After years of speculation, scientists have confirmed the existence of a continent called Zealandia, or Te Riu-a-Māui in the Māori language, according to The Post.
Zealandia covers an area of 1.89 million square kilometers and was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana, which included Eastern Australia and Western Antarctica over 500 million years ago.
In 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Tasman searched for the “great southern continent.” Although he did not find it, he encountered the Māori people, who told him about a large landmass to the east.
It was only in 2024 that geologists confirmed the continent had been there all along, mostly submerged underwater. Researchers at GNS Science in New Zealand use this discovery as an example of how something seemingly obvious can remain hidden for centuries.
