Australia Geography

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).

Basic Facts

Capital

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 Great Barrier Reef

Off the eastern coast of Queensland is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef on Earth. This warm, clear, shallow ocean habitat is over 1,000 miles long, and is home to many animals and plants, including corals, sea anemones, sea stars, fish (including sharks), sea slugs, giant clams, seaweed, and many other organisms.

Features

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.

States And Territories