About Australia
The map shows Australia, officially the
Commonwealth of Australia, a continent and country in the Southern Hemisphere. The country consists of mainland Australia, the island of
Tasmania, and many smaller islands.
The world's smallest and oldest inhabited continent borders the
Timor Sea and the
Arafura Sea to the north, the
Coral Sea to the northeast, and the
Tasman Sea to the southeast. The
Indian Ocean lies to the west and the
Southern Ocean to the south.
Australia has no land borders. The country has
maritime borders with East Timor, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the islands of New Caledonia (a special collectivity of France).
An
area of 7,692,024 km² makes Australia the sixth largest country in the world. By comparison, Australia is about the same size as the contiguous
United States (the lower 48).
The
Tropic of Capricorn runs through the center of Australia. Due to the fact that Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. When it is winter in the U.S. and Europe, it is summer in Australia and vice versa.
Australia is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country has a
population of 27.1 million people (in 2024); the capital city is
Canberra; the largest city is
Sydney. English is the de facto national language. Besides English, many other languages are spoken. There are hundreds of Australian Aboriginal languages and languages spoken by immigrant communities.
More about Australia
Skyline of the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia' slargest city. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is on the left.
Photo: Andrew Harvey
Australia is divided into six states and two territories; the states are
New South Wales (NSW),
Queensland (QLD),
South Australia (SA),
Tasmania (TAS),
Victoria (VIC) and
Western Australia (WA), the territories are the Northern Territory (NT) and the
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) with the nation's capital city Canberra.
New South Wales – The most populous state and home to
Sydney, Australia's largest city. Known for its coastline, the
Blue Mountains, and fertile agricultural regions. NSW was the site of the country's first European settlement. The British colony was established in 1788 as a penal colony.
Victoria – A relatively small but densely populated state with diverse landscapes, from Melbourne's urban center to coastal cliffs and mountain ranges. VIC is known for its industries, cultural institutions, and the
Great Ocean Road, the an Australian National Heritage-listed 240-kilometer long road along the south-eastern coast of Australia, between the Victorian towns of
Torquay and
Allansford.
Australia is widely known for its kangaroos, which are marsupials from the family Macropodidae (bigfoot). They are considered a national symbol of the country and are depicted on Australia's coat of arms.
Photo: Thennicke
– A vast state with a tropical north and temperate south. Home to the
Great Barrier Reef, extensive rainforests, and the fast-growing cities of
Brisbane and the
Gold Coast.
Western Australia – The country's largest state, covering nearly a third of the continent. Western Australia is dominated by an arid
Outback, it also has a long coastline, a resource-rich economy, and the isolated city of
Perth in the far west.
South Australia – A state with productive vineyards, a large desert interior, and a coastline along the Great Australian Bight. Adelaide is the main city, with the
Barossa Valley and
Kangaroo Island among its notable areas.
Tasmania – An island state separated from the mainland by the Bass Strait. It has rugged mountains, temperate rainforests, and a rich history, including sites from Australia's convict era.
Northern Territory – A sparsely populated region with vast deserts in the south and tropical wetlands in the north. Known for the
Kakadu National Park, the city of
Darwin, and the sandstone formation of
Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Australian Capital Territory – A small territory within New South Wales, created to house the nation's capital,
Canberra. The territory includes government institutions, national museums, and surrounding bushland.
Jervis Bay Territory – A small coastal area with a naval base and national parkland. Though separate from New South Wales, it is closely connected administratively.
Outlying islands of Australia
Several outlying islands belong to Australia: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, the Heard and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. Adjacent to the continent's southeastern coast lies the mountainous island of
Tasmania, separated from the mainland by the
Bass Strait.
Off the northeastern coast of the country lies the
Great Barrier Reef, the world's most extensive coral reef system in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The reef is threatened by climate change, poor water quality, and other human activities. The
Great Barrier Reef 
is one of Australia's 20 World Heritage Sites.
You are free to use the above map for educational and similar purposes; if you publish it online or in print, you need to credit the Nations Online Project as the source.
Adelaide, Albany, 
Perth, Peterborough, Pine Creek, Port Hedland, Port Lincoln, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Queenstown, Quilpie, Renmark, Rockhampton, Rockingham, Shepparton, Southern Cross, Sunshine Coast, 