the region around Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and the surrounding islands of Melanesia, and occasionally parts of Indonesia. The term was coined in 1756 by Charles de Brosses in contrast to Polynesia and Magellanica (Southeast Pacific).

Socio- culturally, the name is rather inconvenient, because although Australia and New Zealand are similar from a sociological perspective, the other states in the region but have completely different conditions. From a geographic perspective, the term is meaningful, since the region has a lot in common, such as marsupials. In this sense, the Wallace line forms the border with Asia, west lie the scoring with Asia islands of Bali and Kalimantan (Borneo ), Sulawesi and Lombok to the east are already Australasia.

Biogeographic the name Australasia is narrower: Here it covers the areas that were connected during the last ice ages with Australia over land bridges, so Tasmania, New Guinea and several smaller islands off Australia, but not New Zealand and New Caledonia.

Sports

In sports, the term Australasia was used for the two countries Australia and New Zealand who are politically and culturally closely related. At the Olympic Games in 1908, the Summer Olympic Games in 1912 and in Davis Cup from 1905 to 1912 were the two countries with joint teams to under this name.

Pictures of Australasia

90334
de