Damon Mcknight
Australia and New Zealand are neighbouring countries that share a close relationship. Australia is located south of the equator and is bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is situated to the southeast of Australia. The two countries are only a 3.5-hour plane ride away from each other and there is much commercial travel between them, including by ship.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Neighbouring Countries | Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and New Zealand |
| Bordering Oceans | Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean |
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What You'll Learn
Papua New Guinea to the north of Australia
Australia's closest neighbour to the north is Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia. The country covers an area of 462,840 sq km (178,700 sq mi), including a large mainland and hundreds of islands. The territory of Papua New Guinea was split in the 1880s between German New Guinea in the north and the British Territory of Papua in the south, the latter of which was ceded to Australia in 1902. All of present-day Papua New Guinea came under Australian control following World War I, although it remained two distinct territories.
PNG has a land border with Indonesia to the west and maritime borders with Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. Its closest point to Australia is across the 152-kilometre (94-mile) Torres Strait, which separates New Guinea from Australia's Cape York Peninsula. The two countries have had a close relationship, with Australia administering PNG as a mandate territory after World War I and during World War II, when Australian forces fought a counter-offensive against Japanese forces who were invading PNG.
PNG gained independence in 1975, and it has since sought to maintain good relations with Australia, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands while also building links with Asian countries to the north. However, tensions sometimes emerge with Australia due to changes in aid, and regional conflicts have complicated relations with the Solomon Islands and Indonesia. Despite these challenges, PNG and Australia continue to cooperate closely, and the two countries signed a cooperation treaty in 1987.
The geological history of PNG is closely linked to Australia, as the island was separated from the Australian continent only 8,000 years ago by the flooding of the Torres Strait. The low-lying southern plains of PNG, known as the Fly-Digul shelf, are geologically part of the Australian Plate, and the northward-moving Australian Plate continues to shape the geology of the island.
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Indonesia, a neighbour to Australia's north
Indonesia is a neighbour of Australia, located to its north. It is Australia's closest neighbour in terms of distance by land, apart from Papua New Guinea. The two countries share a maritime boundary and have been working together to definitively delimit this boundary to protect their fisheries and determine responsibility for vessels in the area.
Indonesia and Australia have had diplomatic relations since 1949, when Australia recognised Indonesia's independence. However, contact between the two peoples dates back much further, with evidence of interactions between the indigenous peoples of Australia and the Indonesian archipelago as early as the 16th or 17th century. The commencement of the trepang trade in the 1750s marked the beginning of significant relations between the two countries, with intermarriage between Indonesian trepangers and Indigenous Australians, and the Makassan pidgin becoming a lingua franca along the north coast of Australia.
Despite their proximity and shared history, Indonesia and Australia are very different countries. Indonesia is a democratic country with a growing economy and military capabilities. It is on track to pass Australia in economic size in the 2020s and is expected to become the world's fifth-largest economy by 2040 if it maintains its current growth rate. This shift in relative power has the potential to impact Australia's approach to the rest of Southeast Asia.
Despite their differences, the two countries have maintained close ties in recent years. They are both members of APEC and the East Asia Summit, and in 2020, they signed the IA-CEPA, which aims to improve economic relations and reduce trade barriers between the two countries. Australia is currently ranked 8th on Indonesia's import list, and bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing, reaching A$17.8 billion in 2018-19. In addition to trade, Australia and Indonesia also have close links in government, education, and defence under the Lombok Treaty.
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East Timor, another northern neighbour
Australia's closest neighbours are Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast. East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is another northern neighbour of Australia. It is a country in Southeast Asia, comprising the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and the outer islands of Atauro and Jaco. Timor-Leste shares a land border with Indonesia to the west, and Australia is its southern neighbour, across the Timor Sea. Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.
The history of Timor-Leste is closely intertwined with that of Australia. During World War II, the Battle of Timor was waged by East Timorese volunteers and Allied forces against the Japanese occupation. Following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Portuguese control resumed in Timor-Leste. However, after the 1974 Portuguese revolution, Portugal effectively abandoned its colony, leading to a period of civil war between East Timorese political parties.
During this time of instability, Indonesia invaded and annexed East Timor. Australia was the only country that recognised Indonesia's annexation, prioritising stability and good relations with its neighbour, Indonesia. This decision was criticised by some Australians and international observers, who supported East Timor's right to self-determination. In 1999, Australia led the INTERFET operation to stop Indonesian militias and army personnel from attacking East Timorese civilians and to establish the UN administration.
In 2002, Timor-Leste regained its independence and became the first new sovereign nation of the 21st century. Australia has played a significant role in supporting Timor-Leste's independence, providing development assistance, ensuring security, and leading military forces to stabilise the country. Despite a brief deterioration in relations due to a spying scandal in 2004, the two countries have maintained close ties. Australia has also been involved in training and advising the Timor-Leste Defence Force through its Defence Cooperation Program.
Timor-Leste is home to diverse ecosystems, including coral reefs, the Paitchau Range, and the Lake Ira Lalaro area, which contains the country's first conservation area, the Nino Konis Santana National Park. The country has a rich biodiversity, with numerous unique plant and animal species, including the Javan rusa, the Northern common cuscus, and the Crab-eating macaque.
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New Zealand, a neighbour to the south-east
Australia and New Zealand are close neighbours, with a strong relationship and a shared Trans-Tasman identity. New Zealand is situated to the southeast of Australia, across the Tasman Sea. It is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consisting of two main islands: the North Island and the South Island, and over 600 smaller islands. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.
New Zealand has a smaller total area than Australia, covering 268,000 square kilometres. In comparison, Australia spans less than 7.7 million square kilometres. As of 2019, New Zealand's population was estimated to be around 4.7 million people, while Australia's population was approximately 25 million.
The indigenous culture of New Zealand, Maori culture, is prevalent in modern society, alongside a diverse range of ethnicities. Similarly, Australia has a rich Indigenous history and is a very multicultural country due to centuries of colonisation and migration.
Both countries have experienced internal conflicts regarding Indigenous and settler populations, with these conflicts manifesting differently in each nation. They also share a history of nineteenth-century gold rushes and extensive trade and travel between their colonies.
There is significant commercial travel between Australia and New Zealand, with regular flights and cruise ships connecting the two countries. The close relationship between the nations is reflected in polls, with New Zealand consistently ranking as the most favourably viewed country by Australians. Citizens of both countries can visit, live and work in either country without restrictions, and in 2013, approximately 650,000 New Zealanders resided in Australia.
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The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east
The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia are located to the north-east of Australia. The Solomon Islands is an island country in Melanesia, Oceania, comprising six major islands and over 1,000 smaller islands. The country is named after the Solomon Islands archipelago, a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is currently part of Papua New Guinea. The capital and largest city of the Solomon Islands is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal. The country has a population of over 730,000 people and a total area of 28,896 square kilometres.
Vanuatu, officially the Republic of Vanuatu, is also an island country in Melanesia, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is situated 1,750 kilometres east of northern Australia and 540 kilometres northeast of New Caledonia. Vanuatu has a total area of approximately 12,274 square kilometres, with most of its islands being steep and rocky, and possessing unstable soils and limited permanent freshwater. The country has a history of volcanic activity, with several active volcanoes and a constant risk of major eruptions.
New Caledonia is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, located east of Australia and north-east of Vanuatu. It has a total area of approximately 18,576 square kilometres and a population of around 271,000 people, according to estimates in 2019. The archipelago was first inhabited by Melanesian people and was later jointly managed by France and the United Kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These three countries, along with Papua New Guinea, have collaborated to establish the Melanesian Ocean Reserve, which encompasses approximately 6 million square kilometres of ocean and islands in their combined national waters. This project aims to protect the ancestral waters of Melanesia and preserve the region's natural environment while permitting only sustainable economic activities that align with Indigenous values.
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Frequently asked questions
New Zealand is Australia's closest neighbour.
New Zealand is a 3.5-hour plane ride away from Australia, or about three days' sailing.
The population of New Zealand was projected to be around 4.7 million as of 2019.
New Zealand is known for its majestic volcanoes, mountains, and greenery.
