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Australia, Officially The Commonwealth of Australia, Is A: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Australia is an island continent and sovereign country located in Oceania. It has a population of 26 million people concentrated on the eastern coast and has a highly developed economy. Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for over 65,000 years prior to European settlement beginning in the 17th century. On January 1, 1901, the six British colonies formed the Commonwealth of Australia, which has since maintained a stable liberal democratic government.

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43 views

Australia, Officially The Commonwealth of Australia, Is A: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Australia is an island continent and sovereign country located in Oceania. It has a population of 26 million people concentrated on the eastern coast and has a highly developed economy. Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for over 65,000 years prior to European settlement beginning in the 17th century. On January 1, 1901, the six British colonies formed the Commonwealth of Australia, which has since maintained a stable liberal democratic government.

Uploaded by

Anik Guin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of

the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.[12] It is the largest country
in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 26 million[6] is
highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard.[13] Australia's capital is Canberra, and its
largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth,
and Adelaide.
Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years[14] prior to the first
arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century, who named it New Holland. In 1770, Australia's eastern half
was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South
Wales from 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day. The population grew steadily in
subsequent decades, and by the time of an 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by
European settlers and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established. On 1 January 1901, the six
colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal
democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, comprising six
states and ten territories.
Australia is the oldest,[15] flattest,[16] and driest inhabited continent,[17][18] with the least fertile soils.[19][20] It has a
landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi).[21] A megadiverse country, its size gives it a wide
variety of landscapes, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in
the south-east. Australia generates its income from various sources, including mining-related
exports, telecommunications, banking, manufacturing, and international education.[22][23][24]
Australia is a highly developed country, with the world's 14th-largest economy. It has a high-income economy,
with the world's tenth-highest per capita income.[25] It is a regional power and has the world's 13th-highest
military expenditure.[26] Immigrants account for 30% of the population,[27] the highest proportion in any country
with a population over 10 million.[28] Having the third-highest human development index and the eighth-highest
ranked democracy globally, the country ranks highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil
liberties, and political rights,[29] with all its major cities faring well in global comparative livability surveys.
[30]
 Australia is a member of the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation, Pacific Islands Forum, and the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.

Contents

 1Name
 2History
o 2.1Prehistory
o 2.2European arrival
o 2.3Colonial expansion
o 2.4Nationhood
 3Geography and environment
o 3.1General characteristics
o 3.2Geology
o 3.3Climate
o 3.4Biodiversity
 4Government and politics
o 4.1States and territories
o 4.2Foreign relations
o 4.3Military
 5Economy
 6Demographics
o 6.1Ancestry and immigration
o 6.2Language
o 6.3Religion
o 6.4Health
o 6.5Education
 7Culture
o 7.1Arts
o 7.2Media
o 7.3Cuisine
o 7.4Sport and recreation
 8See also
 9Notes
 10References
 11Bibliography
 12Further reading
 13External links

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