Leslie Massey
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent, making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The country's landscape is diverse, ranging from tropical rainforests along the coast to deserts in the interior, and it is known for its unique flora and fauna, including kangaroos, koalas, and the Great Barrier Reef. With a highly urbanized population of nearly 28 million, Australia's capital is Canberra, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | Almost 28 million |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Most populous cities | Sydney and Melbourne (both with a population of more than five million) |
| Diversity | One of the highest foreign-born populations in the world |
| Economy | Highly developed, one of the highest per capita incomes globally |
| Economy sector | Agriculture (exporter of wool, wheat, beef, fruit, and wine), minerals and metals (world's fourth-largest producer of gold) |
| Military expenditure | 13th highest in the world |
| Land area | 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania |
| Continent | Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent (the smallest continent) |
| Climate | Wet tropical in the northeast and northwest, arid in the center, temperate and humid in the coastal south |
| Geography | Global isolation, low relief, aridity, dense rainforests in the northeast, famous outback (remote rural areas) with large deserts |
| Culture | Passion for sports including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, and Australian rules football |
| Unique flora and fauna | Eucalyptus trees, egg-laying mammals (platypus and echidna), acacias (Acacia pycnantha or golden wattle is the national flower), dingoes, kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, funnel-web spiders, venomous snakes |
| Natural formations | Uluru (a sacred site rising 1,100 feet tall from a flat red-soil desert called the Red Center) |
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What You'll Learn
- Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent
- Canberra is the capital of Australia
- Australia is the world's driest and flattest inhabited continent
- Australia has the world's 14th-largest economy
- The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, is off the coast of Queensland
Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent
Australia is officially the Commonwealth of Australia. It is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth. Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor Seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand.
Australia has a total area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. Its population of almost 28 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra is the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with a population of more than five million. Australia has the world's 9th largest immigrant population, with nearly a quarter of its residents born in other countries.
Australia is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast. The famous outback contains the country's largest deserts, with scorching temperatures, little water, and almost no vegetation. The Great Dividing Range is a 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) stretch of mountains that runs along the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia, providing water to the country's most important rivers and the Great Artesian Basin.
Australia is rich in natural resources and has a diverse culture. It ranks highly for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties, and political rights. The country is also a significant exporter of agricultural goods such as wool, wheat, beef, fruit, and wine, and it is the world's fourth-largest producer of gold.
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Canberra is the capital of Australia
Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it is the world's smallest continent and the sixth-largest country by total area. It is known for its diverse landscapes and climates, ranging from tropical rainforests along the coast to deserts in the interior. The country is highly urbanized, with most of its nearly 28 million people concentrated on the eastern seaboard.
Canberra is the only mainland Australian city where snow-capped mountains can be seen for much of the winter, although snow in the city itself is uncommon. The city is home to notable landmarks such as Parliament House, the National Library of Australia, the High Court of Australia, and the Australian National Gallery.
As the capital, Canberra hosts the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia, known as Government House, as well as the majority of foreign embassies in Australia. The city has a well-planned layout, featuring geometric motifs centered around significant topographical landmarks.
Canberra has a growing tourist trade and is known for its high quality of life, health, education, and civil liberties. It boasts a low crime rate and is surrounded by natural attractions such as the Namadgi National Park.
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Australia is the world's driest and flattest inhabited continent
Australia is a country that comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. It is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor Seas.
Australia is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. Its low relief is caused by its position near the center of a tectonic plate, where there are no volcanic or other geologic forces of the type that raises the topography of other continents. In fact, Australia is the only continent without any current volcanic activity at all. The country's low relief is also a result of the long and extensive erosive action of wind, rain, and the sun during the great periods of geological time when the continental mass was elevated well above sea level.
The Australian climate ranges from wet tropical in the northeast and northwest to arid in the center. The coastal south is temperate and humid, with winter freezing and snow in the southeastern highlands and Tasmania. The climate is influenced by Australia's position in the "horse latitudes", which tends to bring arid conditions. Overall, the Australian mainland is the driest inhabited continent, with an average annual rainfall of 470 millimeters (19 inches). About 70% of the country is arid or semi-arid, and about 18% is desert.
Australia is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast. The country's unique biome is a result of its extensive age, long-term geographical isolation, and extremely varied weather patterns. Australia is home to the largest number of reptile species of any country in the world, totaling 755 species.
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Australia has the world's 14th-largest economy
Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is the world's smallest and flattest inhabited continent. It is also one of the largest countries on Earth by area, and the largest in Oceania. Australia is highly urbanised, with a population of almost 28 million, and its culture is diverse, with one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world. The country is known for its unique ecosystem, which includes the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, and the Outback, with its scorching temperatures and sparse vegetation.
The country's abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to its economic success. It has a highly developed mixed economy and ranks highly for economic freedom, with extensive free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific Rim. Australia's economy is strongly intertwined with the countries of East and Southeast Asia, particularly China, its main export and import partner. The country also has a significant creative and tourism industry, with tourism representing 3.1% of GDP in 2017 and the creative industries contributing $122.8 billion to the economy in 2016.
In terms of production, Australia is a major player in the extraction and export of natural resources. In 2019, it was the largest producer of iron ore, bauxite, and opal, as well as a top producer of precious metals, non-renewable energy sources, and agricultural products. The country's extensive production and export capabilities have contributed significantly to its ranking as one of the top economies in the world.
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The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, is off the coast of Queensland
Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's driest and flattest inhabited continent and the sixth-largest country by total area. It is known for its warm and sunny climate and its highly urbanised population of almost 28 million, with the majority living on the eastern seaboard.
The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, is located off the coast of Queensland in the Pacific Ocean. It extends for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) and is a globally outstanding example of an ecosystem that has evolved over millennia. The reef is comprised of 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusc, as well as a great diversity of sponges, anemones, marine worms, crustaceans, and other species. It is also home to threatened species such as the dugong and the large green turtle.
The Great Barrier Reef is a significant tourist attraction, particularly for scuba divers, due to its warm, clear waters and accessibility from the mainland. Tourism is concentrated in Cairns and the Whitsundays, with many cities along the Queensland coast offering daily boat trips. The reef is also of great scientific interest, providing a unique opportunity to study the evolution of an ecosystem over millennia.
The formation of the Great Barrier Reef began approximately 24 million years ago when Queensland edged into tropical waters, providing conditions suitable for coral growth. The reef has continued to build up over time, with the substrate formed from the eroded sediments of the Great Dividing Range. The warm waters of the Pacific Ocean have enabled the corals to flourish, with temperatures ranging from 70 to 100 °F (21 to 38 °C).
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