The Geography of Australia
- Australia is the world's 6th largest country.
- The capital of Australia is Canberra.
- The territories of Australia include : Capital, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.
Physical Features
Australia has a variety of physical features including the grasslands of Eastern Australia, the mountain areas (including the Great Dividing Range) and plateaus scattered throughout Australia, coastal beaches and the dessert outback. One of the most striking and well-known physical features of Australia is the 1200 miles of coral (the Great Barrier Reef ) located in the Pacific Ocean off of the coast of Queensland.
Climate and Weather
The climate can be described as hot during the day and cold at night over much of the continent. There is also very little rain over much of the continent. The northern part of the continent is more tropical and the Southern and Eastern coasts are more temperate, with less extreme variance in temperature.
Population
22 million people live in Australia. Most of the population lives in the Eastern and Southern Coastal Areas and around the city of Perth in the West. The dessert outback that covers most of the interior of Australia is not suitable for supporting the Australian population. The life expectancy of Australia is high and the population continues to grow at a steady rate. (Click here to view the Australian population clock).