Australia

Australia is the smallest continent (about 7.7 million km²). It lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the whole continent is occupied by a single country.

Location

• Between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• The capital is Canberra. The largest cities are Sydney and Melbourne.
• Off the northeastern coast lies the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef.
• The island of Tasmania is separated by the Bass Strait.

Nature

Feature	Value
Highest point	Kosciuszko, 2228 m
Lowest point	Lake Eyre, about -15 m
Mountain range	Great Dividing Range (in the east)
Rivers	Murray and Darling

• Highest point: Kosciuszko, 2228 m. Lowest point: Lake Eyre (about -15 m).
• The Great Dividing Range lies in the east, plateaus in the west, and plains in the center.
• Rivers: Murray and Darling. The Great Artesian Basin is also located here.
• Most of the continent is desert and semi-desert: the Great Sandy, Gibson, and Great Victoria deserts.
• Its plants and animals are endemic: kangaroo, koala, platypus, emu, eucalyptus, acacia. The reason: the continent was isolated from the other continents for a long time.
• The capital is not Sydney, but Canberra.
• Endemic species: kangaroo, koala, platypus.