Lexi Webster
Australia is often referred to as a country, but it is also the name of a continent. The Australian continent consists of three sovereign countries: Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. However, the broader region of Oceania, which includes Australia and the Pacific Islands, is comprised of 14 countries and 12 dependent territories.
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What You'll Learn
Australia's geography and climate
Australia is a sovereign state comprising the Australian continent's interior, the island of Tasmania, and several smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent and is the sixth-largest country by land area. Australia's geography is extremely diverse, ranging from snow-capped mountains to large deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, heathlands, and woodlands. The country has a coastline that stretches for 34,218 kilometres (excluding offshore islands) and a sizeable Exclusive Economic Zone of 3,146,060 square miles.
Australia's climate is the second driest of any continent, after Antarctica. The country has a very low annual average rainfall of 16 inches, and 80% of the land receives less than 24 inches of precipitation annually. The climate varies significantly due to Australia's large geographical size. The largest part of the country is desert or semi-arid, and only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, with grasslands and desert areas. Australia's winter is relatively mild compared to the northern continents, and the country experiences four distinct seasons.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), including Canberra, has warm, dry summers and cool nights, with occasional thunderstorms. Heavy frosts are common, and the higher mountains to the west are snow-covered for much of the winter and early spring. The ACT's highest temperature was 111.2 °F in January 2020, while the lowest was 5.7 °F in July 1971. The Northern Territory, including Darwin, has a tropical savannah climate with high humidity and distinct wet and dry seasons. The wet season in Darwin lasts from November to April, with temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 34 °C.
The East Coast of Australia, including Melbourne and Sydney, is the most populated and frequented by tourists. Melbourne is known for experiencing all four seasons in a single day, with sunny weather quickly turning to rain. Sydney has warm and mild weather year-round, while Brisbane tends to be hotter and drier. The northern end of Australia, including Cairns, experiences wet and dry seasons, with Cairns receiving heavy rainfall during the summer. The Australian desert, often referred to as the Outback, has a very hot and dry climate, with temperatures reaching as high as 50 °C in some areas.
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History of exploration and settlement
Australia is viewed by many as a single country, but it is also the name of a continent that comprises several countries. The Australian continent consists of three sovereign countries: Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The continent also includes portions of the island of New Guinea, which are under Indonesian jurisdiction, namely Papua and West Papua.
The ancestors of today's ethnically and culturally distinct Torres Strait Islanders arrived from what is now Papua New Guinea around 2,500 years ago, settling the islands at the northern tip of the Australian landmass. Aboriginal Australians settled throughout continental Australia and many nearby islands, establishing artistic, musical, and spiritual traditions that are among the longest-surviving in human history.
In the 16th century, explorers from Europe began to arrive in Australia. The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland was in 1606, by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who also made the first recorded landfall. The Dutch charted the western and northern coastlines and named the continent "New Holland". William Dampier, an English explorer, landed on the northwest coast of New Holland in 1688 and again in 1699.
In 1768, Captain James Cook set sail from England on the first of three voyages on behalf of the British Admiralty. In 1770, he charted the east coast of Australia and claimed it for Great Britain. He recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site for settlement, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived there in January 1788 to establish a penal colony.
In 1789, the New South Wales Corps was formed in England as a permanent regiment of the British Army to relieve the marines who had accompanied the First Fleet. In 1798, George Bass and Matthew Flinders circumnavigated Tasmania, proving it to be an island. In 1801, Flinders led the first circumnavigation of Australia, with Aboriginal explorer Bungaree, who became the first person born on the Australian continent to circumnavigate it.
In the 1810s, a road across the Blue Mountains was completed, opening the way for large-scale farming and grazing in the lightly wooded pastures west of the Great Dividing Range. In 1819, an inquiry into the colony was conducted, and Macquarie resigned shortly before the report's publication. In 1820, British settlement was largely confined to a 100-kilometer radius around Sydney and to the central plain of Van Diemen's Land.
In 1824, Hamilton Hume and William Hovell led an expedition to find new grazing land in the south of the colony and to follow the flow of New South Wales' western rivers. The colony of South Australia was settled in 1836, with its western, eastern, and northern boundaries set by the British Parliament. European explorers made their final expeditions into the interior of Australia during the second half of the 19th century.
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Australia's political system
Australia is a federation comprising six states and two territories, all governed by a single Constitution. The country's political system is a parliamentary democracy, with a federal parliament responsible for making national laws on issues like trade, taxation, and immigration. This parliament consists of two houses: the House of Representatives (or lower house) and the Senate (or upper house). For a bill to become legislation, it must be approved by both houses.
Each level of government has distinct responsibilities. The federal government shapes national policies like healthcare funding and immigration rules, while state governments oversee schools, hospitals, and transportation systems. Local councils, the lowest tier of government, manage essential services such as rubbish collection, local road maintenance, and recreational facilities.
The monarch, currently King Charles III, is Australia's head of state and is represented by the governor-general. The head of government is the prime minister, currently Anthony Albanese. Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system since Federation in 1901. It operates as a two-party system, with the long-standing coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. However, there are other parties in Parliament, including the Greens and Teal Independents.
The Senate's system of single transferable voting has a lower quota than the House, making it easier for minor parties to gain seats. Australia's political system is designed to balance representation and accountability across its different levels of government.
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The economy and trade
Australia is a sovereign state and the smallest continent in the world. It is also referred to as the "island continent" and is sometimes regarded as the largest island in the world. Australia is a stable, democratic, and culturally diverse nation with a highly skilled workforce and one of the strongest performing economies in the world.
The Australian economy is underpinned by its open and transparent trade and investment environment, business-friendly regulatory approach, and its economic links with emerging economies, particularly in Asia. Australia's exports of commodities, particularly to fast-growing Asian economies, have contributed to a surplus every month since 2018. The country's strong natural resources, including iron ore and natural gas, have helped keep exports high.
The Australian government is working to secure improved conditions for Australian investors and their investments in other economies. This includes promoting a more predictable and transparent environment for investments and regulatory arrangements that facilitate the cross-border flow of investment. Australia's active pursuit of free trade agreements has brought major economic benefits, and the government must continue to secure these agreements to maintain positive economic ties with key trading partners.
Western Australia's international trade added $16,200 to average household incomes in 2022, and free trade agreements have increased Australian exports by $472 billion. WA's merchandise exports accounted for 45% of Australian exports in the year ending April 2023 and were valued at almost $273 billion. WA has a strong trade profile in products connected to environmental improvements, with its green exports increasing from below 50% of total exports in 2015 to over 65% by 2021.
In summary, Australia's economy is strong and diverse, with a range of trade and investment opportunities contributing to its success. The country's open and transparent trade policies, business-friendly regulatory environment, and economic links with emerging markets, particularly in Asia, have all contributed to its strong economic performance.
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Australia's unique flora and fauna
Australia is a continent comprising multiple landmasses, including mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and most of the Coral Sea Islands, among others. It is the smallest of the seven traditional continents, with a total land area of 8.56 million square kilometres.
The continent of Australia boasts a diverse array of flora and fauna, with a very high proportion of native species found nowhere else on Earth. Australia's unique flora and fauna have been shaped by its long geographic isolation, tectonic stability, and the effects of a distinct pattern of climate change. The country has experienced a significant loss of biodiversity due to human activities, including the introduction of exotic species, land clearance for agriculture, and overgrazing.
Flora
Australia is home to a vast array of plant species, with approximately 85% of them being endemic to the region. In 2020 alone, 77 new plant species were discovered and named. The Tasmanian Midlands, one of the most notable biodiversity hotspots, is home to numerous rare and threatened plant species. The Kimberley region in Western Australia also boasts unique terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Fauna
The fauna of Australia is equally remarkable and diverse, with high levels of endemism. The continent's fauna includes birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, many of which are unique to the region. Marsupials, such as macropods, possums, and dasyuromorphs, are particularly significant in Australia, occupying ecological niches that placental mammals hold elsewhere. Australia is also home to monotremes, including the platypus, and numerous venomous species like spiders, scorpions, octopuses, and jellyfish.
The country has witnessed high rates of terrestrial mammal extinctions, with introduced species like feral cats and European red foxes being the primary drivers. Conservation efforts, such as the establishment of reserves and legislation like the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, aim to protect Australia's vulnerable flora and fauna.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 3 countries in Australia: Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. However, the answer depends on whether you are referring to Australia as a country or a continent. If you are referring to the continent of Australia, also known as Australasia or Oceania, there are 14 countries and 12 dependent territories.
The 14 countries in the continent of Australia are: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Island, French Polynesia, Cook Island, and New Caledonia.
The 12 dependent territories in the continent of Australia are the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.
Australia is both a country and a continent.
