| Area |
7.7 million sq km (2.9 million sq miles) land: 7,682,300 sq km water: 58,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island |
| Capital (June 2009 est.- Australian Bureau of Statistics) | Canberra(403,118) |
| Largest city (June 2009 est.- Australian Bureau of Statistics) | Sydney (4,504,469) |
| Other large cities (June 2009 est.- Australian Bureau of Statistics) | Melbourne (3,995,537); Brisbane (2,004,26); Perth, (1,658,992); Adelaide (1,187,466) |
| Climate | Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north. Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast. |
| Time Difference |
UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time). Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April. Note: Australia is divided into three time zones. |