Scientists have confirmed the existence of the eighth Continent named as Zealandia.
The newly found hidden continent Zealandia sits to the east of Australia.
And, 94 per cent of Zealandia is below the Pacific Ocean. The bits that aren’t waterlogged are commonly referred to as New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Zealandia also includes parts of Australian territory, Lord Howe and Norfolk islands.
A paper published in GSA Today, the journal of the Geological Society of America, contends that the vast, continuous expanse of continental crust, which centres on New Zealand, is distinct enough to constitute a separate continent.
Zealandia covers nearly 5m square km, of which 94% is under water.
The scientists, mostly from the official New Zealand research body GNS Science, said Zealandia was once part of the Gondwana super-continent but broke away about 100 million years ago.
The area, about the same size as the Indian subcontinent, is believed to have broken away from Gondwana many millions of years ago.
