Geography

Australia is an island continent located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, in the southern hemisphere. It is the sixth largest country in the world and the smallest continent. As the continent remained isolated by its remoteness from other large land masses, its flora and fauna are unique in the world. Some species represent a link to the more primitive forms of life, now extinct in other continents. Australia covers a land area of 7,682,300 km, including Tasmania, but without the external territories. Most of the land is flat - plains or level plateaus make up nine tenths of Australia. There are large grassland areas in the southwest and southeast. Most of the central plateau is desert, rising to Macdonnell and Musgrave Ranges, almost at the geographical centre of the continent. To the east of the desert The Great Artesian Basin traverses the country from north to south. The longest river is the Murray whose system starts in Queensland and after connecting with numerous tributaries empties into the Indian Ocean. Northern Australia is tropical, with much savanna grassland that merges into the countrys arid heart. The Great Dividing Range mountain massif spreads along the eastern coast of the continent, from Queensland to Tasmania. The highest mountain is Mount Kosciusko (2,228 m). The tropical rainforest belt follows the north-eastern coast of Queensland while the Great Barrier Reef, the worlds largest marine organism, runs parallel to the Queensland coast for about 1,930 km.

Climate

The climate ranges from tropical in the north to temperate in the south. Summer months are December to February and winter June to August. Mountain regions in the south east have an alpine climate. Extremes of cold are rare as there are no extensive mountain masses and the continent is surrounded by oceans.

Population

18.6 million (1997). Ethnic composition: 94.4% European, 2.1% Asian, 1.1% Aboriginal. Australia is a country with a high immigration rate, and approximately 22-25% of its population are foreign born. Vast areas of Australia are unsuitable for settlement. As a result, its population is small in relation to its size. The largest three cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane hold more than half of the population.

Capital and Main Cities

Canberra (capital), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin

Language

The official language is English. A number of Aboriginal languages are also spoken, but most of the group of 260 Aboriginal languages that are not related to any other in the world, are now extinct. A great number of other world languages are also spoken by immigrant communities.

Religion

The majority of the population are Christian of various denominations. An estimated 1% are Muslim, 0.4% Jewish and 0.8% Buddhist.