ABOUT AUSTRALIA

Citizen(s): Australian(s).

Capital: Canberra.

Major Cities

In order of size, the largest cities in Australia are Sydney (4.2 million), Melbourne (3.6 million), Brisbane (1.7 million), Perth (1.4 million), and Canberra (323,000).

Independence

The British colonies of Australia were federated and the Commonwealth of Australia established on January 1, 1901.

Public Holidays

New Year’s Day (January 1); Australia Day (January 26); Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday (variable dates in March or April); ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day (April 25); Queen’s Birthday (June 13); Christmas Day (December 25); and Boxing Day (December 26).

Principal Rivers

Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent (only Antarctica is drier), and many of its rivers have highly variable flows. Australia’s longest river is the Murray (2,520 kilometers); other major rivers are the Murrumbidgee (1,575 kilometers), the Darling (1,390 kilometers and a tributary of the Murray River), and the Lachlan (1,370 kilometers). The Murray-Darling River Basin covers more than 1 million square kilometers, or around 14 percent of Australia.

Climate

Australia’s climate is subtropical arid. The north has hot, humid, and rainy summers and dry, warm winters. In the south, summers are dry and sunny, and winters are mild and rainy. Except on the eastern coast, rainfall is generally low. Average annual rainfall ranges from 325.6 millimeters in Alice Springs to 1,847.1 millimeters in Darwin. The average daily maximum temperature ranges from 17.2º C in Hobart to 32.1º C in Darwin. The average daily minimum temperature ranges from 6.7º C in Canberra to 23.4º C in Darwin.

Natural Resources

Australia has significant deposits of coal, natural gas, petroleum, and various minerals, including bauxite, copper, diamonds, gold, iron ore, lead, nickel, silver, tungsten, uranium, and zinc.