
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, spanning 7,688,287 square kilometres or 2,966,152 square miles. The United States is larger, covering 9,833,517 square kilometres or 3,531,905 square miles. However, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, the two countries are roughly the same size. In terms of population, the US is far denser, with 311.2 million more people than Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Land Area | America: 9.83 million km² Australia: 7.69 million km² |
| Percent of Land Area to Earth's Land | America: 6.6% Australia: 5.1% |
| Ranking in World | America: 3rd largest country Australia: 6th largest country |
| Population | America: ~333 million Australia: ~26 million |
| Population Density | America: 34 people per km² Australia: 3.4 people per km² |
| Time Zones | America: 9 time zones Australia: 3 time zones |
| Number of States | America: 50 states Australia: 6 states and 2 major territories |
| Capital City | America: Washington, D.C. Australia: Canberra |
| Largest City (by population) | America: New York City Australia: Sydney |
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What You'll Learn

Australia is 1.2% bigger than the contiguous US
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, with a land area of about 7,682,300 to 7,741,220 square kilometres. It accounts for just 5% of the world's land area and is the smallest continental land mass.
The United States, on the other hand, is approximately 9,147,593 to 9,833,517 square kilometres in size, depending on whether you include Alaska and Hawaii. If you exclude these two states, the US is roughly the same size as Australia.
However, when comparing the contiguous US (the 48 adjoining states, plus Washington, DC) to Australia, the latter is 1.2% larger. This means that while Australia may be slightly bigger in terms of land area, the US has a significantly higher population, with around 311.2 million more people living there.
To put the size difference in perspective, travelling from Sydney to Perth in Australia is roughly equivalent to travelling from New York to Los Angeles in the US. This highlights the vast distances within both countries and the time required to explore them fully.
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The US is 27% larger if Alaska and Hawaii are included
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, spanning 7,688,287 square kilometres or 7,741,220 square kilometres according to different sources. The United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, is approximately 9,833,517 square kilometres in size. This makes the US 27% larger than Australia.
Australia has a population of about 27 million people, while the population of the US is over 311 million. This means that the whole of Australia has about the same number of people as the state of Texas.
The size of Australia compared to the US can be a little confusing, as the shape of Australia may give the impression that it is smaller than it is. Additionally, when comparing the continental US (the lower 48 states) to Australia, Australia is only about 1.2% larger. Excluding Alaska and Hawaii from the comparison, the two countries are roughly the same size.
Despite being smaller in size, the US has a much larger population than Australia. This is due to several factors, including the fact that Australia has a less dense network of roads and other infrastructure compared to the US. The sense of space in Australia is also different, with longer distances between destinations. For example, travelling from Sydney to Perth in Australia is about the same as travelling from New York to Los Angeles in the US.
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Australia has 311.2 million fewer people than the US
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, with a land area of about 7,688,287 square kilometres. The United States, meanwhile, is approximately 9,833,517 square kilometres in size, making it roughly 27% larger than Australia. However, despite America's larger land mass, Australia has two states that are among the largest in the world. Western Australia covers 2.5 million square kilometres, while Queensland spans 1.8 million square kilometres. Only Alaska, at 1.7 million square kilometres, is larger than these two Australian states.
While Australia is slightly bigger than the continental US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), it has a significantly smaller population. As of 2017, Australia's population was estimated to be around 24.16 million, while the US population was approximately 323.1 million. This means that there are about 311.2 million more people living in the United States than in Australia.
The population difference between the two countries can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the US has a higher population density, with more people living in a smaller land area. Additionally, the US may have a higher rate of immigration and a higher birth rate than Australia, contributing to its larger population.
The smaller population in Australia has some implications for infrastructure and transportation. For example, Australia may not have the same frequency of flights, ferries, trains, and buses between destinations as the US. Travelling across Australia can take significantly more time due to the vast distances involved. Driving from Sydney to Perth, for instance, is comparable to driving from New York to Los Angeles in terms of distance.
The population disparity between Australia and the US also results in different cultural and social dynamics. With a more sparsely populated country, Australians may have a different sense of space and distance compared to Americans, who are used to driving across entire states in a matter of hours.
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Sydney to Perth is like New York to LA
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, with a land area of about 7,741,220 sq km (or 7 688 287 km2). The United States, which ranks fourth, is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making it 27% larger than Australia.
To put the size of Australia into perspective, travelling from Sydney to Perth is about the same as travelling from New York to Los Angeles. The distance between Sydney and Perth is, in fact, longer than the distance between Moscow and Paris. This distance is so great that some travellers choose to break up the journey with a layover in Sydney or Perth, despite the additional time and expense.
The drive from Sydney to Perth is incredibly long and can be very boring for long stretches. Travellers will see a lot of flat, treeless ground, with not much else to look at. However, there are beautiful national parks along the way, and the night sky is amazing when there is no light pollution.
The population of Australia is also significantly lower than that of the United States. Australia has a population of about 27 million people, while the US has a population of about 338 million people. This means that Australia's infrastructure cannot support the same frequency of transport options between destinations as the US.
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Australia is the smallest continent
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as Oceania, which includes the nation of Australia, the nation of Papua New Guinea, and the island nation of New Zealand, as well as Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and other islands in the Central and South Pacific. The term Oceania was originally a “great division” of the world in the 19th century, and the concept of Australia as one of the world's continents gained popularity in English-speaking countries in the 1950s.
The continent of Australia, also known as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia, includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the island of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea), the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands. Australia is situated in the geographical region of Oceania, specifically in the subregion of Australasia, and is the world's largest island.
In comparison to the United States, Australia is approximately 27% smaller. The US has a land area of approximately 9,833,517 square kilometres, while Australia has a population of about 27 million people, similar to the population of the state of Texas.
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Frequently asked questions
Excluding Alaska and Hawaii, the United States of America is roughly the same size as Australia. The US is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, while Australia is approximately 7,741,220 sq km, making the US 27% larger than Australia. However, Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, while the US is the fourth-largest.
The population of the US is much larger than that of Australia. The US has a population of about 311.2 million people, while Australia has a population of about 26.1 million people.
Australia is larger than any individual US state. Western Australia, the largest Australian state, is 2.5 million sq km, while the largest US state, Alaska, is 1.7 million sq km.













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