Why Does Australia Call Itself a Continent When It is Only an Island?

After all these years does it really matter mate?

Because it was one of the parts of Pangea.  Just like you are taught in 7th grade.

actually, if you really wish to get into it...... the world maps  we use and see every day are wildly visually misleading, due to the small scale which the countries have to be rendered, to fit on one map, and the curvature of the earth. 

Looking at a globe, you would think Australia is puny compared to the United States or China,  but in fact, is really about the same size as America.....if you actually laid  accurate scale maps of one over the other. 

Yet no map in existence actually gives that visual impression. 

You could argue that  South America is an island. 

Australia is a continent, because the whole is one tectonic plate. 

It is a Continent.  Why does North America call itself a Continent when it's completely surrounded by Water (Island)?

Australia the Continent is very Large.  Same size as the 48 States.

I met a Flat Earth guy who claims that Australia doesn't exist. What a nutter.

Anyway, the earlier replies answered your question.

I just thought I'd toss in that tidbit.

Australia doesn't call itself anything. 

Technically, it’s too big to be an island. 

Not all geographers agree that it is a continent, of those that do they at least acknowledge that it is the smallest continent.

They do not call themselves a continent, Europeans did that centuries ago.  Every land mass is an Island since it is surrounded by water.