There used to be nine planets, but now there are eight. Pluto is not a planet. Now we may have to change the number of continents. We are taught there are seven - Asia, Africa, North America, etc. Geologists now say there is an eighth continent - Zealandia. This is a largely underwater landmass in the Pacific. Six per cent of it is above water and is New Zealand. The rest is under the ocean. Scientists say it is big enough to be a continent.
Geologists explained why Zealandia is a continent in a research paper. They said the land does not have to be above water to be a continent. Zealandia is a continent because it is a lot higher than the area around it, it has a special geology, it is easy to see its shape, and it is thicker than the ocean floor. It would be easy to understand that Zealandia is a continent, "if you could pull the plug on the world's oceans" and let the water out.