You might think you know all the continents, but what about Zealandia? In 2017, a previously unknown contingent of the shores of New Zealand was discovered - making headlines globally. Zealandia, known as Te Riu-a-Maui in the Maori language, covers more than 5 million square kilometres, making it twice the size of the subcontinent of India.
You may be wondering why, then, was it not discovered sooner? The reason is that 95 per cent of its area is submerged beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean, disappearing long before humans existed on Earth. Only a large mountain chain (the two islands of New Zealand) and some small oceanic islands are visible on the surface.
