Australia - The Country of Islands ~ MassPix

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The name "Australia" comes from the Latin word "Australis," which means "of the South." The name was first used in a 1692 novel by French author Gabriel de Foigny. It became even more popular in the 1814 writings of Matthew Flinders. The name was officially adopted by the British Admirality in 1824.
Australia is fringed by 8,222 islands, offering every type of holiday experience. Sail through the Whitsundays, 4WD to Fraser Island’s rainforests and lakes or pick a tropical paradise in the Great Barrier Reef. Uncover the unique culture of the Torres Strait or Tiwi Islands. Explore the wildlife havens of Kangaroo Island in South Australia or French and Phillip Island in Victoria. Day trip to gorgeous Rottnest Island from Perth or cruise the remote, spectacular Buccaneer Archipelago, off the coast of Derby. Island hop around Sydney Harbour or fly to Lord Howe Island, home to the world’s southernmost coral reef. Discover the wild beauty of the islands off Tasmania, itself Australia’s biggest island.
The islands larger than 1,000km² are Mainland Tasmania, 64,519 km²; Melville Island (NT), 5,786 km²; Kangaroo Island (SA), 4,416 km²; Groote Eylandt (NT), 2,285 km²; Bathurst Island (NT), 1,693 km²; Fraser Island (Qld), 1,653 km²; Flinders Island (Tas), 1,359 km²; King Island (Tas), 1,091 km²; and Mornington Island (Qld), 1 002 km². The area of the continent of Australia is 6,560,000 km².