Australia is the world’s smallest continent, but sixth-largest country. It is located between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. Australia is an independent Western democracy with a population of approximately 20,434,176. It is a part of the British monarchy, which is represented throughout the country by the governor-general.
The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines, who are thought to have migrated there nearly 40,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. In its early years, gold rushes and mining attracted settlers, and sheep farming and grain products soon grew to become important economic enterprises for the country.
Australia is a federation of six states and two territories, which were federated into the Commonwealth of Australia in January of 1901, with a constitution that incorporated British parliamentary and U.S. federal traditions. Today, Australia is one of the most urbanized countries, with about 70 percent of the population living in the ten largest cities, mainly concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts.
The unique position of Australia, in the southern hemisphere, and its close proximity to the sea, has rendered distinct climatic conditions to the country. Mountain ranges along the east coast reach their highest point in Mount Kosciusko, while the western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren hills near the west coast. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches, more than any other nation, and tourists from all over the world are attracted to its natural wonders, like the Great Barrier Reef, Fraser Island and Island of Tasmania.
Australia Profile
Capital: Canberra
Major Cities:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Ethnic Groups:
White - 92%
Asian - 7%
Aboriginal and other- 1%
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 19.3% (male 2,023,375/female 1,929,229)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 6,945,068/female 6,831,653)
65 years and over: 13.2% (male 1,197,494/female 1,507,357)
Languages:
English 79.1%
Chinese 2.1%
Italian 1.9%
Other 11.1%
Unspecified 5.8%
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)