 | |
| Continent | Australia (continent) |
|---|---|
| Region | Australasia/Oceania |
| Coordinates | 23°33′09.89″S133°23′46.00″E / 23.5527472°S 133.3961111°E /-23.5527472; 133.3961111(geodetic median point) |
| Area | Ranked 6th |
| • Total | 7,688,287[1] km2 (2,968,464 sq mi) |
| • Land | 98.21% |
| • Water | 1.79% |
| Coastline | 59,681 km (37,084 mi) |
| Borders | None |
| Highest point | Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m (7,310 ft)(mainland) Mawson Peak 2,745 m (9,006 ft)(Australian territory) |
| Lowest point | Lake Eyre, −15 m (−49 ft) |
| Longest river | Murray River, 2,375 km (1,476 mi) |
| Largest lake | Lake Eyre 9,500 km2 (3,668 sq mi) |
| Exclusive economic zone | 8,148,250 km2 (3,146,060 sq mi) |
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising themainland of theAustralian continent, the island state ofTasmania, and a number of offshore and external territories. It occupies a total area of approximately 7.7 million square kilometres, making it thesixth-largest country in the world. Located in theSouthern Hemisphere between theIndian andPacific oceans, Australia’s jurisdiction extends across several distinct maritime regions, includingNorfolk Island,Christmas Island, theCocos (Keeling) Islands, theCoral Sea Islands,Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and theHeard and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, as well as theAustralian Antarctic Territory. The country’s geography encompasses a wide range of environments, from arid and semi-arid interior regions to tropical rainforests, temperate woodlands, and alpine areas. Most of the population lives in the temperate coastal zones of the east, southeast, and southwest, while the interior—known as theOutback—is sparsely populated and characterized by semi-arid and desert landscapes. Australia’s geographic isolation and environmental variety have contributed to its distinctive landforms and exceptionally high levels ofendemic biodiversity.
 .svg) .svg)  Geographical distinctions betweenAustralasia,Australian continent, theCommonwealth of Australia andMainland Australia, clockwise from the top left |
Australia is a country located on theeponymous continent,[N 1] within the loosely defined region ofAustralasia/Oceania in theSouthern Hemisphere of the Earth. Officially known as theCommonwealth of Australia, its territory comprises amainland portion, the island state ofTasmania and about 8222 offshore islands ranging from minor fringing islets to larger landmasses. This makes it thesixth-largest country in the world by area of jurisdiction, which comprises 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi).[1][3]
Geographically, the continent extends between latitudes 10° 41' 21‘ and 43° 38' 40’ S (39° 08' 20‘ S if only the mainland area is considered, excluding Tasmania), and longitudes 113° 09' 18’ and 153° 38' 14" E.[4] The landmass stretches approximately 3,860 km (2,400 mi) from its northernmost point to its southernmost point in Tasmania, and nearly 4,000 km (2,500 mi) from east to west.[4] Australian geodetic median point, calculated as the midpoint between the extremes of latitude and longitude of the continental extensions, lies at 23° 33' 09.89" S and 133° 23' 46.00" E.[5]
Beyond its continental boundaries, Australia’s sovereign territory extends far into surrounding oceans. These external and remote islands are scattered across thousands of kilometres of ocean in an expanse extending fromAntarctica almost to theequator.[6] Although it has no land borders, Australia shares boundaries withTimor Leste,Papua New Guinea,Indonesia,New Caledonia (France) andNew Zealand through its extensive maritime jurisdiction.[7]
Mainland Australia can be broken into four major landform regions: the Coastal Plains, theEastern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and theWestern Plateau.[8]
Along the eastern seaboard of the mainland are the Coastal Plains; a narrow strip of land along the east continental coastline of Australia from Queensland to Victoria. This area is flat and has relatively high rainfall, making it suitable for human settlement.[8] It is the most densely populated area in Australia.[9] Much of thecentre of mainland Australia is also flat, but there are numerous ranges such as theMacDonnell andMusgrave Ranges, as well as some individual structures, of which the best known isUluru.[10] Towards the east, the flat land rises to theGreat Divide which runs parallel to the east coast from the tip of theCape York Peninsula in Queensland almost 4000 km south to theGrampians in Victoria. This separates rivers flowing to the west and north from those flowing to the Pacific. The Eastern Highlands are made up of a series of mountains in the south topped byMount Kosciuszko andvolcanic plugs, ash domes and flow remnants further north.[10] The Western Plateau is a relatively flat area about 183 m (600 ft) above sea level with low mountainous ranges in the north of Western Australia and isolated uplands in the Northern Territory. This area makes up more than half of the country.[11]: 4
Tasmania, the island state, has its own topological distinctions. The Tasmanian central east area, known as theMidlands, is fairly flat by comparison and is predominantly used for agriculture. The most mountainous region is theCentral Highlands area, which covers most of the central west parts of the state. Tasmanian mountain ranges has a 'rounded smoothness', similar to that of mainland.[12]
Australia is the lowest continent in the world with an average elevation of only 330 m (1,080 ft); around 86.77% of the country's surface (excluding islands) does not exceed an altitude of 500 m (1,600 ft).[13] Mainland Australia's highest point is Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m (7,310 ft) high), located within theAustralian Alps, while the highest point on Australian sovereign territory isMawson Peak onHeard Island, which is 2,745 m (9,006 ft) high and forms the summit of an active volcano calledBig Ben.[14]
The Australian continental landmass consists of six distinct landform divisions.[15]These are:
Australia is located on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth.[16] Most of the country's topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is the product of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level.[10] These geological forces such as thetectonic uplift of mountain ranges and clashes between tectonic plates occurred mainly in its early prehistory, when it was still a part ofGondwana.[17] The breakup of Gondwana began around 165 million years ago, though the separation of theAustralian plate was a slow process. In fact, Australian plate, along with Antarctica, was one of the last major continental plates of Gondwana to separate, doing so about 45 million years ago.[18] During thePleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), Australia was part of Sahul, apaleocontinent that included the landmasses of Australia andNew Guinea, as well as the land bridges that once connected them.[19]
Australia’s onshore geology is divided into five principal provinces:Archaean toPaleoproterozoiccratons, Palaeo toMesoproterozoicorogenic belts, Meso toNeoproterozoicsedimentary basins,Paleozoic rocks of the TasmanFoldbelt, andMesozoic rocks of theGreat Artesian Basin.[20] The country contains some of the oldest geological features in the world, with the oldest known rocks dating from more than 3000 million years ago and rarezircon crystals dating back 4400 million years. Other regions, however, are geologically much younger, shaped by volcanic activity that continued until only a few thousand years ago.[21] GeomorphologistCharles Rowland Twidale has estimated that between 10% and 20% of Australia’s present-day landscapes developed during the Mesozoic Era, when the continent was part of Gondwana.[22]
Most of Australia lies near the centre of the continent’s namesake tectonic plate, making it one of the most geologically stable landmasses on Earth.[11]: 3 Although the country contains theNewer Volcanics Province—a volcanic field in the southeast that has been dormant for about 5,000 years—significant volcanic activity is rare. The only currently active volcanoes under Australian jurisdiction are found about 4,000 km (2,500 mi) southwest of Perth, onHeard Island and the nearbyMcDonald Islands.[23] Earthquakes occur regularly, though most are minor and cause no damage; major events exceeding magnitude 6 typically happen about once every five years.[24]
As being situated in the driest inhabited continent, Australia has few large, fast-flowing rivers or permanent lakes. Many rivers experience highly irregular flow patterns, with prolonged periods of low discharge followed by occasional years of flooding.[26] About half of Australia’s riversdrain inland, often terminating in ephemeralsalt lakes.[10] The country’s natural freshwater lakes occur mainly along the coast as lakes or lagoons, while inland water bodies are typically wetlands or saline lakes located in the arid interior.Glacial lakes and volcanic crater lakes are found primarily in Tasmania[26] In a worldwide comparison of height, Australia’swaterfalls are modest in size, with the highest ranked only 135th by total drop according to the World Waterfall Database.[27] The nation also contains about 758estuaries, most of which are located in tropical and subtropical regions.[28]
Australia's rainfall regime is highly variable, with low mean annual rainfall over most of the continent and heavy seasonal falls in the tropics, concentric around the continent's extensive arid core. The effects of this varied rainfall pattern and Australia's drainage system can result in parts of the continent being in drought, but inundated by water from rainfall thousands of kilometres away.[29] Rainfall generally increases towards the coast as proximity to bothmoisture sources and reliable rain-producing weather systems improves. Elevation also has an important influence on rainfall, with the mountain areas of northeastern Queensland, southeastern Australia and western Tasmania receiving higher rainfall totals.[30] On average, only 9% of Australia's rainfall is converted tosurface runoff, and about 2% percolates through the ground to rechargegroundwater.[26]
Continental Australia is divided intodrainage divisions, which are subdivided into water regions and then into river basins. The drainage divisions depict where water flows across the continent and identify the major hydrological basins.[31] Due to Australia’s high variation in rainfall and streamflow, large reservoirs have been built to ensure reliable supply; in fact, the national per-person surface-water storage capacity in 2018 was about 3.25 ML, relatively high compared to other countries. Groundwater also plays a significant role as a supply for drinking water, industry, farming and other primary industries in the many regions where it is the only reliable water source.[31] TheGreat Artesian Basin is one of the largest underground freshwater resources in the world and Australia’s largest groundwater basin. It spans almost 1,700,000 km2 (660,000 sq mi) which is over one-fifth of the Australian continent.[32]
Australia's oceans and seas include those off the mainland and its offshore territories in thePacific,Indian andSouthern oceans as well as theTimor,Tasman,Coral andArafura seas.[33][34] The Australian mainland has a total coastline length of 35,821 km (22,258 mi) with an additional 23,860 km (14,830 mi) of island coastlines.[35] Australia has the third largest area of ocean jurisdiction of any country on Earth[36] and the third largestexclusive economic zone (EEZ).[33] The continental margin within the Australian EEZ can be divided into six distinct geomorphological parts around the main landmass and theLord Howe andNorfolk Rises; Cocos-Keeling, Christmas Islands and Macquarie Island Margins around overseas territories.[37]
Australia is surrounded by variousocean currents that have a strong controlling influence on things such as climate, ecosystems, fish migrations, the transport of ocean debris and on water quality. Pacific surface waters are dominated by the warmEast Australian Current while, in the Australian western coasts,Leeuwin Current predominates. There are also a number of sub-surface countercurrents of colder temperatures.[38] A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there was 8,866 km2 (3,423 sq mi) oftidal flat area in Australia, making it the third-ranked country in terms of how much tidal flat occurs there.[39]Tides are predominant on the northwest coast, where the greatesttidal range in the country occurs, with ahighest astronomical tide higher than 10 m (33 ft).[40] To the north and south of the continent, the oceanic areas have lowersalinity due to freshwater inputs from high rainfall and meltingsea ice, respectively, compared to the oceanic areas surrounding most of Australia; the salinity of the ocean regions south of the tropics and above the Southern Ocean is higher due to high evaporation and low rainfall.[41]
The spatial structure ofAustralia's economy is extremely one-sided. According to current technology, 35% of the country's territory is unsuitable for any kind of farming. A further 44% is only suitable for extremely extensive livestock farming. Only 21% of the country's territory has been developed for more intensive agriculture and more closed settlements, but frequent droughts also pose a serious threat to agricultural activity. Within this latter zone lies the 2% of the territory where 80% of the population and 90% ofsocial product are concentrated.[42]
Australia's geological characteristics endow it with a vast reserve of diverse minerals. The country produces 19 useful minerals in significant quantities from more than 350 operating mines in all states, the Northern Territory andChristmas Island. It is one of the world's leading producers ofbauxite (aluminium ore),iron ore,lithium,gold,lead,diamond,rare-earth elements,uranium andzinc;[43] in addition to being the fifth largest producer, the second largest exporter and having the third largest reserves ofcoal in the world.[44]Australia´s exclusive economic zone area is of 8,148,250 km2 (3,146,060 sq mi), the third largest in the world.[33] Its onshore waters are home to substantial conventional gas resources, primarily in the southwest, making Australia the world's seventh largest exporter ofnatural gas.[45] Despite containing one of the largest fishing areas in the world, it is a minor producer offisheries products, primarily because of the relatively lowbiological productivity of the Australian marine environment.[46]
Given its vast reserves, coal is Australia’s largest energy resource;[44] it contributed 46% of total electricity generation in 2023.[47] Continental Australia has the highestsolar radiation per square metre of any continental landmass and consequently some of the best solar energy resource in the world;[48] it also enjoys some of the best wind resources thanks to its particular location into thewesterly wind belts.[49] In 2023, 35% of Australia’s total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources, includingsolar (16%),wind (12%) andhydro (6%).[50]
The Commonwealth of Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states areNew South Wales,Queensland,South Australia,Tasmania,Victoria, andWestern Australia; and the two major mainland territories are theNorthern Territory and theAustralian Capital Territory.[51] The minor territories comprise theJervis Bay Territory, as a naval base and seaport for the national capital wich the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales and the following inhabited external territories:Norfolk Island,Christmas Island,Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and the largely uninhabited external territories ofAshmore and Cartier Islands,Coral Sea Islands, andHeard Island and McDonald Islands.[51] Australia alsoclaims ownership of more than 42% of theAntarctic continent as theAustralian Antarctic Territory, although this claim is recognised by just four sovereign states.[52]
Across the Australian states and territories there are over 500local government bodies, often called councils, municipalities or shires. These local authorities include city councils in urban centres, and regional and shire councils in rural areas.[51]
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Australia’s population was 27.2 million at 30 June 2024, having grown around 1.4% a year on average over the past 3 decades.[53] Due to various geographical features, almost 80% of the Australian population live within 25 km (16 mi) of the coast,[54] with 73% on its inhabitants living in the major coastal urban centres.[53] The most densely populated geographic areas of the country are located in the Coastal Plains of theeastern states of Australia and theSwan Coastal Plain and its surroundings, on the southwestern corner of the mainland, leaving the vast centre of the country virtually uninhabited.[9] This disparity can be seen reflected in Australia's mean population density of 3.5/km2 (9.1/sq mi)2 as of 2024,[55] one of the lowest in the world. In the same year, Australia'scentre of population was around 30 km (19 mi) east ofIvanhoe in western New South Wales, reflecting the concentration of population in south-east Australia.[55] Given its extreme geographic isolation between population clusters, Australia is sometimes described as a "[demographical] archipelago".[56]
Australia’s population is diverse. According to the2021 Census, almost half (48%) of Australians have a parent born overseas.[53] The main countries of origin of these immigrants are England, India, China and New Zealand, with all four countries having more than 500,000 residents in Australia as of 2020.[57] Its population also has a significantIndigenous compound in each state and territory, comprising hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions.[58] In 2021, there were an estimated 812,728 Indigenous Australians, representing 3.2% of the population. Northern Territory has the greatest proportion of Indigenous population, at 26.3%.[59] This First Peoples have lived across Australian continent for tens of thousands of years, managing and caring for the land and shaping the environment and its biota.[60] According to Australia's land tenure,pastoral leases cover 44% of the territory and about 40% is covered bynative title, in both exclusive and shared title. Furthermore, 14.9% of the Australian surface is consideredpublic land.[61]
Australia is separated from the polar regions by the Southern Ocean; therefore, it is not subject to coldpolar air movements during winter of the kind that sweep the northern hemisphere continents during their winters. Consequently, the mainland Australian winter is relatively mild, with less contrast between summer and winter temperatures than on the northern continents, although the transition is more pronounced in Australia's alpine regions and at high altitudes. Seasonal maximum and minimum temperatures can be considerable, with temperatures ranging from a maximum of 40 °C (104 °F) in the central desert regions to 0 °C (32 °F) in the higher regions of the south-east.[29] Based on theKöppen classification, Australia hosts six major groups and 27 sub-groups of climate zones across the country, ranging fromgrassland,subtropical toequatorial climates in the north totemperate climates in the southeast and extensivearid regions in the heartland.[62]
Australia's unique location beneath a subtropical high-pressure belt and surrounded by climate drivers like theEl Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and theIndian Ocean Dipole (IOD)—massive oceanic and atmospheric circulation phenomena that affect flows of water and air—makes most of Western Australia a hot desert, and aridity a marked feature of most of the continent.[63][64] In the west, the IOD is associated with more rainfall (if the IOD is negative) or less rainfall (if the IOD is positive) across theTop End and southern Australia, as well as with differences in degree of cloud cover in the northwest. In the east, ENSO can bring flooding rains to central and eastern regions in the "La Niña" (positive) phase and droughts in the "El Niño" (negative) phase.[64] This climate drivers results in significant spatial and temporal variable rainfall patterns, with frequent droughts lasting several seasons.[65] According to theBureau of Meteorology, 80% of the land area receives less than 600 mm (24 in) of annual rainfall and 50% less than 300 mm (12 in).[66] Overall, Australia has a very low average annual rainfall of 419 mm (16 in).[67]
Cyclones in Australia are common, which the North-western coast in Western Australia being the most cyclone prone area in all of Australia.[68] Additionally, cyclone formations can also occur off the North-eastern coast in Queensland, such asCyclone Jasper andCyclone Niran in recent years. Such cyclones cause widespread economic damage, and triggers floods and other disasters.[69]Severe thunderstorms occur across the country between September and March, when the supply of solar energy is greatest.[70] Northern Australia experiences violent thunderstorms that can have different characteristics to those that typically happen in the rest of the territory. These tropical severe thunderstorms are also different to conventional tropical cyclones.[71] Although it's a much less common phenomena,tornado outbreaks can also occur. Based on historical records, 30–80 tornadoes are observed in Australia each year.[72]
Bushfires are another frequently occurringnatural disaster within Australia. This is due to the unique flora that exists, which is highly flammable, and some species actually requiring fire to regenerate and spread.[73] While bushfires can occur at any time of the year, the risk is the highest during the summer and autumn months for the majority of the country, and spring months for the most northern regions of the country.[74]
Heatwaves, or consecutive days of extreme temperatures, are also prominent in Australia. They are the deadliest natural disasters in Australia, accounting for more deaths than bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe storms combined.[75] The number of days with a modest level of heat stress is increasing, as does the number of consecutive days of heat stress: the frequency doubled between 1960–70 and 2000-08.[76]
The prominence and severity of droughts in Australia has increased in recent times due to acceleratedclimate change.[77] As Australia is the driest inhabited continent, such droughts can limit thestreamflow of the few majorrivers in the country, creating a myriad of knock-on effects.[26] Droughts and climate variability are especially detrimental to Australian agricultural industries, who face unpredictability in their quantity of produce.[78]
Riverine flooding in Australia occurs in relatively low-lying areas adjacent to streams and rivers. In the extensive flat inland regions, floods may spread over thousands of square kilometres and last several weeks, with flood warnings sometimes issued months in advance.[79] Floods are by far the most economically costly natural disasters in Australia, averaging $8.8 billion per year as of 2017.[80]
While Australia is not aseismically active zone, it does experience small scale earthquakes, caused by compressive stress built up over time, in the interior of theAustralian tectonic plate. On average, around 100 earthquakes of abovemagnitude 3 are experienced in Australia every year, with the largest recorded earthquake occurring atTennant Creek in the Northern Territory, with a magnitude of 6.6.[81]
There are five standardtime zones across mainland Australia andLord Howe Island, a dependency of New South Wales, ranging fromUTC+8:00 toUTC+11:00. Some of them are half-hour and quarter-hour time zones. Not all states and territories in Australia usedaylight saving time (DST). The states that use DST are the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.[82] In contrast, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not employ this practice.[83]
The Australian external territories ofCocos Islands,Norfolk Island, andChristmas Island similarly have their own time zones, and do not observe DST.Macquarie Island, a dependency of Tasmania, has no permanent population and its time zone can vary.[82]
Continental Australia supports nearly 600,000 native species of flora and fauna, with a high proportion found nowhere else in the world.[84] Insular Australia is made up of thousands of islands, each one with their own unique isolated ecosystems. Island species are highly susceptible to disruption by invasive species, such asferal cats.[85]Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) classifies Australia's landscapes into 89 large geographically distinctbioregions and 419 subregions based on common climate, geology, landform, native vegetation and species information.[86]
The 2021 State of the Environment report made by theDepartment of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of the Australian Government pointed out environmental issues including: soil erosion, poor offshore water quality, threats fromintroduced pest species, depredation of natural resources, high prevalence ofland habitat clearing and extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts, wildfires, storms, and heatwaves.[87] As of 2022, around 22% of Australia's landmass and almost half (45%) of Australia's oceans were protected in theNational Reserve System,[88] made up of over 14,500 terrestrialprotected areas[89] and 60marine parks.[90]Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are areas of land and sea that "traditional owners" have agreed to manage for biodiversity conservation; they represent more than 54% of Australia's National Reserve System.[91]
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This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2000 edition.)
