Leslie Massey
Australia is the only country on the continent of Australia, making it the only continent that is also a country. The continent includes the Australian mainland, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and most of the Coral Sea Islands, among other nearby islands. The continent of Australia is also referred to as Sahul, Australinea, Meganesia, or Australia-New Guinea to distinguish it from the country of Australia. It is the smallest of the seven continents and is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of countries | 1 |
| Country | Australia |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Largest city | Sydney |
| Population | 25 million |
| Official language | English |
| Geography | Deserts, tropical rainforests, tropical savannas, and mountain ranges |
| Total land area | 7.6 million square kilometres |
| Coastline length | 34,218 kilometres |
| Exclusive Economic Zone area | 8,148,250 kilometres |
| Climate | Desert, semi-arid, temperate, tropical, and Mediterranean |
| Temperature range | Above 50 °C to below 0 °C |
| Weather phenomena | El Niño-Southern Oscillation, causing droughts and wet periods |
| Fauna | Koala, emu, platypus, kangaroo, Tasmanian devil, goanna, honeyeater, and the world's most venomous snake, the Inland Taipan |
| Flora | Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system |
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What You'll Learn
- Australia is the only country in the continent of Australia
- The continent is also referred to as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia
- The continent includes the island of New Guinea, comprising Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea
- Australia is the smallest of the seven continents and is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans
- The country of Australia is highly urbanised and has the world's 9th largest immigrant population
Australia is the only country in the continent of Australia
The Australian continent is part of the Australian Plate and is the lowest, flattest, and oldest landmass on Earth. It has a diverse landscape, including deserts, tropical rainforests, tropical savannas, and mountain ranges. The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's largest mountain range, stretching over 3,000 kilometres. The continent also includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas, dividing it into several landmasses. The Arafura Sea and Torres Strait separate mainland Australia from New Guinea, and the Bass Strait lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Australia has a variety of climates, ranging from desert and semi-arid conditions to temperate, tropical, and Mediterranean climates in different regions. The country experiences significant weather variations due to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, with extensive droughts and wet periods. The Australian continent is known for its unique flora and fauna, with many endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Approximately 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 24% of fish and insects, and 93% of amphibians are native to the continent. The koala, emu, platypus, kangaroo, and Tasmanian devil are some of the iconic animals of Australia.
Australia is the largest country by area in the Australian continent and Oceania, covering about 86% of the region's total area. It has a population of about 25 million people, with major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in several steps, achieving full independence in 1986.
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The continent is also referred to as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia
Australia is the only country in the continent of Australia. It is the world's sixth-largest country by area and the single country that covers an entire continent. The continent is also referred to as Sahul, Australinea, or Meganesia to differentiate it from the country of Australia. The name "Sahul" is derived from the Sahul Shelf, which is a part of the continental shelf of the Australian continent. During the Pleistocene Epoch, the continent of Sahul included the present-day landmasses of mainland Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, as well as the land bridges that connected them. Geographically, Sahul was located at the same latitude as present-day Australia and New Guinea. Some researchers estimate that Sahul was about 30% larger than the collective area of present-day Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.
The name "Meganesia" means "great island" or "great island-group". It was suggested in 1984 and has been widely accepted by biologists. Zoogeographers tend to use the name Meganesia. The name "Australinea" was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins in 2004. The term "Greater Australia" has been used to refer to the Pleistocene continent, but it has been criticised for placing greater emphasis on present-day Australia at the expense of New Guinea.
The continent of Australia is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. It is the smallest of the seven traditional continents and is part of the Australian Plate, which is the lowest, flattest, and oldest landmass on Earth. The continent includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas, which divide it into several landmasses. These include the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait between mainland Australia and New Guinea, and the Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania.
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The continent includes the island of New Guinea, comprising Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea
The continent of Australia includes the island of New Guinea, which is divided into Papua New Guinea and Western New Guinea. New Guinea is the second-largest island in the world, exceeded in size only by Greenland. It is about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) long and about 400 miles (650 km) wide at its widest part. The island is situated in the eastern Malay Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, north of Australia. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the north, the Bismarck and Solomon seas to the east, the Coral Sea and Torres Strait to the south, and the Arafura Sea to the southwest.
New Guinea is divided politically into two parts: its western half comprises the Indonesian provinces of Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua (collectively, formerly called Irian Jaya); and its eastern half is the major land mass of the nation of Papua New Guinea, also known as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea became an independent country in 1975, and it has a population of about 15 million people. The official language of Papua New Guinea is English, although several pidgins, such as Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu, are widely spoken.
The island of New Guinea was formerly known as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea and was governed by Australia. It was originally split between German New Guinea in the north and the British Territory of Papua in the south, which was ceded to Australia in 1902. After World War I, German New Guinea was also taken over by Australia as a mandated territory of the League of Nations. Following World War II, Australia continued to govern the combined Territory of Papua and New Guinea until Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975.
Geologically, New Guinea is part of the same tectonic plate as Australia, and during the Pleistocene glaciations, the two landmasses were united via a land bridge, forming the continent of Sahul, also known as Greater Australia. The island's name was given by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez during his maritime expedition in 1545 due to the perceived resemblance of the indigenous peoples of the island to those in the African region of Guinea.
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Australia is the smallest of the seven continents and is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans
Australia is the smallest of the seven continents. It is also the only continent that is entirely a single country. Covering an area of 7.6 million square kilometres (2.9 million square miles), Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world by area. The country is home to around 25 million people, and its major cities include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The capital of Australia is Canberra, and the official language is English.
The continent of Australia is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. It is surrounded by the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans. The continent includes the Australian mainland, Tasmania, 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 several other nearby islands. The region is also referred to as Australasia or Oceania.
The Australian continent has a diverse landscape, ranging from deserts and semi-arid regions to tropical rainforests, savannas, and mountain ranges. The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's largest mountain range, stretching over 3,000 kilometres. The continent also boasts the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland.
The climate in Australia varies from region to region. The southern coastal corners enjoy a temperate climate, with the east coast featuring an oceanic climate and the west coast a Mediterranean climate. The northern parts of the country experience a tropical climate. Snowfall is common on the highlands near the east coast, in states like Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. The continent is susceptible to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, resulting in periods of drought and heavy rainfall.
Australia has a unique biodiversity due to its long geographic isolation and tectonic stability. Approximately 83% of mammals, 89% of reptiles, 24% of fish and insects, and 93% of amphibians found in Australia are endemic to the continent. The country is known for its iconic animals such as koalas, emus, kangaroos, and platypuses. The continent also hosts around 800 species of birds, with 45% of these being endemic to the region.
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The country of Australia is highly urbanised and has the world's 9th largest immigrant population
Australia is the only country on the continent of Australia. It is the sixth-largest country by area in the world and the largest country in Oceania. The country has a diverse landscape, with deserts, tropical rainforests, tropical savannas, and mountain ranges. The total land area of the country is 7.6 million square kilometres (2.9 million square miles).
The country of Australia has the world's ninth-largest immigrant population. The population of Australia is about 25 million people, with the official language being English. Australia has a highly urbanised population, with major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The population is growing due to a net flow of migrants, with 31.5% of the population, or 8.6 million people, born overseas as of June 2024. The proportion of the population born outside Australia has been increasing, up from 30.7% in 2023 and 23.8% in 2004.
Historically, Australia has had high levels of immigration, with the majority of immigrants coming from Britain and Ireland, particularly England, Ireland, and Scotland. There was also significant immigration from China and Germany during the 19th century. After World War II, Australia launched a large-scale immigration program, attracting hundreds of thousands of displaced Europeans, including over 1,000,000 British subjects. Since the end of the 'White Australia' policy in 1973, Australia has pursued an official policy of multiculturalism, with Asia being the largest source of immigrants in the 21st century.
Australia offers various types of immigration visas, including skilled occupation visas, which are assessed based on a points system, and student visas, which require an offer from an educational institution. The country has a diverse population, with people from nearly every country in the world represented in the birthplaces of its residents. As of June 2024, the four most common countries of birth for overseas-born Australians were England, India, China, and New Zealand.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one country in the continent of Australia, and it is the country of Australia.
No, New Zealand is part of the separate, submerged continent of Zealandia. However, New Zealand is still part of the Oceanian sub-region known as Australasia, which also includes Australia and New Guinea.
Yes, there are several dependent territories in the continent of Australia, including Tasmania, the island of New Guinea (only its eastern half), and thousands of other tiny, tropical islands.
