Facts On Australia
Quick facts on Australia, a page for people in a hurry!
All the important facts on Australia are neatly compiled in a list of facts and numbers. But if you find just facts about Australia a bit dry, you will also find links to more detailed info about Australia.
Australia is the only nation that governs a whole continent. It is the sixth-largest country in the world.
Country Name: Commonwealth of Australia
States (6) and Territories (2): Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.
Capital: Canberra
Australian Flag:
Australia is both the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on earth.
The name indicates the location: 'Terra Australis' means 'Southern Land'. Australia lies between 10 and 39 degrees South latitude, between the Indian and the Pacific oceans.
Land Area: 7,617,930 sq km. Only 6.55% of this area are considered arable.
Lenght of Coastline: 25,760 km
Lowest Point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Highest Point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Australia is the driest continent after Antartica, which makes it the driest inhabited continent on earth.
Climate: arid to semiarid; semiarid in the west and centre, the south and east are temperate, the north tropical.
40% of Australia is tropical, but in the Australian Alps it snows at times.
Most of Australia's interior has a desert climate. It is usually referred to as the Australian Outback.
Read more about the Australian Climate.
Read more about the Australian Outback.
Australia is the world's most urbanised country. 70% of the population live in the 10 largest cities.
Population: 21,766,711 (estimated July 2011)
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 19.8%
15-64 years: 67.2%
65 years and over: 12.9%
Age Average: 36.56 years
Ethnic Distribution: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%.
Population Growth Rate: 0.87%
The major means of transport in Australia are planes, trains and automobiles.
Airports: 448 (2004); runway over 3km: 10; and runway over 2.5km: 12
Highways: 811,603 km (Read about driving in Australia)
Railways: 54,439 km (Read about train travel in Australia)
Waterways: 2,000 km
Some miscellaneous facts on Australia:
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD or AU$)
Read more about the Australian currency
Telephone System: Excellent domestic and international service, country code -61
Time Zones: UTC +8 to +10, with daylight saving +11. (More on time zones and daylight savings)
You can find links to more detailed facts on Australia at this page: Australia Facts
Return from Facts on Australia to Outback Australia Travel Guide home page
