The Commonwealth of Australia is a big country in Oceania. It comprises the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania and a number of other islands. Australia has been inhabited by aborigines for more than 42,000 years. In 1770 Australia was claimed by the British and settled through penal transportation. This initial settling was followed by more waves of general settling. The first colony was New South Wales which was later expanded by five more. On January the 1st 1901, the six colonies became the federation of the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia enjoys a stable liberal democracy. Flora, fauna and climate show an amazing degree of variation. The name Australia derives from the latin Australis which means "of the south."

Inhabitants: 21 million
Area: 7,741,220 km2
Capital: Canberra (323,056)
Languages: English
Religion: Mainly Christian
GBD per capita: $34,359
Government: Parliamentary democracy
Climate: Varies, but a lot of desert and semi-arid