This seriously happened. A professor at Southern New Hampshire University assigned an online class an assignment: Compare the social norms of the United States to that of another country. A 27 year old student in Idaho chose Australia.
The professor failed the student, insisting Australia is a CONTINENT not a COUNTRY.
Wow.
The professor was fired and the university issued an apology to the country/continent.
For the record, Australia is both.
photo: Google maps