Damon Mcknight
Australia is a country and continent located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. It is bounded by two major bodies of water: the Indian Ocean to the west and the South Pacific Ocean to the east. Australia is the smallest of the seven traditional continents and one of the largest countries on Earth. It is surrounded by oceans and does not share land borders with any other nation. Its closest neighbours are Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Continent | Australia is a continent. |
| Country | Australia is also a country. |
| Location | Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemispheres. |
| Bodies of Water | Australia is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and the South Pacific Ocean to the east. |
| Neighbours | Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and New Zealand. |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Largest City | Sydney |
| Population | 13.5 million labour force; 3.2 million people live in poverty. |
| Area | 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi) or 7,741,220 km2 (around 2.99 million sq mi) |
| Ranking | Sixth-largest country in the world; largest in Oceania; smallest continent. |
| Wealth | Second-highest amount of wealth per adult in the world; 13th-highest financial assets per capita; one of the highest per capita incomes globally. |
| Currency | Australian dollar |
| Debt | $963 billion (45.1% of the country's total GDP) |
| Unique Flora and Fauna | Eucalyptus trees, platypus, echidna, acacias, dingoes, kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras |
| Natural Hazards | Droughts, forest fires, cyclones, soil erosion, soil salinity, threats to the Great Barrier Reef |
| Human Rights | Strong protections for civil and political rights; same-sex marriage legal since 2017 |
| Culture | Diverse, reflecting Indigenous traditions, Anglo-Celtic heritage, and multicultural immigration. |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the smallest continent
Australia is a continent that is sometimes referred to as Oceania, which includes Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and other tiny islands in the Central and South Pacific. The geographical region of Oceania is often used to denote the region encompassing the Australian continent, Zealandia, and various islands in the Pacific Ocean that are not included in the seven-continent model.
The continent of Australia, sometimes known in technical contexts as Sahul, Australinea, Meganesia, or Australia-New Guinea, is located within the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. The continent includes mainland Australia, 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 some other nearby islands.
Australia is the smallest of the seven traditional continents, with a land area of almost 3 million square miles or 8.56 million square kilometres. It is the second-smallest continent by population, with just over 40 million people in Oceania. Australia is also the largest country without land borders and the sixth-largest country in the world. It is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent.
Australia's unique flora and fauna include hundreds of kinds of eucalyptus trees and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna. Other plants and animals associated with Australia are various acacias (Acacia pycnantha, or golden wattle, is the national flower), dingoes, kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburras.
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Australia is surrounded by ocean
Australia is an island continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans and a series of gulfs, bays, seas, and straits. It is situated in the Southern Hemisphere and is bounded by two major bodies of water: the Indian Ocean to the west and the South Pacific Ocean to the east. The Arafura Sea and Torres Strait separate mainland Australia from New Guinea, and the Bass Strait lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania. The Tasman Sea separates Australia from New Zealand.
Australia is the smallest of the seven continents and the largest country in Oceania. It is located near Maritime Southeast Asia and north of Antarctica. The continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other nearby islands. Australia has a diverse geography, with vast coastal lowlands, extensive deserts, and sizable mountain ranges.
The country's marine geography is also significant, with the Great Barrier Reef spanning the northeast coast of Queensland. This reef is the world's largest coral reef system, stretching over 2,300 kilometres and home to thousands of species of marine life. Australia's isolation from other continents has resulted in unique flora and fauna, including hundreds of eucalyptus tree species and the only egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna.
Australia's geography has influenced its culture and history. The evolution of Australian culture since British colonisation has resulted in distinctive cultural traits, and the country's vast and isolated geography has contributed to a sense of "mateship" and irreverence that characterises Australian national identity. Australia's natural hazards include severe droughts, forest fires, and cyclones along the coast. Environmental issues related to soil and water, such as soil erosion and salinity, also impact the country.
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Neighbours: Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea
Australia is located within the Southern and Eastern hemispheres, near Maritime Southeast Asia. The continent includes mainland Australia, 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 some other nearby islands.
Indonesia is Australia's largest neighbour by population size. It is also nearer by landfall to Australia than all countries except Papua New Guinea. Australia and Indonesia have had diplomatic relations since 27 December 1949, when Australia recognised Indonesia's independence. The relationship has been characterised by growing mutual trade, close links in government, education, and defence under the Lombok Treaty, and membership in several regional organisations. However, there have been some strained periods, including the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, the East Timor crisis in 1999, issues concerning West Papua, asylum seekers, and the disclosure of Australia's wiretapping of some Indonesian officials in 2013.
Papua New Guinea is Australia's closest neighbour, with only about 3.75 km separating the two countries at Saibai Island in the Torres Strait. Papua New Guinea was a colony of Australia and remained an external territory of Australia until 1975. The two countries have maintained close relations, with Australia supplying development aid and the two nations signing trade agreements in 1977 and 1991. However, there have also been periods of tension, such as the strain in relations between Prime Minister Michael Somare of Papua New Guinea and Prime Minister John Howard of Australia, which culminated in Somare being barred from entering Australia.
East Timor, officially known as Timor-Leste, is a small country located north of Australia and west of Indonesia. In 1974, following the Portuguese revolution, Portugal effectively abandoned its colony of East Timor. This led to concerns in Australia about the potential for a Communist government in East Timor, prompting the Whitlam government to support Indonesia's annexation of the territory. Australia was the only country to recognise Indonesia's annexation, despite criticism from some Australians and East Timorese independence advocates who lived in exile in Australia. In 1998, the Australian government changed its stance and supported East Timor's self-determination, leading to a referendum and East Timor's independence in 1999.
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Australia is the world's flattest continent
The continent includes a continental shelf overlain by shallow seas that divide it into several landmasses—the Arafura Sea and Torres Strait between mainland Australia and New Guinea, and Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania. Australia has a varied range of habitats, ranging from tropical rainforests to alpine heaths. It is believed that Australia is home to about 250,000 species of fungi, out of which only 5% have been described. The continent's extensive age, long-term geographical isolation, and extremely varied weather patterns have resulted in a unique biome.
The Australian continent has a total land area of 8.56 million square kilometers (3,310,000 sq mi). It is the smallest, lowest, and flattest continent, with an average elevation of only 1,082.7 feet above sea level (or 1,000 feet, according to some sources). The highest elevation in Australia is 7,309.7 feet above sea level at Mount Kosciuszko, while the lowest point is 49.2 feet below sea level at Lake Eyre in South Australia. The continent's low relief is due to the long and extensive erosive action of the forces of wind, rain, and the heat of the sun during the great periods of geological time when the continental mass was elevated well above sea level.
Australia's isolation from other continents has resulted in the singularity of its plant and animal life. The country is megadiverse, with numerous landscapes, including deserts, tropical rainforests, and mountain ranges. The large plateau covering most of the central part of the continent forms the largest area of Australia. The Great Dividing Range refers to the long mountain range that begins near the east coast and stretches from the northern part of the territory of Queensland through Victoria and New South Wales.
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Australia is a megadiverse country
Australia has between 600,000 and 700,000 species, which is 9.6% of all species known to man. 84% of Australia's plant species, 83% of its mammals, and 45% of its birds are endemic, meaning they are unique to Australia. Australia's isolated island location and low rainfall have given it the highest reptile diversity in the world, with 89-93% of its reptiles found nowhere else.
The kangaroo, koala, platypus, wombat, echidna, kookaburra, and emu are international symbols of Australia. Some of the less recognised endemic fauna include freshwater crocodiles, 13 turtle species, unusual lizards such as the thorny devil, bearded dragon, knob-tailed gecko, and goanna, and unique marsupials such as the numbat and the marsupial mole.
Australia's unique flora includes hundreds of kinds of eucalyptus trees and acacias, with the golden wattle being the national flower.
The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Queensland, is the greatest mass of coral in the world and one of the world's foremost tourist attractions.
Unfortunately, Australia has also caused the extinction of more mammals than any other country in the world. Since European settlement, more than 50 species of Australian animals and over 60 species of Australian plants are known to have become extinct. The main drivers of this destruction include bulldozing and clearing native vegetation for agriculture, mining, logging, transport, and urban sprawl.
However, there is a silver lining. Australia has recently joined 190 other countries in signing a global agreement for nature. The Albanese government has also announced a target of zero new extinctions and is set to deliver an overhaul of environment laws to protect nature and restore ecosystems to health.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia is the southernmost continent on Earth and does not have any land directly underneath it. However, it is considered part of the region of Oceania, which includes New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Australia is the smallest of the world's seven continents. It is sometimes referred to as an island continent due to its size and the fact that it does not share a land border with any other nation.
Australia's neighbouring countries include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and New Zealand.
