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Geography The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. It includes the Great Victoria Desert to the south and the Great Sandy Desert to the north. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast. |
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Sovereign Australia is part of the Commonwealth and as such the sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. |
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Area 2,967,893 sq mi (7.686,850 sq kms) |
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Population (2002 est.) 19,546,792 (growth rate:0.6%); birth rate: 12.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.9/1000; density per squ mi: 7 |
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Major Cities - estimated population Capital city is Canberra: 307,700; Sydney: 3,713,500; Melbourne: 3,189,200; Brisbane: 1,520,600; Perth: 1,295,100; Adelaide: 1,079,200; Tasmania: 500,00; Darwin: 82,400 |
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Ethenicity/Race Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal (353,000) and other 1% |
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Main Language English |
