ABOUT AUSTRALIA
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent,
the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world’s sixth-largest country by total area. Neighboring countries include
Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the northeast; and New Zealand to
the southeast.
On 1st January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable
liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. The federation comprises
six states and several territories. The population of 23.1 million is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated in the eastern states.
A highly developed country and one of the wealthiest, Australia is the world’s 12th-largest economy and has the world’s fifth-highest per capita
income. Australia’s military expenditure is the world’s 13th-largest. With the second-highest human development index globally, Australia ranks
highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection
of civil liberties and political rights. Australia is a member of the G20, OECD, WTO, APEC, UN, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, and the Pacific
Islands Forum.