The original post: /r/todayilearned by /u/ralphbernardo on 2024-12-03 19:58:21.

Original Title: TIL about Terra Australis, a hypothetical continent proposed in antiquity and appearing on maps from the 15th to 18th centuries. Based on the idea of balancing northern lands with southern ones, it shrank as explorations occurred. The name “Australia” stems from this centuries-old geographical myth.