Australia, nicknamed the "Land Down Under,", is a country, an island and a continent. It is the world's smallest continent and the sixth-largest country. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere, between the Indian Ocean and the Southern Pacific Ocean.. This continent-country-island has an area of 2,966,368 square miles (7,682,300 square kilometers).

Capital of Australia: Canberra

Population: Australia has a population about 20 million people. Most of Australia's population lives on the fertile plains of the eastern and southeastern coasts. The interior of Australia (called the Outback) is dry with many deserts.

Government and Economy: The Commonwealth of Australia is a democracy (leaders are elected by the adult population) but it recognizes the monarch of Great Britain as sovereign (the Queen of England has the title "Chief of State" and performs ceremonial duties). Australia has a strong, modern economy. Its monetary unit is the Australian dollar.

Largest Cities: Sydney is the largest city in Australia; it has over 3,935,000 people. Other large cities include Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Newcastle.

The Tallest Mountain: Australia's tallest peak is Mount Kosciuszko, which is 7,310 feet (2,228 m) tall. Mount Kosciuszko is located in southeastern Australia, near Canberra, in the Great Dividing Range.

The Lowest Point: Lake Eyre is Australia's lowest point. It is 53 feet (16 m) below sea level. Lake Eyre is located in South Australia.

The Largest Body of Water: Lake Eyre is Australia's largest body of water - it is a salt water lake that covers over 3,430 square miles (8,884-9,500 square kilometes), although it is generally dry. Lake Eyre is located in South Australia.

The Longest River: Australia's longest river is the Murray-Darling River, in New South Wales, which flows for 2,911 miles (4,685 km) into the Indian Ocean.

The Largest Island (other than Australia itself): Tasmania, located off the southeastern coast of mainland Australia, covers 26,383 square miles (68,332 square kilometers). Tasmania's tallest peak is Mt. Ossa, which is 5,305 feet (1,617 m) above sea level.

Rainforest: The eastern coast of Australia is covered by lush tropical rainforests. The Great Dividing Range, a mountain range that runs north-south along Australia's eastern coast, causes a lot of rain to fall of the east coast (and blocks rain from the interior of the continent).

Desert: The interior of Australia is covered largely by scrub and desert, called the Outback. The Great Dividing Range, a mountain range that runs north-south along Australia's eastern coast, blocks rain from the interior of the continent.

Largest Monolith: The world's largest monolith, Uluru (formerly called Ayers Rock) is located in central Australia, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is a sacred aboriginal site and a world-famous landmark. It is 348 m tall and is made of sandstone.

Australia's States And Territories:

Place	Capital City	Largest City	Emblems	Population (as of 2003)	Area	Highest point
Australia	Canberra	Sydney	Mammal - Red Kangaroo Bird - Emu Flower - Golden Wattle Gemstone - Opal	19,973,170	2,966,136 sq. miles 7,682,300 sq. km.	Mt. Kosciuszko 7,310 ft. 2,228 m.
Australian Capital Territory	Canberra	Canberra	Bird - Gang Gang Cockatoo Flower - Royal Bluebell	322,900	2,358 sq. km.	Bimberi Peak 1,912 m
New South Wales	Sydney	Sydney	Mammal - Platypus Bird - Kookaburra Flower - Waratah Marine - Blue Groper	6,686,600	309,498 sq. m. 801,60 sq. km.	Mt. Kosciuszko 7,310 ft. 2,228 m.
Victoria	Melbourne	Melbourne	Mammal - Leadbetter's Possum Bird - Helmeted Honeyeater Flower - Common (Pink) Heath Marine - Weedy Seadragon	4,917,400	87,876 sq. mi. 227,600 sq. km.	Mt. Bogong 6,508 ft. 1,984 m.
Queensland	Brisbane	Largest City	Mammal - Koala Bird - Brolga Flower - Cooktown Orchid Gemstone - Sapphire	3,796,800	666,872 sq. mi. 1,727,200 sq. km.	Mt. Bartle Frere 5,287 ft. 1,611 m.
South Australia	Adelaide	Adelaide	Mammal - Hairy-nosed or Plains Wombat Bird - Piping Shrike or Magpie Flower - Sturt's Desert Pea Marine - Leafy Sea Dragon Gemstone - Opal	1,527,400	379,922sq. mi. 984,000 sq. km.	Mt. Woodroffe 4,970 ft. 1,515m.
Western Australia	Perth	Perth	Mammal - Numbat Bird - Black Swan Flora - Kangaroo Paw Fossil - Gogo fish	1,952,300	975,096 sq. mi. 2,525,500 sq. km.	Mt. Bruce 4,024 ft. 1,227 m.
Tasmania	Hobart	Hobart	Flora - Tasmanian Blue Gum Mineral - Crocoite	477,100	26,178 sq. mi. 67,800 sq. km.	Mt. Ossa 5,305 ft. 1,617 m.
Northern Territory The "Australian Outback"	Darwin	Darwin	Mammal - Red Kangaroo Bird - Wedge Tailed Eagle Flower - Sturt's Desert Rose	198,400	519,768 sq. mi. 1,346,200 sq km.	Mt. Ziel 4,955 ft. 1,510 m.
Place	Capital City	Largest City	Emblems	Population (as of 2003)	Area	Highest point

Related Pages on Australia and Oceania:

Australia: Follow the Instructions Color Australia according to simple directions, such as, "Color Victoria dark green." Or go to the answers.	Australia: Map Quiz Worksheet A printable quiz on the major geographic features of Australia. The student reads a map to answer 10 geography questions. Or go to the answers.	Animals of Australia Printouts of animals from Australia.	Australia: Tab Book A book about Australia for fluent readers with pages on the map, flag, language, people, the Great Coral Reef, and unusual animals.
Australia: Outline Map Printout An outline map of Australia to print.	Australia Printout: Label Me! Printout Label the states and capital of Australia. Answers	Australian States and Territories: Outline Map Printout An outline map of Australia (with state and territory lines marked) to print.	Australia: Zoom School Use a pictorial interface to get information on Australia, including maps, animals, explorers, fossils, a quiz, and printouts on Australia.
Australian State/Territory Report Graphic Organizer Printout #1 This printout helps the student do a short report on an Australian State/Territory, prompting the student to draw a map of the state, locate it on an Australian map, draw the state's flag, and write its capital city, largest city, area, population, highest point, and mammal emblem.	Australian State/Territory Report Graphic Organizer Printout #2 This printout helps the student do a short report on an Australian State/Territory, prompting the student to draw a map of the state, locate it on an Australian map, draw the state's flag, and write its capital city, largest city, area, population, highest point, mammal emblem, bird emblem, climate, and major industries.	Australia Quiz A Worksheet to Print A short, printable worksheet quiz about Australia. The short-answer worksheet asks general questions about Australia, for example, "Australia is a continent, an island, and a ______." Select the answers from a word bank. Or go to the answers.	Flags of Australia and Oceania
Australia's Flag Simple Printable A blackline master (printout) of the flag of Australia.	Australia: Where I Live A short activity book on geography to print for early readers. There are pages on the Solar System, the continents, Australia (states and territories), and the student's address.	Australian Rivers: Outline Map Printout An outline map of Australia's rivers to print.	Explorers of Australia and Nearby Islands
New Zealand: Outline Map Printout An outline map of New Zealand to print.	New Zealand: Animals Printouts of animals from New Zealand.	Oceania/Australia: Label Me! Printout Label Oceania/Australia. Answers	Oceania: Outline Map Printout An outline map of Oceania to print.
Papua New Guinea: Outline Map Printout An outline map of Papua New Guinea to print.
Solomon Islands: Outline Map Printout An outline map of the Solomon Islands to print.