Part - 7

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by paarthaw

by paarthaw

Fast facts about Australia:

Continent: Australia

Capital: Canberra

Region: Oceania

Area: Ranked 6th

Legislature: Parliament

Upper House (Senate),

Lower House (House of Representatives)

Borders: 0 km (No land borders with any country)

Highest point: Mount Kosciuszko [2,234 m (7,310 ft)]

Lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m (-49 ft)

Longest river: Murray River 2,375 km (1,476 mi)

Largest lake: Lake Eyre 9,500 km² (3,668 sq mi)

States: 6 and two mainland territories.

Largest State: Western Australia.

Smallest State: Tasmania

Largest City (Population): Sydney

Australia is a country, an island, and a continent. It is located in Oceania between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean at 27°S 144°E. It is the sixth largest country in the world with a total area of 7,686,850 square kilometers (2,967,909 sq. mi) (including Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island). Australia has the largest area of ocean jurisdiction of any country on earth. It has no land borders. Australia is the world's largest coral reef complex, the Great Barrier Reef.

Political geography:

Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.

Key points about some of Australia's states/territories:

States:

1) Western Australia (Capital: Perth) is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Western Australia is Australia's largest state and the second largest sub-national entity in the world (Sakha Republic of Russia is the largest sub-national entity in the world by area).

2) South Australia (Capital: Adelaide) is a state of Australia, located in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of 983,482 square kilometres (379,725 sq mi), it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories. South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland states and the Northern Territory.

3) Victoria is a state of Australia (Capital: Melbourne), in the south-east of the country. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is Australia's most densely populated state, and has a highly centralised population, with almost 75% of Victorians living in Melbourne, the state capital and largest city.

4) New South Wales (Capital: Sydney) is a state of Australia, located in the east of the country. The state capital is Sydney, which is also the state's most populous city. It is Australia's most populous state.

5) Queensland is a state of Australia (Capital: Brisbane), located in the north-east of the country. The state is Australia's second largest by area, following Western Australia, and the country's third most populous after New South Wales and Victoria. The capital and largest city in the state is Brisbane.

6) Tasmania (Capital: Hobart), abbreviated as TAS, often called Tassie, is an Australian island and state. It is 240 kilometers (150 mi) south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state capital and largest city is Hobart.

Territories:

1) The Northern Territory (Capital: Darwin) is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions. It shares borders with Western Australia to the west, South Australia to the south, and Queensland to the east. To the north, the territory is bordered by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

2) The Australian Capital Territory (Capital: Canberra), often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory. It is enclaved within New South Wales and is regularly referred to as Australia's 'Bush Capital'.