| |||||
| Anthem | "Advance Australia Fair" | ||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Melbourne | ||||
| Other cities | Sydney, Perth | ||||
| Language | English | ||||
| Religion | Protestantism | ||||
| Demonym | Australian | ||||
| Government | Federal Parliamentary Republic | ||||
| Lord Protector | HH Sir Oswald Mosley | ||||
| Established | 1 January 1901 | ||||
| Independence | from Great Britain | ||||
| Currency | British Pound | ||||
| Organizations | Commonwealth of Nations | ||||
The Commonwealth of Australia, informally called just Australia, is a country in Oceania, in the Australasia region. It comprises the Australian mainland, Tasmania, Norfolk Island, the southeastern part of the island of Papua (sharing land borders with the German colony of New Guinea to the north and the Dutch East Indies to the west) and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country of the continent by both land area and population.
Australia was home to aboriginal peoples since before the dawn of recorded history: the territory was however claimed and settled by Great Britain starting in the late 18th century, and the Australian indigenous peoples were mostly exterminated, with only a handful remaining today. Australia was turned into a penal colony of the United Kingdom, before being turned into a single administrative entity at the turn of the century: finally, during the Great War, Australia became an independent nation part of the British Commonwealth.
The country is vast and geographically varied, including tropical forests, deserts, temperate forests and mountain ranges within its borders. Much of the central area of the Australian mainland is desertic, but fertile areas are common near the coasts, where most of the population lives. English is the country's official language, but indigenous languages are also spoken by the natives. The economy of Australia is strong and diversified, with the most important sectors being mining, manufacturing and agriculture. Administratively, Australia is divided into six states:
Additionally, the country includes four territories:
- Australian Antarctica
- Christmas Island
- Northern Territory
- Papua
Lastly, Australia has one dependency:
