Lyla Lindsey
Australia is the smallest continent and the sixth-largest country in the world. It is surrounded by the Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans and is the largest island by area. The Australian mainland extends from west to east for nearly 2,500 miles and from Cape York Peninsula in the northeast to Wilsons Promontory in the southeast for nearly 2,000 miles. The mainland covers 7,591,608 square kilometres, about 98.7% of the area of the country of Australia. It is characterised by vast coastal lowlands, extensive deserts, and sizable mountain ranges. The mainland has a variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical rainforests and deserts to cool-temperature rainforests and snow-covered mountains. The majority of Australians live in the eastern coastal mainland states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory, which collectively forms 79% of the entire population of Australia.
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What You'll Learn
- Geography and Climate: vast coastal lowlands, deserts, mountain ranges, and rainforests
- History: inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for 50,000-60,000 years before European arrival in the 18th century
- Population: 2.4% Indigenous people, with 79% living in eastern coastal states
- Size: covers 7,591,608 km2, making it the largest island and smallest continent
- States and Territories: six states and two mainland territories, including New South Wales and Queensland
Geography and Climate: vast coastal lowlands, deserts, mountain ranges, and rainforests
Covering 7,591,608 square kilometres, mainland Australia boasts a variety of landscapes, from coastal lowlands to arid deserts, mountain ranges, and lush rainforests.
The coastal lowlands of mainland Australia include vast, rolling plains and flat depositional plains formed by swamps from the Pleistocene Epoch. The Carpentaria Plains, occupying the basin of the same name, form a lowland corridor between the Isa Highlands and the Einasleigh Uplands. The basin is drained by the Leichhardt, Flinders, and Gilbert rivers. The Eyre Basin, another significant lowland region, features similar rolling plains and is known for its stony desert landscape.
Moving inland, Australia's deserts cover approximately 40% of the country, with their geology spanning over 3.8 billion years. The Great Australian Desert is incredibly diverse, encompassing semi-desert grassy landscapes, mountainous regions, salt pans, stony deserts, red sand dunes, and open tree savannahs. The desert regions are mostly uninhabited, and Indigenous Australians have lived and nurtured strong connections to these areas for at least 50,000 years.
Mainland Australia also boasts several mountain ranges, including the Otways Ranges, which offer treetop adventures and ancient plant life.
In contrast to the arid desert regions, Australia is also home to lush rainforests, including the world-renowned Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, which inspired the movie Avatar. The Daintree is home to a vast array of flora and fauna, including 663 animal species, 230 butterfly species, and over 2,800 plant types. The Gondwana Rainforests, another World Heritage-listed rainforest system, is an ancient supercontinent that once made up a fifth of the planet. This ecosystem is home to endemic plants and animals, including some of the world's oldest species, such as lyrebirds and bowerbirds.
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![Wall Art Impact 29"x24" Poster Aboriginal Australia Resource Map [Laminated]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/711VXI09qcL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
History: inhabited by Aboriginal Australians for 50,000-60,000 years before European arrival in the 18th century
Aboriginal Australians, the indigenous people of Australia, have inhabited mainland Australia for at least 50,000–60,000 years before the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century. According to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander view of creation, people have always existed in Australia since the land was created. The Dreaming, a system of belief held by many Aboriginal Australians, posits that all-powerful beings roamed the landscape and laid the moral and physical groundwork for human society.
The first apparent consequence of British settlement occurred in April 1789 when a disease, likely smallpox, struck the Aboriginal peoples around Port Jackson. Before the epidemic, the First Fleet's population was equal to that of the Eora, an Aboriginal group in the region. By 1820, the settler population had grown to 30,000, surpassing the entire Indigenous populace of New South Wales. The arrival of British settlers also marked the beginning of conflicts and resistance from Aboriginal groups, such as the Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars led by Aboriginal leader Pemulwuy in Sydney, which lasted from 1790 to 1816.
Prior to European arrival, Aboriginal Australians were largely nomadic hunters and gatherers who had already significantly transformed the landscape, particularly through the use of fire. They had also established robust, semi-permanent settlements in favourable locations. Genomic studies indicate that the ancestors of Aboriginal Australians likely originated in Africa and expanded into South and Southeast Asia before migrating to Australia. The settlement of Australia by these early humans is considered one of the greatest achievements of early humans, as it provides unequivocal evidence of their capacity for major sea crossings.
Excavations and dating techniques continue to push back the estimated date of earliest occupation of the Australian continent. Evidence from footprints, artefacts, and ancient shelters suggests a long history of human presence in the region. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land, for example, has been dated to approximately 50,000 years ago. Additionally, Aboriginal rock art has survived in the archaeological record for over 30,000 years, providing insights into the culture and beliefs of these early Australians.
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Population: 2.4% Indigenous people, with 79% living in eastern coastal states
Indigenous Australians, comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, make up 2.4% of the total Australian population. The term 'Indigenous Australians' is used to collectively refer to these two distinct cultural groups, although many individuals from these groups prefer to be identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, rather than the generic term 'Indigenous'.
The Aboriginal Australians are one of the oldest living populations outside of Africa, with DNA studies confirming their ancient origins. They occupied mainland Australia between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, before the last ice age, and had spread throughout the mainland and Tasmania by 20,000 years ago. The arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century marked a sharp decline in the Indigenous population due to introduced diseases and violent conflict.
The eastern coastal states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory are home to 79% of the entire Australian population. These states were originally separate British colonies, and most major population centres are located in these regions. The states of New South Wales and Queensland, which are part of the eastern coastal mainland, have a significant Indigenous population. For instance, the 2016 census recorded 23,572 Indigenous Australians in Tasmania, which was a part of the Colony of New South Wales before becoming an independent colony in 1825.
The Indigenous population in Australia has been steadily growing, with a 20% increase in people identifying as Aboriginal in the 2011 census. In the 2021 census, 812,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, representing 3.2% of the population. This growth has been observed in major cities and along the eastern coast, with various grants, scholarships, and government programs specifically intended for the Indigenous population.
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Size: covers 7,591,608 km2, making it the largest island and smallest continent
Australia is a vast country, covering a total area of 7,591,608 square kilometres (2,931,136 square miles). This makes up about 98.7% of the total area of the country, with the remaining 1.3% made up of Australia's many offshore islands. Stretching from west to east for nearly 4,000 kilometres (2,500 miles) and from the Cape York Peninsula in the northeast to Wilsons Promontory in the southeast for nearly 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles), Australia is a huge landmass.
In fact, Australia is the smallest continent in the world, but it is also sometimes described as an island. Viewed through this lens, it would be the largest island by area, at more than three times the size of Greenland.
Australia's landmass constitutes the mainland of the territory governed by the Commonwealth of Australia. The term 'mainland Australia' is used in a geographic sense to exclude the surrounding continental islands and external territories. These include the Aru Islands, New Guinea, Tasmania, and other Australian offshore islands.
The mainland of Australia is home to a variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical rainforests and deserts to cool-temperature rainforests and snow-covered mountains. This diverse landscape supports much of Australia's native flora and fauna.
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States and Territories: six states and two mainland territories, including New South Wales and Queensland
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. The six states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The two mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra, the nation's capital and host to several of Australia's most important national institutions.
The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, and Van Diemen's Land. During the 19th century, large areas were separated to form the colonies of Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria. The Colony of Queensland was established in 1859. Upon federation, these six colonies became the founding states of the new Commonwealth of Australia.
The majority of Australians live in the eastern coastal mainland states of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory, which collectively form 79% of the entire population of Australia. New South Wales is the ultimate all-rounder destination, with the Sapphire Coast to the south, the Central Coast to the north, and the Blue Mountains to the west. Queensland is known as the 'Sunshine State' and is home to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, the ancient Daintree Rainforest, and the beautiful Whitsunday Islands.
The Northern Territory is home to Darwin, Kakadu National Park, King's Canyon, and Litchfield National Park. The NT takes 'the outback' to a whole new level with its sublime landscapes, emblematic wildlife, and authentic Aboriginal culture. Tasmania, separated from mainland Australia by the Bass Strait, is a microcosm of the island nation, with dazzling beaches, rugged mountains, and winding rivers. Victoria, centred in Melbourne, is the thriving heart of culture in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Mainland Australia covers 7,591,608 sq km (2,931,136 sq mi), which is about 98.7% of the area of the country of Australia. It is the smallest continent and sometimes described as the largest island in the world.
Australia is known for its vast coastal lowlands, extensive deserts, and sizable mountain ranges. It is the driest continent and has a variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical rainforests to snow-covered mountains. The Great Dividing Range, a chain of highlands, runs parallel to the east coast of Australia. The Outback, a sparsely populated inland region beyond the Great Dividing Range, is a symbol of Australia's strength and independence.
The mainland of Australia includes the states of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are also considered part of the mainland.
Aboriginal Australians, one of the oldest living populations outside of Africa, have inhabited mainland Australia for over 50,000 to 60,000 years. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century, over 500 different Aboriginal clan groups with unique cultures, beliefs, and languages inhabited the mainland.
