# Zealandia, anyone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036 "2017-02-17T12:10:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/1 "2017-02-17T12:10:10Z")
Geologists have just [promoted New Zealand to a continent](https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/27/3/article/GSATG321A.1.htm). Admittedly a small one; even if it were all above water, it’d be smaller than Australia. And they have to share their continent with New Caledonia and miscellaneous smaller islands. So any Kiwis here? What are you going to do now that you’re a continent? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/2 "2017-02-17T22:08:30Z")
Well, if your nation had been endowed with a continental sized land mass, the first thing you really should do is build the capability to defend it. [Gruen: Invade New Zealand Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUYbI64QHI) ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/3 "2017-02-17T22:49:14Z")
Fake news about a fake continent. Nah, I’m just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/4 "2017-02-17T23:21:09Z")
I don’t want to hear this. I’m still getting over the Pluto thing. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/5 "2017-02-18T01:06:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I don’t want to hear this. I’m still getting over the Pluto thing. They got Hobbiton and the Shire and all that… they must be a [del]dwarf[/del]hobbit continent… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/6 "2017-02-18T13:42:42Z")
It’s not even “a” plate. It’s at the joint of two plates. See the standard plate [map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics#/media/File:Plates_tect2_en.svg) of the planet. Note that “Filipinia”, “Arabia” and “Central America-Caribbia” have better claims to being continents. Just as India’s a subcontinent and not a continent, the criteria for continenthood is a lot stronger than what these folks are blabbing about. What’s next, Icelandia??? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/7 "2017-02-18T20:08:53Z")
I always wondered, was there a Zealand before New Zealand? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/8 "2017-02-18T20:16:34Z")
It was named after the Dutch province of Zeeland. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/9 "2017-02-20T01:42:41Z")
Why is this making the news now? I read about it on Wikipedia years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/10 "2017-02-20T02:53:07Z")
^Same question. I’m pretty sure I read about it several years ago, too. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/11 "2017-02-20T03:07:52Z")
Damifino. Someone published a paper about it, I guess. Next step: the IUGS having a vote on Zealandia being a [del]dwarf[/del]halfling continent? Will Australia also be demoted? Greenland promoted? ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/12 "2017-10-04T20:56:50Z")
This is a bit of a resurrection, but I didn’t think this warranted a new thread. I just read this article: [http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/zealandia-continent-expedition-new-zealand-cores-tectonics?utm\_source=facebook.com&utm\_medium=mentalfloss](http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/zealandia-continent-expedition-new-zealand-cores-tectonics?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=mentalfloss) I had read about this before, but I didn’t get the justification then, and I don’t get it now. > [@](#): > > Pollen from land-dwelling plants suggests that now-submerged parts of Zealandia were once at the surface, OK, so it was once a continent, but now it’s not. I found this much older thread ( [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660315&highlight=Zealandia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660315&highlight=Zealandia) ) where people used tectonic plates to justify splitting continents up, such as considering India a subcontinent of Asia/Eurasia. But if we go down that route (including landmasses that are submerged), then the definition of continent is simply tectonic plate. Can someone explain this to me, please? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/13 "2017-10-04T21:00:50Z")
Yay! I’m desperate for something to celebrate. The world/national news has been so awful, and my good friend’s beloved dog died last night, and I got a not-great report on my mom’s health. Let’s celebrate Zealandia! But how? Eat kiwi fruit? Drink beer? Hug a koala? Maybe do all three of those while running around the house naked? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/14 "2017-10-04T21:13:54Z")
I’m pretty sure the celebration will have to involve rugby. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/15 "2017-10-04T22:48:39Z")
And driving on the left. Also, narrow-gauge railways and haka. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/16 "2017-10-05T01:11:47Z")
And the expected addendum to the national anthem, to be sung in the traditional fashion: _nah nah nah nah nah na-a-nah nah nah nah nah na-a-a-a-ah nah nah nah nah na-a-ah **God defend Ze-aland-i-a** _ ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/17 "2017-10-05T01:31:47Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I always wondered, was there a Zealand before New Zealand? > > Dennis That’s an easy question. The hard question is what is New South Wales named for? So far as I know, there wasn’t any jurisdiction named South Wales. Why not just New Wales? Or just South Wales? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/18 "2017-10-05T02:05:54Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > That’s an easy question. The hard question is what is New South Wales named for? So far as I know, there wasn’t any jurisdiction named South Wales. Why not just New Wales? Or just South Wales? It seems like nobody knows for sure. Perhaps the “South” refers to its location, rather than what it is named after. In other words it is “New Wales” located in the southern bit of the planet, so New (South) Wales. Pure guess. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/19 "2017-10-05T02:37:37Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > What’s next, Icelandia??? Iceland already is a continent Its called north america ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036/20 "2017-10-05T03:09:41Z")
What is this? A continent for ants? How are supposed to teach kids geography if they can’t even fit on the continent? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zealandia-anyone/780036.md?page=2)