Official English Name: Commonwealth of Australia
Common English Name: Australia
Capital: Canberra

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Official Language(s)

English (de facto)
Secondary Languages: Mandarin Chinese, Italian, Arabic, Greek, Cantonese

Resources

Bauxite, Coal, Iron ore, Copper, Tin, Gold, Silver, Uranium, Nickel, Tungsten, Rare earth elements, Mineral sands, Lead, Zinc, Diamonds, Natural gas, Petroleum

Neighbors

None (Island)

Ethnic groups

English (36.1%), Australian (35.4%), Irish (10.4%), Scottish (8.9%), Italian (4.6%), Note: Australia allows identifications for up two ethnicities

People

Est. Population:

22,992,654

Demonym:

Australian

Religions:

Roman Catholic (25.3%)
Atheist (22.3%)
Protestant (21.2%)
Anglican (17.1%)
Eastern Orthodox (2.6%)

Largest City:

Sydney (4,920,970)

Other Cities:

Melbourne (4,529,496)
Brisbane (2,308,720)
Perth (2,039,193)
Adelaide (1,316,779)
Gold Coast (624,918)

Geography

Region:

Oceania

Bodies of Water:

Pacific Ocean (East)
Indian Ocean (West)
Tasman Sea (Southeast)
Timor Sea (North)

Total Area:

7,741,220 km2
(99.2% land, 0.8% water)

Total Land:

0 km (Island)

Total Coastline:

25,760 km

Climate

Generally arid to semiarid
Tropical in the north
Temperate in the south and east

Terrain:

Mostly low plateau with deserts
Fertile plains in southeast

Highest Point

Mount Kosciuszko (2,229 m)

Lowest Point

Lake Eyre (-15 m)

Natural Disasters

Cyclones
Severe droughts
Forest fires
Volcanic activity

Government

Type:

Federal parliamentary democracy with a Commonwealth realm

Head of State:

Queen Elizabeth II (United Kingdom)

Head of Government:

Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Admin. Divisions

6 States
2 Territories

Independence:

1 January 1901 (from the United Kingdom)

Nat'l Symbol:

Southern Cross Constellation

Nat'l Anthem:

Advance Australia Fair

Economy

GDP Per Capita

$65,400 (USD)

Currency

$ (Australian Dollar)

Exchange Rate

$1 (USD) = $ (Australian Dollar)1.36

Communication

Internet Code

.au

Telephone Code

+61

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Cultural Notes

There are about 45 different Aboriginal languages native to the Australian Aboriginal people.
Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation.
When greeting, give a right-handed handshake while making eye contact.
Language in Australia tends to be very “colorful” (i.e. inappropriate by other standards). Never include issues related to immigration or Aboriginal issues.
Australians do not appreciate having their accent pointed out to them.
The phrase “I’m stuffed” should not be used when dining; it translates to “I’m pregnant”.
When dining, guests are seated to the right of the host.
In a pub, each person is expected to pay for at least one round of drinks.
Gift-giving is not a large part of Australian culture, however you can offer something from your country if you wish.
In business settings, Australians are very straightforward therefore making relationships unnecessary. They are also open to ideas, creating mostly collaborative work environments.

Sources

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html (Majority of information)
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013 (Ethnicity data)
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/2071.0Main%20Features902012%E2%80%932013 (Religious data)
http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3218.0Main%20Features12014-15?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2014-15&num=&view= (City population)
Wolfram|Alpha (Currency exchange data)
Information accurate to best of ability as of 25 October 2016