Australia

Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent in its own right. It is the smallest continent, but a comtinent nonetheless. It includes the big island of Tasmania along with several smaller islands. With a total land area of just under 3 million square miles, it is surrounded by three oceans, the Indian, Pacific and Southern and is home to approximately 21 million people comprised mainly of the descendents of British and Irish settlers who arrived in the 19th and 20h centuries; a small number of indigeneous people (Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders) and assorted immigrants from worldwide countries.

Although the continent was home to Aborigines between 40,000 and 46,000 years ago, it wasn't settled by Europeans until the British arrived to set up a penal colony in New South Wales in 1788. The settlement continued and the population grew until five additional self-governing colonies were established in the 19th century. The six colonies became a federation in 1901 permitting the Commonwealth of Australia to come into being. These states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. There are also two territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Today, most of the country's population is concentrated in the major cities and their suburban areas along the coastlines. The interior, which includes the greatest portion of Australia's land mass, is largely uninhabited, arid land.

The biggest city in Australia is Sydney and the country's capital is Canberra. Other major cities include Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin and Hobart on the island of Tasmania. Australia has an interesting culture. It was primarily anglo-celtic until the middle of the 20th century. After that the influence of American culture and significant immigration from non-English speaking countries world wide has created a strong cultural mix which is further influenced by indigeneous peoples joining society's mainstream. Politically, the country is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Australia. The system of government is parliamentary, with the queen represented by the Governor-General at the federal level and governors of individual states at the state level.

Australia has a better-than-average economy and a lower-than-average cost of living which attracts immigrants and visitors alike. It is visited by more than 2.9 million visitors each year and is a prime tourist destination thanks to its diverse climate and topography and unique animal life.