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Great South Land
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Great South Land

fictitious continent
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Quick Summary

The "Great South Land" is a fictitious continent, not a real one. Historically, the concept of a great southern landmass, often called Terra Australis Incognita, fueled exploration for centuries. Explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook searched for it.

The scientific understanding that evolved is that the southern continents were once joined as the supercontinent Gondwana. Gondwana included present-day South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. Its breakup began around 180 million years ago. The name "Australia" was eventually given to the continent that was once part of Gondwana.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. Gondwana
  2. Antarctica - Early geographic discoveries
  3. European exploration - Westward voyages to the Pacific

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