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Country Fact File : Australia
Volunteer on a Koala Research Project in Queensland, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania and a number of other islands in the Southern, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
The mainland of Australia has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by European explorers and merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the mainland was claimed by the British in 1770 and officially settled through penal transportation as the colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the 19th century.
On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a Federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth Realm. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory. The current national population is approximately 20.8 million people, and is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Australia's biggest attraction is its natural beauty. The landscape varies from endless sunbaked horizons to dense tropical rainforest to chilly southern beaches. Scattered along the coasts, its cities blend a European enthusiasm for art and food with a laid-back love of sport and the outdoors.
Any time is a good time to be in Australia. Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot but its great beach weather. Up north, the summer wet season is very, very humid and the sea is swarming with box jellyfish. Winter (June to August) offers skiing in NSW, Victoria and sometimes Tasmania. In spring and autumn the weather is mild.
| Location | Landmass on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. |
| Area | total: 7,686,850 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island |
| Neighbouring Countries | Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the French dependency of New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast. |
| Climate | Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north |
| Terrain | Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast |
| Highest Point | Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m |
| Natural Hazards | Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; bush fires |
| Environmental Issues | Soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources |
| Population | 20,264,082 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic Groups | White 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% |
| Religions | Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census) |
| Languages | English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) |
| Type of Government | Federal Parliamentary Democracy |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Independence Day | 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
| Chief of State/ Head of Government |
Chief of State: Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II. Head of Government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD |
| Currency | Australian Dollar (AUD) |
| Time | GMT + 10 hours NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, QLD GMT + 9.5 hours SA, NT GMT + 8 hours WA The Australian States that operate on Daylight Saving Time are as follows (where you add another hour to GMT) TAS, VIC, NSW, ACT, SA |
Did you know?
Koalas aren't bears as many people are led to believe. They aren't even related to bears. The koala is related to the kangaroo and the wombat. The koala is a mammal.
Australia is the smallest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent in the world. It is the only country which is also a whole continent.
The name Australia comes from the Latin Terra Australis Incognito which means the Unknown Southern Land
Useful Numbers & Web Addresses
International dialing code: +61
The national telephone number for all emergency services in Australia, including AMBULANCE, FIRE, and POLICE: "000"
British High Commission in Canberra: (02) 6270 6666
Australian Embassy in UK: +44 (0) 20 7379 4334
Australia Tourism Website: http://www.tourism.australia.com/
Places to Stay: http://www.ozstays.com/
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (weather): http://www.bom.gov.au/
01727 250250
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