Australia

Unique to Australia are the tall gum trees (eucalypts), and the scented golden coloured wattles (acacias); kangaroos, dingoes, the koala and the platypus are the wildlife. Although the outback, the boundless, arid, flat plains and plateaus which cover most of the country, very few Australians live there in the interior. Most Australians live in the coastal areas, industrial centres and inland towns.

Australia is geologically ancient; the country historically is very young. The late discovery and settlement is due mainly to its isolation from the rest of the world. Located in between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it attracted very little interest from the Europeans. Several reasons for this were the prevailing winds, which prevented mariners reaching the shores and the ones who did found only inhospitable, arid land lacking in all the minerals which the travellers were interested in at the time.

Consequently, after its discovery in 1770 by Captain James Cook, the only use the British could find for it was as a penal colony to replace those lost during the War of Independence (Revolutionary War) in America. The colony developed quickly, largely due to the industriousness of the settlers, who introduced merino sheep and planted large tracts of land with wheat.

The discovery of gold and other minerals attracted large numbers of immigrants who remained in the country after the gold rush was over and pursued their original occupations. By the late 19th century Australia had become a large exported of agricultural produce and minerals, and was increasing its imports of manufactured goods. With a second period of mineral discovery and exploitation, exporting of raw minerals remains a very large part of the Australian economy.

The landmass of Australia extends from the north at Cape York in northern Queens land, a distance of 3,186 km (1980 miles), to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. From the west at Steep point, Western Australia, 3,860 km (2,398 miles) to Cape Byron in New South Wales. Separated by the shallow Bass Strait from the mainland is the State of Tasmania, Australia’s smallest state. The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of 6 states – New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania – and two internal territories – Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

Its external territories are Norfolk Island, the Australia Antarctic Territory, Heard and Macquarie Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, together with the Coral Sea Islands territory consisting of several uninhabited Pacific Isles.

The immense size of the country, both the continent and its external territories, have always been a dominant factor in the political, economic and social life of the Australian nation.