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Submerged continent
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<p>A submerged continent or a sunken continent is a <a href="/facts/Landmass/Nr31Cq7A">region</a> of <a href="/facts/Continental_crust/cGnK3oEr">continental crust</a>, extensive in size but mainly <a href="/facts/Underwater_environment/oTwtumEX">undersea</a>. The terminology is used by some <a href="/facts/Historical_geology/qL8xt06t">paleogeologists</a> and <a href="/facts/Geographer/lQAzvXY0">geographers</a> in reference to some landmasses (none of which are as large as any of the seven generally-recognized <a href="/facts/Continent/Pysd9Sw8">continents</a>). </p><p>The definition of this term is unclear. If <a href="/facts/Continental_fragment/kVdU4Ldy">continental fragments</a> and microcontinents smaller than 2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi), which is approximately one third of the area of <a href="/facts/Mainland_Australia/2JNyVlCK">mainland Australia</a>, are excluded, then <a href="/facts/Zealandia/sMl4zeGA">Zealandia</a> (approximately 4,900,000 km2 or 1,900,000 sq mi) would be the only geological feature which is classifiable as a submerged continent. </p><p>Other notable submerged lands include <a href="/facts/Beringia/5AHokBkE">Beringia</a>, <a href="/facts/Doggerland/X49uDaxd">Doggerland</a>, the <a href="/facts/Kerguelen_Plateau/NxlY0Uzt">Kerguelen Plateau</a>, <a href="/facts/Mauritia_(microcontinent)/JbrdNklr">Mauritia</a>, <a href="/facts/Sahul_Shelf/a9jMWa3j">Sahul</a>, and <a href="/facts/Sunda_Shelf/HCHXUN4v">Sunda</a>. </p><p>Submerged continents have been sought and speculated about in regard to a possible "<a href="/facts/List_of_lost_lands/hLj90t5V">lost continent</a>" underwater in the <a href="/facts/Atlantic_Ocean/EI4uChIb">Atlantic Ocean</a>. There was also a search in the 1930s for <a href="/facts/Lemuria_(continent)/w0Bq6jdp">Lemuria</a>, thought to have been a possible submerged continent between the Indian and African coasts. </p>