HOME | EXPLORE APEC | KID CONNECT | TEACHERS | PARENTS

WHO WE ARE | WHERE WE LIVE | WHAT WE DO | HOW WE'RE GOVERNED
POPULATION | RACE AND ETHNICITY | RELIGION

Australia


Australia
Click for detailed maps

  • Sixth largest nation

  • Only nation to govern an entire continent

  • Australia is the driest continent - Apart from Antarctica

  • Plastic Money ---Bank notes are based on plastic (polymer)

  • It lies between 10° and 39° South latitude

  • How has the population changed in Australia over the past 100 years?

    In 1901, Australia’s population was only 3,773,801. At that time, the median age was 22 years (23 years for males and 21 years for females). By 2009, the median age increased to 36.9 years (34 years for males and 36 years for females) and the overall population was estimated to be 22,155,000. This means that every minute and forty seven seconds the population of Australia increases by one! This projection is based on the estimated resident population on December 31, 2003 and assumes growth since then of:
  • One birth every 1 minute and 47 seconds,
  • One death every 3 minutes and 44 seconds, and
  • A net gain of one international migrant every 1 minutes and 13 seconds.

    • Immigration has been a key to the growth of Australia's development since the beginning of European settlement in 1788. For generations, most settlers came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still predominantly of British or Irish origin, with a culture and outlook similar to those of Americans. However, since the end of World War II, the population has more than doubled. ..continue

    State/Territory Area in Square
    Kilometers
    (Mainland Only)     		State/Terr.
    Population*
    in Millions    		 Capital**
    (Population*
    in Millions)
    Queensland 1,723,936 4.47m Brisbane (1.65m)
    New South Wales 800,628 7.19m Sydney (4.15m)
    Australian Capital
    Territory (Jervis
    Bay Territory)    		 2,358
    (72)    		 0.35m Canberra (0.32m)
    Victoria 227,010 5.50m Melbourne (3.49m)
    Tasmania 64,519 0.51m Hobart (0.20m)
    South Australia 978,810 1.63m Adelaide (1.11m)
    Western Australia 2,526,786 2.27m Perth (1.38m)
    Northern Territory 1,335,742 0.23m Darwin (0.11m)
    AUSTRALIA 7,659,861 22.16m Canberra (0.32m)

    Sources: area-Auslig; population-Australian Bureau of Statistics
    *Estimated resident population as of 30 June 1999.
    **Estimated resident population in major population centers as of 31 March 1999.


    International Children's Digital Library
    ECON BRAIN BUSTER
    Fun games to quiz your Econ knowledge!
    KID CONNECT
    See kids projects and check out the language lab
    IN THE CLASSROOM
    TEACHERS: Get your class involved in fun
    projects that build cross-cultural understanding!
    About APEC - Australia - Brunei Darussalam - Canada - Chile - China - Chinese Taipei - Hong Kong, China - Indonesia - Japan - Korea - Malaysia - Mexico - New Zealand - Papua New Guinea - Peru - Philippines - Russia - Singapore - Thailand - United States - Viet Nam
    Please contact us with any comments or questions