Australia

1606 – First recorded European landing (Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon)

1770 – Captain James Cook claims Australia for Britain

1788 – First fleet arrives, establishing penal colony in New South Wales

1851 – Gold rush begins, driving economic growth

1901 – Federation of Australia (date of modern state formation)

1914–1918 – Australia participates in World War I

1942 – Battle of Australia during World War II

1986 – Australia Act severed the legal ties with the UK

2008 – Apology to the Stolen Generations (Indigenous peoples)

2021 – COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery

Continent: Australia (Oceania)
Location: Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans
Capital: Canberra
Language: English (official)
Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)
Population: ~26 million (last updated: April 2025)
Time Zone: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST, UTC+10); Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11)

Borders: None (Island nation, but maritime boundaries with various neighbours)
Coastline: Long coastline (over 25,000 km) along the Indian and Pacific Oceans
Landscape: Deserts (Outback), rainforests, mountains (Great Dividing Range), tropical and temperate forests
Major Rivers: Murray, Darling, Lachlan
Notable Features: Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Australian Outback

Ethnic Groups: Primarily of European (Anglo-Celtic) descent; significant Asian and Indigenous populations
Religion: Christianity (predominantly Protestant and Catholic), secular, with growing religious diversity
Urban Population: ~86% (last updated: 2023)
Population Notes: High immigration rates, with a large number of migrants from the UK, New Zealand, China, India, and other countries

Famous For: Sports (cricket, rugby), unique wildlife (kangaroos, koalas), beach culture, Aboriginal heritage
Cuisine: Meat pies, fish and chips, vegemite, pavlova, lamingtons
Arts: Indigenous art, modern theater, cinema (e.g., “Crocodile Dundee”), music (rock and pop)
Sports: Cricket, rugby, Australian rules football, surfing, netball

Famous For: Sports (cricket, rugby), unique wildlife (kangaroos, koalas), beach culture, Aboriginal heritage
Cuisine: Meat pies, fish and chips, vegemite, pavlova, lamingtons
Arts: Indigenous art, modern theater, cinema (e.g., “Crocodile Dundee”), music (rock and pop)
Sports: Cricket, rugby, Australian rules football, surfing, netball

Government Type: Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Head of State: King Charles III (since 2022)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (last updated: April 2025)
Legislature: Bicameral (House of Representatives & Senate)
Constitution: In effect since 1901

Sydney: Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach
Great Barrier Reef: World’s largest coral reef system
Uluru (Ayers Rock): Sacred Aboriginal site
Tasmania: Wilderness areas, pristine beaches, hiking trails
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 20 (last updated: 2023)