WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA
THE LAND DOWN UNDER
Settlers arrived on this land from Southeast Asia at least 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploring in the 1700's. It wasn't until Captain James Cook claimed the east coast in 1770 that territory claims were made. In 1901, the six colonies federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia. This country took advantage of the natural resources and began to develop agricultural and manufacturing industries. Recently, Australia has become very competitive internationally and holds one of the fastest growing regions of the world economy. It is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, making it especially vulnerable to climate changes. Australia is home to 10 percent of the world's biodiversity and continues to hold characteristics that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
FAST FACTS
Total area: 7,741,220 sq. kilometers
Land area: 7,682,300 sq. kilometers
Water area: 58,920 sq. kilometers (includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island)
Total distance of all land boundaries: 0 km
Total distance of coastline: 25,760 km
Australia is slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states and is usually has an arid to semi arid climate. It's temperate in the south and east, and tropical in the north.
Australia is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Arafura Sea, and the Great Australian Bight.
Its terrain is consists mostly of low plateau with deserts with fertile plain in the south east.
The highest elevation point is Mt. Kosciuszko at 2,229 meters. The lowest elevation point is Lake Eyre at -15 meters.
Land area: 7,682,300 sq. kilometers
Water area: 58,920 sq. kilometers (includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island)
Total distance of all land boundaries: 0 km
Total distance of coastline: 25,760 km
Australia is slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states and is usually has an arid to semi arid climate. It's temperate in the south and east, and tropical in the north.
Australia is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Tasman Sea, Arafura Sea, and the Great Australian Bight.
Its terrain is consists mostly of low plateau with deserts with fertile plain in the south east.
The highest elevation point is Mt. Kosciuszko at 2,229 meters. The lowest elevation point is Lake Eyre at -15 meters.