Lexi Webster
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world, with a land area of 2.989 million square miles or 7,688,287 square kilometres. It is the planet's largest island and the smallest continental land mass. The country is comprised of the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. To put it into perspective, travelling from Sydney to Perth is about the same distance as travelling from New York to Los Angeles. So, what is half of Australia's size?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Land Area | 4,249,585 square miles (Australia's land area) |
| Half of Australia's Land Area | Approximately 2,124,792 square miles |
| Countries with Similar Size to Half of Australia | Mexico: 1,972,550 square miles Indonesia: 1,904,569 square miles Greenland: 2,166,086 square miles |
| US States with Similar Size to Half of Australia | Alaska: 665,384 square miles Texas: 268,596 square miles California: 163,696 square miles (Combine Alaska and Texas, and it's still smaller than half of Australia) |
| Perspective | Half of Australia is larger than all but one country in the Western Hemisphere (Canada) |
| World Ranking by Area | If half of Australia were a country, it would rank 7th or 8th in the world, depending on the source and how territories are counted |
| Population Density (people per square mile) | Australia: 8.6 (For context, the world average is approximately 58 people per square mile) |
| Fun Fact | The Australian continent is the smallest of the world's continents, yet it is the largest single landmass within its tectonic plate |
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What You'll Learn
Australia is the world's sixth-largest country
To put that into perspective, Australia is about 32 times bigger than the United Kingdom. The state of Victoria, for example, covers 228,000 square kilometres, which is about the size of the UK. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, is slightly larger than London but has less than half the population.
Sydney, Australia's largest city, covers 12,144 square kilometres, making it 155 times bigger than Paris, despite having only twice the population. This highlights the vast differences in population density between the two cities, with Sydney at 395 people per square kilometre compared to Paris's 21,369.
When compared to other large countries, Africa is 3.93 times bigger than Australia, while Russia, the largest country in the world, is approximately 2.7 times bigger. Brazil, which ranks fifth in size, is about 1.5 times bigger than Australia, while China, the fourth-largest country, is nearly twice as big.
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It's the size of Egypt and half of Mexico
Australia is the planet's sixth-largest country, with a land area of 2.989 million square miles or 7,688,287 square kilometres. Half of Australia is, therefore, approximately 1.494 million square miles or 3,844,143 square kilometres in size.
Egypt is a country located in the northeastern corner of Africa, with limited territory in southwest Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It has a land area of 1,002,450 square kilometres or 386,662 square miles.
Mexico, a country in southern North America, has a land area of 1,972,550 square kilometres or 761,606 square miles, including many uninhabited islands off the east and west coasts.
Comparing the sizes, half of Australia is roughly the size of Egypt and a third of Mexico.
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It's about 2.9 million square miles
Australia is the world's sixth-largest country, spanning approximately 2.9 million square miles (around 7.5 million square kilometres). To put this into perspective, Australia is about 32 times bigger than the United Kingdom, and you can fit 22 Japans inside it. In terms of continents, Australia is slightly larger than Europe but smaller than Africa, which is 3.93 times as big as Australia.
When compared to other countries, Australia is roughly equal in size to mainland USA. This means that Australia is significantly larger than individual European countries. For example, Melbourne, the second-largest city in Australia, is bigger than London, Paris, and Milan. However, despite its larger area, Melbourne has less than half the population of these European cities.
The vast size of Australia results in great distances and travel times between places of interest. This can make travelling or relocating within the country challenging, as highlighted by the comparison between Melbourne and other major cities.
Furthermore, Australia's size and geography contribute to its unique lifestyle, climate, and natural beauty. The country is known for its low population density, with approximately 4.8 million people living in Sydney, spread across a more extensive area than Paris, which has a population of 2.2 million. This contrast in population and geography influences the availability and variety of shoe sizes in Australia, as discussed in the search results.
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The US is around 25% bigger
Australia is the world's sixth-largest country, with a size roughly equal to mainland USA. However, the US is around 25% bigger than Australia. To put it into perspective, one can fit 22 Japans inside Australia. In comparison to other continents, Australia is slightly larger than continental Europe but smaller than Africa, which is 3.93 times bigger.
Australia's land area is 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) when including adjacent islands. This covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. In contrast, the United States has a total area of 3.8 million square miles or 9.9 million square kilometers, including Alaska and Hawaii.
The difference in size between the two countries becomes evident when comparing their respective states and territories. For instance, Victoria, Australia's second-smallest state, covers 227,600 square kilometers, roughly the size of the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the Melbourne metropolitan area is slightly larger than London, covering nearly 10,000 square kilometers.
When it comes to population density, Australia has a much lower density than the United States. Sydney, with a population of 4.8 million, has a population density of 395 people per square kilometer, while Paris, with a population of 2.2 million, has a density of 21,369 people per square kilometer. These comparisons highlight the vast differences in geographical scale between the two countries, despite their comparable overall sizes.
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Australia is the world's largest island or continent (depending on the definition) and the flooded area was the world's 31st largest
Australia is a country and a continent in itself, and with a size of about 3 million square miles (7.7 million square km), it is the smallest continent on Earth. However, there is no strict scientific definition of a continent, and the line between an island and a continent is arbitrary.
While Australia is sometimes referred to as an "island continent", most geographers consider islands and continents to be separate things. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, an island is a mass of land that is both "entirely surrounded by water" and "smaller than a continent". By that definition, Australia cannot be an island because it is already a continent.
However, there are several other factors that classify different regions of the world as continents, including tectonic independence from other continents, unique flora and fauna, cultural uniqueness, and local belief in continental status. Greenland, for example, shares a tectonic plate with North America, and fewer of its species are unique compared to Australia. Additionally, indigenous Greenlanders belong to a group of peoples (the Inuit) found throughout the Arctic, including parts of Canada, the United States, and Russia, whereas Aboriginal people are limited to Australia.
Australia is nearly four times the size of Greenland, and if they were much closer in area, Greenland might have a stronger case for continent status. However, some people argue that Australia is too big to be an island and too small to be a continent, and thus, it should be classified as a "sub-continent" or a "terragrand".
In conclusion, Australia is the smallest continent, and the flooded area was the 31st largest. The classification of Australia as an island or continent depends on the definition used, and there is no universally agreed-upon answer.
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Frequently asked questions
Around 1.49 million square miles or 3.86 million square kilometres.
Australia has a land area of 2.97 million square miles or 7.69 million square kilometres. Half of that is approximately 1.49 million square miles or 3.86 million square kilometres.
No, the US is bigger.
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world.
India, Argentina, and Mexico are all similar in size to half of Australia.
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