Outline of Australia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Australia:

Australia refers to both the continent of Australia and to the Commonwealth of Australia, the sovereign country. Australia, the world's smallest continent, is in the Southern Hemisphere and borders both the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

The Commonwealth of Australia comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, plus the major island of Tasmania, and other nearby islands. The neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east.

The Australian mainland has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and then European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was later claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation as part of the colony of New South Wales, commencing on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown colonies were established during the 19th century.

General reference

Pronunciation:
- Australian English: IPA:Â [É™ËˆstrÃ¦ÉªljÉ™], [É™ËˆstrÃ¦ÉªliË.É™], [É™ËˆstrÃ¦ÉªjÉ™]
- British English: IPA:Â [É'ËˆstreÉªlÉª.É™], [É'ËˆstreÉªlijÉ™]
- American English: [É'ËˆstreÉªli.É™], [É'ËˆstreÉªljÉ™]
Common English country name: Australia
Official English country name: The Commonwealth of Australia
Common endonym(s):
Official endonym(s):
Adjectival(s): Australian
Demonym(s):
Etymology: Name of Australia
International rankings of Australia
ISO country codes: AU, AUS, 036
ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:AU
Internet country code top-level domain: .au

Geography

Australia is...
- a continent
- a country
  - a nation state
  - a Commonwealth realm
  - a megadiverse country
Location:
- Australia is a region or subregion of:
  - The World (Australia is a continent on the planet Earth)
    - Southern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
    - Oceania
      - Australasia
- Australia lies between:
  - Indian Ocean
  - Pacific Ocean
    - South Pacific Ocean
  - Southern Ocean by some reckonings
- Time zones:
  - Australian Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC+10), Australian Eastern Summer Time (EDT) (UTC+11)
  - Australian Central Standard Time (CST) (UTC+09:30), Australian Central Summer Time (CDT) (UTC+10:30),
  - Australian Western Standard Time (WST) (UTC+08)
- Extreme points of Australia (mainland)
  - Northernmost Point â€" Cape York, Queensland (10Â°41' S)
  - Southernmost Point â€" South Point, Wilsons Promontory, Victoria (39Â°08' S)
  - Westernmost Point â€" Steep Point, Western Australia (113Â°09' E)
  - Easternmost Point â€" Cape Byron, New South Wales (153Â°38' E)
  - Highest Point â€" Mount Kosciuszko 2,228Â m (7,310Â ft)
  - Lowest Point â€" Lake Eyre âˆ'15Â m (âˆ'49Â ft)
- Land boundaries: none
- Coastline: 25,760Â km
Population of Australia: 22,065,700 people (September 2009) â€" 53rd most populous country
Area of Australia: 7,741,220Â km² (2,988,900Â sqÂ mi) â€" 6th largest country
Atlas of Australia

Environment

Climate of Australia
- Bushfires in Australia
- Climate change in Australia
- Effects of global warming on Australia
Ecoregions of Australia
Environmental issues in Australia
Renewable energy in Australia
- Geothermal power in Australia
- Solar power in Australia
- Wind power in Australia
Geology of Australia
National parks of Australia
Protected areas of Australia
Wildlife of Australia
- Flora of Australia
- Fauna of Australia
  - Birds of Australia
  - Mammals of Australia

Iconic wildlife of Australia

Geographic features

Islands of Australia
Lakes of Australia
Mountains of Australia
- Volcanoes in Australia
Rivers of Australia
Valleys of Australia
Waterfalls of Australia
World Heritage Sites in Australia

Regions

Ecoregions in Australia

Multi-state regions

Barkly Tableland
Capital Country
Eastern states of Australia
East Coast of Australia
Lake Eyre basin
Murrayâ€"Darling basin
Northern Australia
The Nullarbor
Outback
Southern Australia

Administrative divisions

States

Â New South Wales
Â Victoria
Â Queensland
Â Western Australia
Â South Australia
Â Tasmania

Territories

Mainland territories

Â Australian Capital Territory
Â Northern Territory
Â Jervis Bay Territory

External territories

Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Australian Antarctic Territory
Norfolk Island
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Coral Sea Islands Territory
Heard and McDonald Islands

Municipalities

Cities of Australia

Demography

Government and politics

Main articles: Australian governments, Government of Australia, and Politics of Australia

Form of government: federative constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy
Capital of Australia: Canberra

Elections in Australia
- 1901 â€" 1972 â€" 1974 â€" 1975 â€" 1977 â€" 1980 â€" 1983 â€" 1984 â€" 1987 â€" 1990 â€" 1993 â€" 1996 â€" 1998 â€" 2001 â€" 2004 â€" 2007 â€" 2010 â€" 2013
- Australian electoral system
  - Compulsory voting
  - Preferential voting
- Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives
Human rights in Australia
Political parties in Australia
- Liberal Party of Australia
- Australian Labor Party
- National Party of Australia
- Australian Democrats
- Australian Greens
Political scandals of Australia
Republicanism in Australia
Taxation in Australia

Federal government

Branches of the government

Executive branch

Head of state: Queen of Australia (Queen Elizabeth II)
- Head of state's representative: Governor-General (Peter Cosgrove)
Head of government: Prime Minister of Australia (Tony Abbott)
Cabinet
Federal Executive Council

Legislative branch

Parliament of Australia
- Australian Senate
- Australian House of Representatives
  - Opposition Leader (currently: Bill Shorten)

Judicial branch

High Court of Australia
Australian court hierarchy
Constitution of Australia

Military

Command
- Commander-in-chief: Governor-General as the Queen's representative.
  - Minister for Defence of Australia
    - ADF
Forces
- Army of Australia: Australian Army
- Navy of Australia: Royal Australian Navy
- Air force of Australia: Royal Australian Air Force
- Special forces of Australia
Military history of Australia
Australian Defence Force ranks

Foreign relations

ANZUS
Australiaâ€"United States relations
Australiaâ€"New Zealand relations
Australiaâ€"Indonesia relations
Australiaâ€"China relations
Australiaâ€"Japan relations
Anglo-Australian relations
Australia and the United Nations

International organisation membership

The Commonwealth of Australia is a member of the:

Law and order

Citizenship
Constitution of Australia
Crime in Australia
Law enforcement in Australia
- National law enforcement agencies
  - Australian Federal Police (AFP)
  - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
  - Australian Crime Commission (ACC)
  - Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS)
  - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)
  - Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
  - Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- Regional law enforcement agencies â€" the following policing agencies are regulated by their respective State or Territory Government and are highly visible:
  - Australian Capital Territory Police
  - New South Wales Police Force
  - Northern Territory Police
  - Queensland Police Service
  - South Australia Police
  - Tasmania Police
  - Victoria Police
  - Western Australia Police

State and territory governments

Governors of the Australian states
Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
Premiers of the Australian states
Government of New South Wales
Government of Queensland
Government of South Australia
Government of Tasmania
Government of Victoria
Government of Western Australia
Government of the Australian Capital Territory
Government of the Northern Territory

Local government

Local government in Australia

History

Prehistory of Australia
Australian archaeology
European exploration of Australia
History of Australia (1788â€"1850)
History of Australia (1851â€"1900)
History of Australia (1901â€"1945)
History of Australia since 1945
Australian Federation
Constitutional history of Australia
Immigration history of Australia
Postage stamps and postal history of Australia
Stolen Generations

History of states

History of New South Wales
History of Queensland
History of South Australia
History of Tasmania
History of Victoria
History of Western Australia

Culture

Architecture of Australia
Australian cuisine
Dance in Australia
Festivals in Australia
Australian folklore
Humour in Australia
Languages of Australia
- Australian English
Media of Australia
- Television in Australia
National symbols of Australia
- Coat of arms of Australia
- Flag of Australia
- National anthems:
  - Official national anthem: Advance Australia Fair
  - Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
People of Australia
- Australian diaspora
- Australian of the Year
- Indigenous Australians
  - Aboriginal Australians
  - Torres Strait Islanders
Prostitution in Australia
Public holidays in Australia
World Heritage Sites in Australia

Art

Australian art
Cuisine
Australian literature
Music of Australia
- Australian music charts
- Indigenous Australian music
- Australian country music
- Australian hip hop
- Australian jazz
- Australian rock
- Music of immigrant communities in Australia
Theatre of Australia
Cinema of Australia

Religion and belief systems in Australia

Irreligion in Australia
Religion in Australia
- Religions in Australia
  - Buddhism in Australia
  - Christianity in Australia
    - Catholicism in Australia
    - Protestantism in Australia
  - Hinduism in Australia
  - Islam in Australia
  - Judaism in Australia
    - History of the Jews in Australia
  - Sikhism in Australia

Sport

Australia at the Olympics
Australia at the Commonwealth Games
Football in Australia
- Soccer in Australia
- Australian rules football in Australia
- Rugby union in Australia
- Rugby league in Australia
Cricket in Australia
Golf in Australia
Field hockey in Australia
Motorsport in Australia
Tennis in Australia
Basketball in Australia
Netball in Australia
Swimming in Australia
- Swimming Australia
- List of Australian records in swimming
- Women's swimming in Australia
Skiing in Australia
Australian horse racing
Winter sport in Australia

Economy and infrastructure

Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 14th (fourteenth)

Agriculture in Australia
Telecommunications in Australia
- Internet in Australia
Reserve Bank of Australia
Companies of Australia
- List of restaurant chains in Australia
Currency of Australia: Dollar
- ISO 4217: AUD
Economic history of Australia
Energy in Australia
- Energy in Australia
- Energy policy of Australia
  - Effects of global warming on Australia
  - Garnaut Climate Change Review
- Coal in Australia
- Carbon capture and storage in Australia
- Geothermal power in Australia
- Solar power in Australia
- Wind power in Australia
Health care in Australia
Median household income in Australia and New Zealand
Mining in Australia
- Coal mining in Australia
Australian Securities Exchange
Tourism in Australia
Transport in Australia
- Airports in Australia
- Rail transport in Australia
- Road transport in Australia
- Tunnels in Australia
Water supply and sanitation in Australia

State economies

Economy of New South Wales
Economy of Queensland
Economy of South Australia
Economy of Tasmania
Economy of Victoria
Economy of Western Australia

Education

Main articles: Education in Australia and Lists of schools in Australia

Public and private education in Australia
Universities in Australia
- Group of Eight

States education

Education in New South Wales
Education in Queensland
Education in South Australia
Education in Tasmania
Education in Victoria
Education in Western Australia
Education in the Australian Capital Territory

References

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Australia

Detailed map of Australia

Saturday, May 9, 2015