Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, spanning over 7.6 million square kilometres. It is slightly smaller than the United States and nearly covers the whole of Europe. Australia's size is even more remarkable when considering its small population and unique and diverse landscapes, from its rugged outback to its pristine beaches and ancient rainforests. The country's vast landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and sheer landmass make it stand out on the global map.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Australia's global rank in terms of size | Sixth-largest country in the world |
| Land area | 7,682,300 sq km or 7.7 million sq km or 7,688,287 sq km |
| Percentage of world's land area | 5% |
| Comparison to other countries | Larger than the United Kingdom, Europe, and California. Comparable in size to the United States. |
| Coastline length | 34,000 km |
| Ecosystems and landscapes | Coral reefs, golden beaches, ancient rainforests, rugged outback, red deserts, lush rainforests, pristine shores, rugged cliffs, etc. |
| Diversity of flora and fauna | Eucalyptus trees, platypus, echidna, acacias, dingoes, kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, etc. |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world
Australia's vast land area encompasses diverse ecosystems and landscapes. From its iconic red deserts to lush rainforests and stunning coastlines, the country offers a range of environments to explore. Its global isolation, low relief, and aridity of its surface are some of its most striking characteristics. The country's unique flora and fauna include hundreds of kinds of eucalyptus trees, acacias, and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna.
The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Queensland, is another example of Australia's impressive size and diversity. It is the greatest mass of coral in the world and one of the foremost tourist attractions. The Dingo Fence, the longest fence in the world, also showcases the country's vast expanse. Australia's coastline, stretching over 34,000 kilometres, provides endless opportunities for exploration, from surfing in Byron Bay to snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef.
The sheer size of Australia has also shaped its social landscape. The country is extremely remote from its traditional allies and trading partners, with distances of about 12,000 miles (19,000 km) to Great Britain and 7,000 miles (11,000 km) to the west coast of the United States. This isolation has influenced Australians' interest in the proximity of Asian markets and the industrialized economies of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
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It is slightly smaller than the United States
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, spanning 7.7 million square kilometres. In comparison, the United States is slightly larger, with a total area of approximately 9.9 million square kilometres, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
To put this into perspective, Australia's landmass is comparable to that of the continental United States, without the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. This means that the two countries are relatively similar in size, with the United States being only slightly bigger.
When looking at specific travel distances within each country, there are also similarities. For example, travelling from Sydney to Perth in Australia, which spans the country from the east coast to the west coast, is roughly equivalent in distance to travelling from New York to Los Angeles in the United States.
While Australia is slightly smaller than the United States in terms of total land area, it is worth noting that Australia has a significantly lower population. Australia's population is approximately 27 million, while the United States population is over three times larger, with a population of approximately 331 million people.
In summary, while Australia is slightly smaller than the United States in terms of geographical size, the two countries share comparable travel distances across their respective east and west coasts. Additionally, Australia's population is considerably smaller than that of the United States, resulting in differences in infrastructure and transportation frequency.
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Australia is 12,000 miles from Great Britain
Australia is a large country, the sixth-largest in the world by area, after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil. Covering 7.7 million square kilometres (7 688 287 km2 to be precise), it accounts for just 5% of the world's land area. Australia is the world's smallest continental land mass but the largest island.
When compared to other countries, Australia is huge. For example, when overlaid on a map, Australia completely dwarfs the United Kingdom, and almost covers the whole of Europe. The US state of California is almost twice the size of the UK, and Kazakhstan fits snugly within Australia.
Australia is also far away from many other countries. The closest distance between Australia and the United Kingdom is 13,025 km or 8,093 miles. That's a long way! The estimated flight time between the two countries is 14.27 hours, travelling at an average airplane speed of 567 mph.
So, Australia is not just big in size, but also in terms of distance from other countries, like the UK. This vast distance of over 8,000 miles may contribute to a sense of Australia being 'far away' or remote from other parts of the world.
In summary, Australia is a large country, covering a significant area of the world, and it is also located a considerable distance from other countries, such as Great Britain, which is over 12,000 miles away.
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The country is almost twice the size of the UK
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, spanning over 7.6 million square kilometres. This makes it almost twice the size of the UK. When placed on an interactive map, Australia dwarfs the United Kingdom and nearly covers the whole of Europe.
Australia's landmass is just a little smaller than that of the United States. The country boasts diverse landscapes, from golden beaches along its 34,000-kilometre coastline to the rugged outback in the interior. Its vast landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and sheer landmass make it stand out on the global map.
The country's size provides endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Visitors can explore ancient rainforests in Queensland, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, or hike in the Outback. Australia's low relief is due to the long and extensive erosive action of wind, rain, and sun over geologic time when the continental mass was elevated above sea level.
Australia's vast land area allows it to encompass diverse ecosystems, from coral reefs to deserts and rainforests. The country is home to unique flora and fauna, including hundreds of eucalyptus tree species and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna.
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Australia is the world's largest island
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country by area, after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil. It covers 7,688,287 square kilometres, or 3 million square miles, accounting for just 5% of the world's land area.
While Australia is sometimes referred to as an "island continent", most geographers today consider islands and continents to be separate. According to Britannica, an island is a mass of land that is both "entirely surrounded by water" and "smaller than a continent". By this definition, Australia is not an island because it is already a continent.
However, this definition of an island is not universally agreed upon. The Oxford English Dictionary defines an island as a "piece of land surrounded by water". In the late 18th century, some geographers considered Australia to be an island, and it was referred to as such by Samuel Butler in 1813.
If we use the OED's definition, Australia can be considered the world's largest island, as it is a single country surrounded by water and larger than Greenland, which is typically considered the largest island.
In conclusion, while Australia is widely recognised as a continent today, it has historically been referred to as an island, and by some definitions, it can still be considered the world's largest island.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, spanning over 7.6 million square kilometres.
Australia is much larger than the United Kingdom. An interactive map by The True Size reveals that Australia almost completely covers Europe when dragged over the top.
Australia is slightly smaller than the United States, which is the fourth-largest country in the world. The two countries are nearly the exact same size when the US territories of Alaska and Hawaii are excluded.
Australia offers a wide range of landscapes, from golden beaches and pristine shores to rugged outback terrain and ancient rainforests. It is also home to the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, and the longest fence, the Dingo Fence.
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