About Australia

Australia is the only country that is also a continent. In area, Australia ranks as the sixth largest country and smallest continent. It lies between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) southwest of North America and about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) southeast of mainland Asia. Australia is often referred to as being \"down under\" because it lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. The name Australia comes from the Latin word australis, which means southern. The official name of the country is the Commonwealth of Australia.

Australia has many different kinds of environment and climates, from tropical in the north to cool and temperate in the south. The huge interior of Australia is mostly desert or dry grassland and has few settlements. Australia is the second driest continent. Only Antarctica gets less precipitation than Australia. However, Australia has numerous areas with a pleasant climate and enough rainfall and fertile soil for agriculture.

The southeastern coastal region has the most people by far. Australia's two largest cities-Sydney and Melbourne-lie in this region. Canberra, the national capital, lies only a short distance inland. The country as a whole averages only about 6.5 people per square mile (2.5 people per square kilometer). Most Australians live in urban or suburban areas in the major cities. Australia is famous for its vast open spaces, bright sunshine, and unusual wildlife. Kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, and wombats are only a few of the many unusual animals that live in Australia.

The country was once a group of British colonies, and most Australian people have British ancestry. When people first moved to Australia from Great Britain (now the United Kingdom), they took many British customs with them. For example, Australians drive on the left side of the road, as do British drivers. Since the 1950's, immigration from many different countries has made the population more mixed and the way of life more varied. Australia now considers itself a multicultural nation.

Australians have developed a way of life all their own. Australia has a warm, sunny climate. People spend much of their free time out of doors. Australians love outdoor sports and outdoor living in general. Many Australians also like to travel overseas for study, work experience, and holidays. See LIFE EXPECTANCY (table: Life expectancy at birth for selected countries).

Australia has a thriving economy that makes it one of the world's developed countries. It has busy cities, modern factories, and highly productive farms and mines. Australia is the world's leading producer and exporter of wool and bauxite (the ore from which aluminum is made). Australia also produces and exports large amounts of other minerals and farm goods. Income from these exports makes it possible for most Australians to have a high standard of living. Australia's chief trading partners are Japan and the United States.

The first Australians were a people known today as Aborigines (pronounced ab uh RIHJ uh neez). The Aborigines had lived in Australia for at least 50,000 years before the first white settlers arrived. The Torres Strait Islands and Papua New Guinea are the home of Australia's second indigenous (native) people, known today as the Torres Strait Islanders.

Great Britain settled Australia as a prison colony in 1788. After British settlement, the number of whites steadily increased while the Aboriginal population declined dramatically. The Aboriginal population slowed its decline in the early 1900's and has been increasing since the mid-1900's. Today, the majority of Australians are white or have mixed European ancestry, although there are now also many Australians from Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds.