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Introduction
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Its population of nearly 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years prior to the first arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century, who named it New Holland. In 1770, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the time of an 1850s gold rush, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and an additional five self-governing crown colonies established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, comprising six states and ten territories.
Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils. It has a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi). A megadiverse country, its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, with deserts in the centre, tropical rainforests in the north-east, and mountain ranges in the south-east. Australia generates its income from various sources, including mining-related exports, telecommunications, banking, manufacturing, and international education. (Full article...)
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On this day
- 1865 – Bushranger John Gilbert shot dead near Binalong, New South Wales.
- 1997 – Susie Maroney become the first person to swim the Florida Straits from Cuba to the United States.
- 2003 – Governor General Peter Hollingworth stands down following accusations that he had attempted to cover up several instances of sexual abuse in the early 1990s during his tenure as Archbishop of Brisbane.
In the news
- 6 May 2021 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- 27 April 2021 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- Lockdown restrictions are lifted in Perth, Western Australia, after no new community transmissions are reported. However, some indoor venues will remain closed, and the mask mandate will continue. (ABC Australia)
- Australia suspends flights from India until May 15 amidst a surge of the COVID-19 cases. (9 News)
- 24 April 2021 – COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
- Metropolitan Perth and Peel regions enter a three-day lockdown after a person from Victoria tested positive in Melbourne after leaving quarantine at a Perth hotel and spending five days in the community. (ABC Australia)
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