GeoFroggy

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Background

Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequent droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

Location

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Area Comparative

Slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate

Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Natural Hazards

Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires

Environment Current Issues

Soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources

Environment International Agreements

Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

Geography Note

World's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world

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Map Reference

Oceania

Irrigated Land 2003

25,450 sq km

Area 2008

Total

7,686,850 sq km
Land

7,617,930 sq km
Water

68,920 sq km

Coastline

25,760 km

Geographical Coordinates

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Land use 2008

Arable Land
6.15%
Permanent Crops
0.04%
Other
93.81%

Terrain

Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Elevation

Lowest Point: Lake Eyre -15 m
Highest Point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Land Boundaries

0 km

Natural Resources

Array

Australia