Australia

Australia (sometimes referred to as the Land Downunder) is located southeast of Asia in the southern hemisphere. It is the world's largest island (and smallest continent) covering an area of 7,713,360 square kilometres (2,978,145 square miles).

The island together with the nearby island of Tasmania forms the Commonwealth of Australia. It is the only nation to occupy an entire continent and, as an island nation, Australia shares no borders with other nations.

Australia is divided up into six states and three territories. The six states are; New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The three territories are the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Northern Territory and Jervis Bay Territory. Australia is also responsible for a number of dependencies such as Norfolk Island where some descendants of the mutineers of the Bounty live.

The Australian National Anthem is Advance Australia Fair though some people would prefer it to be Waltzing Matilda which in some ways reflects the Australian rebellious streak.

Topology

Australia does not have very high mountains and consists mostly of large plains. A large mountain chain called the Great Dividing Range extends along the eastern coast of Australia. Low lying coastal plains in the east, southeast and southwest are the most densly settled areas of Australia. The interior of Australia is relatively flat except for the remnants of some eroded mountain chains. Along the north eastern coast of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest known coral formation in the world. This chain of reefs extends for 2,012 kilometres (1,250 miles) along the coast forming a natural breakwater for ships along the coast.

Climate

The climate here can vary greatly but we aren't generally subject to extremes of weather due to a lack of physical features and the remote location in proportion to other land masses. Our climate ranges from tropical (monsoonal) in the north to temperate in the south. About 40 percent of Australia is in the tropical region and essentially has only two seasons, a hot wet season and a warm dry season. More than two thirds of Australia is covered by desert which accounts for most of the population settling on the more temperate coastal areas.

The People

Australia has a population of approximately 18 million with about 85% of Australians living in urban areas. The small population in proportion to the size of the country results in a population density of 2 persons per square kilometre (5.2 persons per square mile). Australia's largest city, Sydney with a population of approximately 4 million has one of the lowest population densities of any major world city. Australians, as a whole have a very high rate of home ownership.

Australians generally enjoy a high standard of living on par with that of most major cities of Europe and the U.S. An informality and pioneering spirit strikes some people as being somewhat like the Americans while our social and economic preoccupations and attitude seem more like the British. Like it or not, we have our own distinctive style and culture. For more information about the Australian people, our culture and the way we live visit my Australian people page.

Australian Capital Cities, Population and Location

City	State	Population	Latitude	Longitude
Sydney	New South Wales	4.6 million	33° 53' South	151° 11' East
Melbourne	Victoria	3.2 million	37° 46' South	144° 55' East
Brisbane	Queensland	1.5 million	27° 27' South	153° 1' East
Perth	Western Australia	1.2 million	31° 51' South	115° 52' East
Adelaide	South Australia	1.1 million	34° 56' South	138° 35' East
Canberra	Australian Capital Territory	304, 000	35° 20' South	149° 6' East
Hobart	Tasmania	193, 500	42° 51' South	147° 17' East
Darwin	Northern Territory	80,000	12° 25' South	130° 50' East