Lexi Webster
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country and continent surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries in the world, covering 7,688,287 square kilometres. Australia is a highly developed country with a diverse culture and one of the highest foreign-born populations globally. Canberra is the capital, while Sydney and Melbourne are the largest and second-largest cities, respectively. The country is divided into six states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Additionally, it has two major territories: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
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What You'll Learn
Australia's geography
Australia is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is the sixth-largest country by area of jurisdiction, covering a territorial area of 7,688,287 square kilometres (2,968,464 sq mi).
Australia is part of the region of Oceania, which is made up of thousands of islands throughout the Central and South Pacific. The other two major landmasses of Oceania are the microcontinent of Zealandia, which includes the country of New Zealand, and the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, which is Papua New Guinea.
Australia has a diverse geography, ranging from snow-capped mountains to large deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands, heathlands, and woodlands. The country can be divided into four major landform regions: the Coastal Plains, the Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Western Plateau. The Great Dividing Range is a 3,700-kilometre mountain stretch that runs along the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia, feeding water into many of the country's important rivers. The Outback, a region of deserts and semi-arid land, covers more than one-third of the country.
Australia has a warm, sunny climate, with an average maximum temperature of 29°C in summer and 16°C in winter. The rainy season is between December and April, with the heaviest rains falling between January and March. The country's unique ecosystem is home to many species found nowhere else in the world, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna, and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its diverse flora and fauna.
The population of Australia is concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts, with almost 80% of the population living within 25 kilometres of the coast. The most densely populated areas are the Coastal Plains of the eastern states and the Swan Coastal Plain in the southwestern corner of the mainland. Australia is one of the most ethnically diverse nations, with nearly half of Australians having a parent born overseas.
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The population of Australia
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 the sixth-largest country in the world by total area. It is also the world's driest inhabited continent.
Australia is highly urbanised, with 89% of its population living in urban areas. The country's most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with over five million people. The population is also heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, with most people living close to coastlines. The median age of Australians is around 38 years, and the country has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, at 83.2 years as recorded between 2015 and 2017.
Australia's indigenous population, the Aboriginal Australians, have a long history in the country, dating back at least 40,000 years. Before European settlement, the Aboriginal population is estimated to have been between 300,000 and one million people, with a sustainable maximum of around 750,000.
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Australia's landscape
Australia is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth. It is the sixth-largest country by area of jurisdiction, covering a total area of 7,688,287 square kilometres (2,968,464 sq mi). It is located in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth, lying between latitudes 10° 41' 21‘ and 43° 38' 40’ S and longitudes 113° 09' 18’ and 153° 38' 14" E. Australia shares maritime borders with Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.
The geography of Australia is extremely diverse, with a wide range of landscapes and seascapes. The country can be divided into four major landform regions: the Coastal Plains, the Eastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Western Plateau. The Coastal Plains, a narrow strip of flat land along the east continental coastline from Queensland to Victoria, is the most densely populated area in Australia. The Eastern Highlands, which run parallel to the east coast, are made up of mountains in the south, topped by Mount Kosciusko, and volcanic plugs, ash domes, and flow remnants further north. The Great Dividing Range, a chain of highlands that runs inland from the coast, separates the rivers flowing to the west and north from those flowing to the Pacific. The Central Lowlands include the MacDonnell and Musgrave Ranges, as well as individual structures like Uluru.
Australia's soil, surface water, and groundwater have a high salt content due to the dry climate and highly weathered landscape. The country's low relief is a result of the long and extensive erosive action of wind, rain, and the sun during the great periods of geologic time when the continental mass was elevated above sea level. Soil and land condition in Australia is generally poor due to the loss of soil organic carbon, land clearing, unsustainable agricultural practices, erosion, and climate change.
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Australia's location
Australia is a country that covers an entire continent—the smallest in the world. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere, completely surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and situated south of Maritime Southeast Asia and north of Antarctica. The country has no land borders with any other nation, but lies relatively close to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the French dependency of New Caledonia to its north, and New Zealand to its east.
The continent of Australia is sometimes referred to as the island continent, as it is surrounded by oceans and has 35,877 km (22,293 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands). It has a total land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. The continent includes the Australian mainland, the island of Tasmania, numerous smaller offshore islands, and remote offshore territories such as the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. Australia also claims about 42% of Antarctica as the Australian Antarctic Territory, though this claim is only recognised by four other countries.
The Australian mainland is relatively flat, with an average height of 325 metres (1,066 ft) compared to 870 metres (2,850 ft) for all continents. It is the driest inhabited continent, with an average annual rainfall of 470 millimetres (19 in). The climate ranges from wet tropical in the northeast and northwest to arid in the centre. The coastal south is temperate and humid, with winter freezing and snow in the southeastern highlands and Tasmania. About 70% of the country is arid or semi-arid, and about 18% is desert.
The Great Dividing Range runs along most of eastern Australia, dividing the central lowlands from the eastern highlands. The Central Lowlands include the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia's most significant agricultural area, and the Great Artesian Basin, the largest groundwater source in the world. The Western Plateau, covering almost 70% of the country's landmass, includes expansive deserts such as the Great Victoria Desert, the Gibson Desert, and the Simpson Desert.
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Australia's climate
The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid, often referred to as the Outback. The Outback experiences very high temperatures, with some days reaching 50°C. However, it can also experience below-freezing temperatures during the winter months. The Outback's climate is unpredictable, with long periods of no rain followed by torrential rainfall that can cause flooding.
The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, with the Northern Territory experiencing two distinct climate zones. The northern end, including Darwin, has a tropical savannah climate with high humidity and two seasons: the wet (October to April) and the dry (May to September). The southern end of the Northern Territory, including Alice Springs, has a semi-arid climate with hot summers and cold winters.
The south-east and south-west corners of Australia have a temperate climate with moderately fertile soil. Cities like Melbourne and Sydney, located in these regions, experience all four seasons, with mild winters and warm to hot summers. Perth, located in the south-west, experiences hot, dry summers and mild winters, with thunderstorms and rain common during the cooler months.
The Australian Capital Territory, including Canberra, has warm, dry summers with cool nights and some thunderstorms. Winters are cool to cold, with heavy frosts and radiation fog. The higher mountains in this region are snow-covered for much of the winter and early spring.
Australia is experiencing the effects of climate change, with average land and sea temperatures rising. The country's average temperature has increased by approximately 1.44°C since national records began in 1910. Rainfall patterns are also changing, with southern Australia experiencing decreased rainfall during the cooler months. The intensity of heavy rainfall events has increased, and the frequency and duration of heatwaves have risen since the 1970s.
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