Australia

<p>Aboriginal Australians arrived on the continent at least 60,000 years ago and developed complex hunter-gatherer societies and oral histories. Dutch navigators led by Abel TASMAN were the first Europeans to land in Australia in 1606, and they mapped the western and northern coasts. They named the continent New Holland but made no attempts to permanently settle it. In 1770, Englishman James COOK sailed to the east coast of Australia, named it New South Wales, and claimed it for Great Britain. In 1788 and 1825 respectively, Great Britain established New South Wales and then Tasmania as penal colonies. Great Britain and Ireland sent more than 150,000 convicts to Australia before ending the practice in 1868. As Europeans began settling areas away from the coasts, they came into more direct contact with Aboriginal Australians. Europeans also cleared land for agriculture, impacting Aboriginal Australians’ ways of life. These issues, along with disease and a policy in the 1900s that forcefully removed Aboriginal children from their parents, reduced the Aboriginal Australian population from more than 700,000 pre-European contact to a low of 74,000 in 1933.<br><br>Four additional colonies were established in Australia in the mid-1800s: Western Australia (1829), South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851), and Queensland (1859). Gold rushes beginning in the 1850s brought thousands of new immigrants to New South Wales and Victoria, helping to reorient Australia away from its penal colony roots. In the second half of the 1800s, the colonies were all gradually granted self-government, and in 1901, they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia contributed more than 400,000 troops to Allied efforts during World War I, and Australian troops played a large role in the defeat of Japanese troops in the Pacific in World War II. Australia severed most constitutional links with the UK in 1942 but remained part of the British Commonwealth. Australia’s post-war economy boomed and by the 1970s, racial policies that prevented most non-Whites from immigrating to Australia were removed, greatly increasing Asian immigration to the country. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its proximity to East and Southeast Asia. </p> <p>In the early 2000s, Australian politics became unstable with frequent attempts to oust party leaders, including five changes of prime minister between 2010 and 2018. As a result, both major parties instituted rules to make it harder to remove a party leader.</p>

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Oceania

slightly smaller than the 48 contiguous US states

25,760 km

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

alumina, coal, iron ore, copper, lithium, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, opals, natural gas, petroleum

19,450 sq km (2022)

River Murray - 2,508 km; Darling River - 1,545 km; Murrumbidgee River - 1,485 km; Lachlan River - 1,339 km; Cooper Creek - 1,113 km; Flinders River - 1,004 km

Great Artesian Basin, Canning Basin

population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the states and territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or "outback," has a very sparse population

cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands

<strong>note 1:</strong> world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land borders<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the Great Dividing Range that runs along eastern Australia is that continent’s longest mountain range and the third-longest land-based range in the world; the term "Great Dividing Range" refers to the fact that the mountains form a watershed crest from which all of the rivers of eastern Australia flow – east, west, north, and south<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> Australia is the only continent without glaciers; it is the driest inhabited continent on earth; Perth on the west coast is home to the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor," one of the most consistent winds in the world; Australia hosts 10% of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world

English 33%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6%, Chinese 5.5%, Italian 4.4%, German 4%, Indian 3.1%, Australian Aboriginal 2.9%, Greek 1.7%, unspecified 4.7% (2021 est.)

English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.)

Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 18.1% (Anglican 9.8%, Uniting Church 2.6%, Presbyterian and Reformed 1.6%, Baptist 1.4%, Pentecostal 1%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 3.5%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 2.7%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3% (Eastern Orthodox 2.1%, Oriental Orthodox 0.2%), other 2.1%, none 38.4%, unspecified 7.3% (2021 est.)

1.59% (2025 est.)

10.75 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

11.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the states and territories, New South Wales has, by far, the largest population; the interior, or "outback," has a very sparse population

5.235 million Melbourne, 5.121 million Sydney, 2.505 million Brisbane, 2.118 million Perth, 1.367 million Adelaide, 472,000 CANBERRA (capital) (2023)

28.7 years (2019 est.)

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.5 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.73 (2025 est.)

4.09 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

3.8 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)

29% (2016)

54% (2021 est.)

soil erosion from overgrazing, deforestation, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; limited natural freshwater resources; soil salinity from use of poor-quality water, drought, desertification; habitat loss from agricultural clearing; floral extinctions; Great Barrier Reef preservation; overfishing; pollution; invasive species

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

492 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

federal parliamentary democracy&nbsp;under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island (7)

common law system based on the English model

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Australian Greens Party or The Greens <br>Australian Labor Party or ALP <br>Australia's Voice<br>Centre Alliance (formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team or NXT)<br>Jacqui Lambie Network or JLN <br>Katter's Australian Party (KAP)<br>Liberal Party of Australia <br>The Nationals <br>Pauline Hanson's One Nation or ONP <br>United Australia Party

ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Quad, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)

Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

<strong>description:</strong> blue, with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower-left quadrant; on the right half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white, with one small five-pointed star and four larger seven-pointed stars<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the largest star is known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star and represents the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901; the star has one point for each of the six original states, plus one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories

Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (<em>Acacia pycnantha</em>), kangaroo, emu

green, gold

King George V of the United Kingdom granted the current Commonwealth Coat of Arms to Australia on 19 September 1912; the center of the shield has the symbols of Australia&rsquo;s six states; the kangaroo and the emu symbolize a nation moving forward, since neither animal can move backward easily; the gold Commonwealth star sits above the shield, with six points representing the Australian states and the seventh representing the territories; the gold and blue in the wreath under the star are the livery, or identifying, colors for the coat of arms; Australia&rsquo;s floral emblem, the golden wattle, frames the shield

<p>high-income and globally integrated economy; strong mining, manufacturing, and service sectors driving slow but steady growth; net exporter, driven by commodities to East Asian trade partners; weak productivity and aging population straining labor force participation</p>

$1.752 trillion (2024 est.)

wheat, sugarcane, barley, rapeseed, milk, cotton, sorghum, beef, lentils, grapes (2023)

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

0.5% (2024 est.)

14.912 million (2024 est.)

23.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

China 37%, Japan 16%, S. Korea 6%, India 5%, Taiwan 5% (2023)

iron ore, coal, natural gas, gold, minerals (2023)

China 26%, USA 11%, S. Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, cars, trucks, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)

tradition of public broadcasting, but privately owned TV and radio have the biggest audiences; ownership of print and broadcast media is concentrated; Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs national and local public radio and TV; other main public broadcaster is the multilingual Special Broadcasting Service (SBS); national commercial TV is dominated by three big free-to-air networks; broadcasters must carry a minimum percentage of Australian-made programs; pay TV via cable, satellite, and IPTV has a strong foothold (2023)

.au

VH

2,257 (2025)

392 (2025)

Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (2025)

approximately 60,000 active ADF personnel (2025)

the military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported Western weapons systems; in recent years, the US has been the largest supplier of arms; the Australian defense industry produces a variety of land and sea weapons platforms; the defense industry also participates in joint development and production ventures with other Western countries, including the US and Canada (2025)

17 years of age (with parental consent; 18 years of age to deploy) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 1972) (2025)

<strong>note: </strong>the number of Australian military forces varies by mission; since the 1990s, Australia has deployed more than 30,000 personnel on nearly 100 UN peacekeeping and coalition military operations around the World

the ADF's missions include protecting Australia’s borders and maritime interests, responding to domestic natural disasters, and deploying overseas for humanitarian, peacekeeping, and other security-related missions; in 2024, it established a cyber command; the ADF regularly participates in bi-lateral and multi-lateral exercises with foreign militaries <br><br>Australia has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; Australia is also a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK<br><br>Australia has long-standing bi-lateral defense and security ties to the UK, including defense and security cooperation treaties in 2024 and 2013; the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) is their premier bilateral forum on foreign policy, defense, and security issues <br><br>Australia also has a long-standing military relationship with the US; Australian and US forces first fought together in France in 1918 and have fought together in every major US conflict since; Australia and the US signed an agreement in 2014 that allowed for closer bi-lateral defense and security cooperation, including rotations of US military forces and equipment to Australia; Australian military forces train often with US forces; Australia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation <br><br>in 2021, Australia, the UK, and the US announced an enhanced trilateral security partnership called “AUKUS” which would build on existing bilateral ties, including deeper integration of defense and security-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains, as well as deeper cooperation on a range of defense and security capabilities (2025)

Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020) (2025)

Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex (commercial site, South Australia); Arnhem Space Center (commercial site, Northern Territory); Bown Orbital Spaceport (commercial site, North Queensland) (2025)

has a history of involvement in space-related activities, including astronomy, rockets, satellites, and space tracking; develops, builds, operates, and tracks satellites, including communications, remote sensing (RS), and navigational, often in partnership with other countries; develops other space technologies, including communications, RS capabilities, and telescopes; encouraging growth in domestic commercial space-industry sector, including satellite launch vehicles; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, the ESA, individual ESA member states, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US; co-leads the Global Earth Observation System of Systems and hosts one of the telescopes for the international Square Kilometer Array radio telescope&nbsp; (2025)

1960 - built first space-tracking station outside the US<br><br>1967 - first domestically built satellite (WRSEA) launched on a US rocket from Australian test range<br><br>1981 - commissioned first national satellite system<br><br>1996 - first Australian in space on US Space Shuttle<br><br>2021 - announced intent to provide a robotic lunar lander for US Artemis project<br><br>2022 - launched a US NASA rocket from a commercial launch site; joint Australia-US space surveillance telescope based in Western Australia became operational<br><br>2025 - first attempted launch of Australian-designed and -manufactured orbital launch vehicle failed to reach orbit

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)