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Info about Australia
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko (7,308 ft; 2,228 m). The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania (26,178 sq mi; 67,800 sq km) is off the southeast coast.
Capital
Canberra
- 373 000 people
all city from Australia
Country lead by
Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)
Governor-General: Michael Jeffery (2003)
Prime Minister: John Howard (1996)
Population
20,264,082 (growth rate: 0.9%); birth rate: 12.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.6/1000; life expectancy: 80.5; density per sq mi: 7
Land Area
2,941,283 sq mi (7,617,931 sq km); total area: 2,967,909 sq mi (7,686,850 sq km)
Monetary unit
Australian dollar
Language
English 79%, native and other languages
Ethnicity
Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religion
Roman Catholic 26%, Anglican 21%, other Christian 21%, Buddhist 2%, Islam 2%, other 1%, none 15% (2001)
Transportation
Railways: total: 54,652 km (3,859 km electrified) (2004). Highways: total: 811,601 km; paved: 316,524 km; unpaved: 495,077 km (2002). Waterways: 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2002). Ports and harbors: Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney. Airports: 450 (2005).
Internet tld
.au
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Victoria