Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere. It includes the Australian mainland, Tasmania and many smaller islands. Its capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney.
Australia is both a continent-sized country and a federation. It has six states and two mainland self-governing territories.
Geography
Australia is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and surrounding seas. Its landscapes include deserts, tropical forests, temperate forests, grasslands, mountains, beaches and coral reefs.
Important natural features include the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian Alps, the Outback, the Murray-Darling river system, Kakadu, Tasmania and Uluru.
History
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on the continent and islands for tens of thousands of years. European mapping and contact increased from the seventeenth century, and British colonisation began in 1788 with the colony of New South Wales.
The Australian colonies federated on 1 January 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. The Parliamentary Education Office describes Australia as a representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a federation.
Government
Australia's federal Parliament consists of the King, represented by the Governor-General, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Prime Minister leads the government.
The six states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. The two mainland territories are the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
Economy
Australia has a developed mixed economy. Important sectors include mining, agriculture, education, finance, healthcare, construction, tourism, technology and public services.
Trade with Asia is especially important, and natural resources such as iron ore, coal, gas and critical minerals have a major role in exports.
Culture
Australian culture is shaped by Indigenous peoples, British colonisation, migration, sport, coastal life, rural mythology and modern urban society.
Cricket, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, tennis and swimming are prominent sports. Australian film, music, literature and food also reflect a mix of local and migrant influences.
See Also
References
Discussion log
Use comments for sourcing notes, corrections, and disputed details.
No comments yet.