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 smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia is a megadiverse country, with a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including interior deserts and tropical coastal rainforests. The country is divided into states and territories, with each state having its own legislature, constitution, and judicial system. Australia is also a member of several international organisations and maintains strong ties with the US through the ANZUS pact.
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What You'll Learn
Australia's unique biodiversity
Australia is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. It is home to between 600,000 to 700,000 species, most of which are endemic to the country, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. Australia's biodiversity is distinctive because of the isolation of the continent on geological time scales. Since the break-up of Gondwana, Australia’s biodiversity has evolved mostly in isolation from the rest of the world.
Western Australia (WA) has a globally unique biodiversity characterised by significant regional endemism, meaning that it has plants and animals that are only found in particular locations. For example, there are more species of flowering plants in the Fitzgerald River National Park than in the United Kingdom, contributing to the South West of WA being one of only 34 Global Biodiversity Hotspots.
Australia's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including deserts in the interior and tropical rainforests along the coast. The country experiences unusual variability in rainfall within and between years, leading to frequent droughts and flooding. The hottest regions are in the northwest, while the coolest are in the southeast. Bushfires are common in the south, with climate change leading to a longer bushfire season since the 1950s.
The most prominent regionalisation of Australia is the division into various states and territories. For electoral purposes, the Australian Senate uses states and territories, while the Australian House of Representatives breaks the country into Divisions. Each state is similarly divided into electoral "regions", "districts", or "provinces", each of which elects members to the house or houses of the state's parliament. Finally, the country is divided into local government areas, each of which is administered by a council.
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Australia's states and territories
Australia is a federation of six states and two federal territories. The six states are New South Wales (NSW)—the oldest state, which contains the most populated city in Australia, Sydney—Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The two federal territories are the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory.
Each state is a successor to a historical British colony and has its own constitution, legislature, executive government, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies. The states are partially sovereign and self-governing, though they have ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government. The territories are under the control of the federal government and do not have the power to create laws for themselves. They are legally subordinate to the federal government, which creates and approves the laws that apply to them.
The Australian Capital Territory is home to many important national institutions, including Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial, and the National Gallery of Australia. The Northern Territory is home to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), and Kakadu National Park.
There are also ten external territories: the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. These are offshore dependent territories, and most are subject to the judiciary and legislature of either a state or internal territory.
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Australia's climate and ecosystems
Australia's climate varies due to its large geographical size. The country is prone to frequent droughts, and most of its land receives less than 600 mm (24 in) of rainfall annually. The Climate of Australia is the second driest of any continent, after Antarctica. The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, varying between grasslands and desert, and is subject to some of the largest interannual rainfall variability in the world. The southern latitude of the Australian Capital Territory means that winters are exclusively cool to cold. The region is dry throughout its entirety due to its position on the leeward side of the Brindabella Ranges.
The Australian continent supports a vast array of ecosystem types, which have been aggregated at the national level into 89 bioregions and 419 subregions based on climate, geology, landform, native vegetation and species information. The World Wildlife Fund's regionalisation of the world into 825 terrestrial ecoregions created 40 ecoregions in Australia. Australia's unique ecosystems, such as the Great Barrier Reef, are at risk. The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is a legal framework for the protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have been created under the national Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and preserve unique ecosystems.
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Australia's history and culture
Australia is officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary state and constitutional monarchy. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian mainland extends from west to east for nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km). It is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent.
Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, with the migration of people from what is now Southeast Asia. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is possibly the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world.
The history of Australia is marked by the arrival of British settlers in 1788, with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales. The diseases brought by Europeans devastated Aboriginal populations and culture. The historian Geoffrey Blainey notes that during the colonial period, "smallpox, measles, influenza and other new diseases swept from one Aboriginal camp to another".
Contemporary Australian culture is diverse and reflects the country's Indigenous traditions, Anglo-Celtic heritage, and post-1945 history of multicultural immigration. The culture of the United States has also been influential. Australia's landscape and history have contributed to unique variations in the styles inherited by its various migrant communities.
Indigenous Australian populations have played a significant role in creating Australian traditions. Conflict and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have inspired much art and literature. Ancient Aboriginal artistic styles, inventions, and music have become important symbols of Australia. The country's unique wildlife has also influenced its culture, with meat pie, vegemite, pavlova, and lamingtons (known as the 'National cake of Australia') considered iconic Australian foods.
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Australia's international relations
The Australia-US alliance is a cornerstone of Australian foreign policy. Through the ANZUS pact and its status as a major non-NATO ally, Australia enjoys close defence, security, and trade ties with the US. This relationship is particularly important in the context of the Indo-Pacific, where Australia seeks to balance the rise of Chinese power by supporting the existing rules-based order. Australia also has strong historical and cultural ties with the United Kingdom, sharing a monarch as a Commonwealth realm.
Regionally, Australia is an active participant in the Asia-Pacific. It is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community, the ASEAN+6 mechanism, and the East Asia Summit. Australia also maintains close relations with its Asia-Pacific neighbours, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. As part of its commitment to the region, Australia administers external territories such as Norfolk Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Internationally, Australia is a committed member of global institutions. It was a founding member of the United Nations and remains active in the organisation. Australia is also part of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the G20. Additionally, Australia has played a significant role in fostering regional cooperation and development through its involvement in the World Wildlife Fund, which has created 40 ecoregions in the country.
Australia's foreign policy has evolved to reflect its position as a middle power. The country has sought to strengthen its economic and security ties with a range of partners while also contributing to global governance and international rule-making. Australia's engagement with the world is shaped by its diverse relationships and its commitment to multilateralism, making it an active and influential player on the world stage.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Australia is a continent. It is also a country.
Australia is located in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres, in the geographical region of Oceania, specifically in the subregion of Australasia.
Australia is divided into six states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. It also has ten federal territories, including the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
Australia is the smallest, lowest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent. It has a wide range of ecosystems, including deserts and tropical rainforests, and its biota is unique due to its long geographic isolation.
Australia has a rich cultural history, with Aboriginal Australians speaking 250 distinct languages before British settlement. It is also known for its diverse landscapes, from cosmopolitan cities like Sydney and Melbourne to the rugged mountains and beaches of Tasmania.
