Australia
Oceania Β· Capital: Canberra
How it is run: Australia is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Australia is home to 27.6 million people in Australia and New Zealand, where people speak English.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
27.6 million people
That is 0.3% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
7,692,024 kmΒ²
A giant of the map β it stretches across several time zones.
ποΈ How crowded
Only about 3.6 people per square kilometre β lots of wide open space between towns.
π Size in its region
1st most people in Oceania
1st largest by land in Oceania.
π£οΈ Official languages
English
π° Money
Australian dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
83.1 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$65,130
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
π’ Living in cities
87.7% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
17.7% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+61
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.au
π§ People here are called
Australian
π·οΈ Name at home
Australia
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Australia has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Australia
French
Australie
Arabic
Ψ£Ψ³ΨͺΨ±Ψ§ΩΩΨ§
Chinese
澳倧ε©δΊ
Japanese
γͺγΌγΉγγ©γͺγ’
Russian
ΠΠ²ΡΡΡΠ°Π»ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
AustrΓ‘lia
German
Australien
Put it in perspective π
- Australia covers roughly 73,257 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Australia lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 13,807 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Australia change.
First federal flag
Chosen by a public competition the year the colonies federated.
Modern Australia
The Southern Cross stars can only be seen from the southern half of the world.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Australia shares its part of the world with Norfolk Island. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
π·οΈ Official name
Commonwealth of Australia
ποΈ Capital
Canberra
π Region
Oceania Β· Australia and New Zealand
π€ Country code
AU
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Australia π
Sydney Opera House
Its shells were designed after slicing a sphere like an orange, and over a million white tiles cover the roof.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
27.0Β° S, 133.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Southern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+9 β when it is noon in London it is about 21:00 in Canberra.
- Australia sits in Australia and New Zealand, in the southern and eastern half of the globe.
- Australia is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- Australia shares its part of the world with Norfolk Island. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- The capital of Australia is Canberra β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- π¦πΊ is the flag of Australia. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is AU.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Australia has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Australia can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Australia spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra
Which money do people spend in Australia?
Australian dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with Australia?
None β no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in Australia?
27.6 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.