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Australia. Pop - 21,585,178. Area - 7,686,850 km2. Capital - Canberra. Largest City - Sydney. Currency - Australian dollar (AUD). Language - English. Main Religion – Christian, of various denominations. Time Zone – GMT + 11.5 hour. Main Airports – Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Brisbane (BNE), Perth (PER), Adelaide (ADL), Cairns (CNS). Climate – due to land mass Australia has a mixture of climates ranging from tropical in the north, dry desert in the interior, and temperate in the south west and south east. Voltage guide 220V-240V. Dialing code 61. Australia is the world’s 6th largest country but has a population of just over 21 million, most of whom live in the coastal fringes of the south west and south east regions. The first Europeans to visit Australia were Dutch explorers in 1606 followed by the British who laid claim to the eastern side of the country and populated it by convict transportation to the colony that was to become New South Wales (NSW). On 1 January 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was formed with the final constitutional ties between Australia and the UK being severed with the passing of the Australia Act 1986. The country consists of six states and two major mainland territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The principal cities in Australia are: Sydney (The oldest and largest city and is the capital of New South Wales NSW); Canberra (The national capital of Australia); Melbourne (The second largest city and regarded as the most European style city); Brisbane (The capital of Queensland it’s famous sandy beaches); Adekaide (The City of Churches); Cairns (Famous for the Great Barrier Reef); Darwin (Northern-most state capital); Hobart (Capital and seaport of Tasmania); Perth (Perched on the south-western edge of Western Australia). Places to see include: The Great Barrier Reef; Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast; Ayers Rock; Kakadu National Park; and Great Ocean Road. Also, look out for some distinctive flora and fauna including kangaroos, koalas, and wallabies.

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