Australia

From the 19th and 20th centuries, most Australians were descended from British and Irish immigrants.  The present estimated population stands at 20.5 million.

Australia has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy and was ranked third in the United Nations.  It has been inhabited for over 42,000 years and has a population of around 20.5 million.  The majority live in the large coastal cities.  Australia is a commonwealth country in the southern hemisphere and is the worlds smallest continent.  

For over 42,000 years Australia has been inhabited by it's native aboriginal people.  In the 17th century, the British claimed the eastern half of the continent in 1770 and officially settled as the penal colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788.  During the 19th century, as new areas were explored, another 5 Crown Colonies were successively established during the nineteenth century. 

The six federated colonies formed the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.  Since then, a stable liberal democratic political system has been maintained.  The large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide contain the main concentration of the 20.5 million population with Canberra being the capital. 

Between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago, it is estimated the first humans arrived in Australia and were the ancestors of the present natives.  The first Australians arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from present-day Southeast Asia.  

Dutch navigator Willem Jansz, first sighted the Australian continent on the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606.  The western and northern coastlines ,then known as New Holland, were charted by the Dutch but did not settle.  In 1770, James Cook mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain.  This started with the establishment of a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788.  This is now Australia's national day, Australia Day.  Tasmania, formerly known as Van Diemen's Land, was settled in 1803.  

The penal colonies didn't occupy southern Australia, known as a 'free province'.  Victoria and Western Australia were also free provinces but later did accept convicts.  Between 1840 and 1864, transporting convicts to Australia was gradually phased out.  

In 1778, it is estimated there were about 350,000 native Australians at the time the Europeans settled.  Current estimates range between 500,000 and 1 million.  

Australia's six states consist of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.  Two major territories include the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.  There are also several minor territories, one of which serves as a naval base and sea port in New South Wales and several sparsely populated external territories including the Australian Antarctic Territory. 

The Arafura and Timor seas separate Australia from Asia with the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans surrounding the continent.  The Great Barrier Reef lies just off the north-east coast and spreads over 2,000 kms.  Mount Augustus, in Western Australia, is known as the largest monolith in the world at 2,228 meters high. 

Australia consists mostly of desert and is the oldest and driest inhabited continent in the world.  The only temperate climates are in the south-east and south-west corners.  A tropical climate to the north consists of rainforest, woodland, grassland and desert. 

There are a diverse range of habitats from alpine mountains to tropical rainforests.   Much of Australia's native plants and animals are unique.  About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds and 89% of in-shore fish are native to Australia.  

Most of Australia's evergreen plants, such as the eucalyptus and acacias, are well adapted to fire and drought.  Well-known Australian fauna include the platypus and echidna and the marsupials, namely the koala, kangaroo and wombat.  Bird species include the emu and kookaburra.  Human settlement has forced the extinction of many plant and animal species including the Australian megafauna and the Tasmanian Tiger.