| Geography | Australia |
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Location:
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Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean |
Geographic coordinates:
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27 00 S, 133 00 E |
Map references:
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Oceania |
Area:
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total: 7,741,220 sq km
land: 7,682,300 sq km
water: 58,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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25,760 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Climate:
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generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north |
Terrain:
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mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m |
Natural resources:
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bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
note: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports |
Land use:
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arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 93.81% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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25,500 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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398 cu km (1995) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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18,285 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 24.06 cu km/yr (15%/10%/75%)
per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
volcanism: volcanic activity occurs on the Heard and McDonald Islands |
Environment - current issues:
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soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural freshwater resources |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the only continent without glaciers; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most consistent winds in the world |
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