Terra Australis

Terra Australis was a hypothetical large landmass believed to exist in the Southern Hemisphere since the 15th to 18th centuries. Explorers and mapmakers thought it balanced the known continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa in the north. It was imagined as a vast, southern continent to fill the gap in world geography. Over time, exploration showed no such landmass existed, and the idea was replaced by the discovery of Australia and Antarctica. Today, Terra Australis remains a historical concept reflecting early European efforts to understand global geography.