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Map of Australia

Australia is a country in Oceania with its capital at Canberra, home to about 27.61 million people across 7.69M km². The interactive map below plots 224 cities and towns, 22 rivers, 24 lakes, 19 mountain summits and 56 ports recorded for Australia in YearMaps.

Population
27.61 million
#55 of 225 · World Bank, 2025
Area
7.69M km²
#7 by area
Capital
Canberra
Largest city: Sydney
Continent
Oceania
4 people per km²

Interactive Map of Australia

2.8

Centred on Canberra at 35.2830° S, 149.1290° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.

About Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent. It is a megadiverse country, and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates, including large deserts centrally and tropical rainforests along the coast.

The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from Southeast Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Period. By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke more than 250 distinct languages and had one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Australia's written history commenced with Dutch exploration of most of the coastline in the 17th century. British colonisation began in 1788 with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales. By the mid-19th century, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and five additional self-governing British colonies were established, each gaining responsible government by 1890. The colonies federated in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. This continued a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, and culminating in the Australia Act 1986.

Australia is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy, and a federation comprising six states and ten territories. Its population of almost 29 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra is the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne, each with a population of more than five million. Australia's culture is diverse, and the country has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world. It has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally. Its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to the country's economy. It ranks highly for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.

Australia is a middle power, and has the world's fourteenth-highest military expenditure. It is a member of international groups including: the United Nations, the G20, the OECD, the World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Australia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia
Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Geography and Climate of Australia

Aboriginal Australians arrived on the continent at least 60,000 years ago and developed complex hunter-gatherer societies and oral histories. Dutch navigators led by Abel TASMAN were the first Europeans to land in Australia in 1606, and they mapped the western and northern coasts. They named the continent New Holland but made no attempts to permanently settle it. In 1770, Englishman James COOK sailed to the east coast of Australia, named it New South Wales, and claimed it for Great Britain. In 1788 and 1825 respectively, Great Britain established New South Wales and then Tasmania as penal colonies. Great Britain and Ireland sent more than 150,000 convicts to Australia before ending the practice in 1868. As Europeans began settling areas away from the coasts, they came into more direct contact with Aboriginal Australians. Europeans also cleared land for agriculture, impacting Aboriginal Australians’ ways of life. These issues, along with disease and a policy in the 1900s that forcefully removed Aboriginal children from their parents, reduced the Aboriginal Australian population from more than 700,000 pre-European contact to a low of 74,000 in 1933. Four additional colonies were established in Australia in the mid-1800s: Western Australia (1829), South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851), and Queensland (1859). Gold rushes beginning in the 1850s brought thousands of new immigrants to New South Wales and Victoria, helping to reorient Australia away from its penal colony roots. In the second half of the 1800s, the colonies were all gradually granted self-government, and in 1901, they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia contributed more than 400,000 troops to Allied efforts during World War I, and Australian troops played a large role in the defeat of Japanese troops in the Pacific in World War II. Australia severed most constitutional links with the UK in 1942 but remained part of the British Commonwealth. Australia’s post-war economy boomed and by the 1970s, racial policies that prevented most non-Whites from immigrating to Australia were removed, greatly increasing Asian immigration to the country. In recent decades, Australia has become an internationally competitive, advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its proximity to East and Southeast Asia. In the early 2000s, Australian politics became unstable with frequent attempts to oust party leaders, including five changes of prime minister between 2010 and 2018. As a result, both major parties instituted rules to make it harder to remove a party leader.

Location
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.
Climate
Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north.
Terrain
Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast.
Highest point
Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m.
Lowest point
Lake Eyre -15 m.
Coastline
25,760 km.
Land borders
Total: 0 km.
Major rivers
River Murray - 2,508 km; Darling River - 1,545 km; Murrumbidgee River - 1,485 km; Lachlan River - 1,339 km; Cooper Creek - 1,113 km; Flinders River - 1,004 km.
Major lakes
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Alexandrina - 570 sq km; salt water lake(s): Lake Eyre - 9,690 sq km; Lake Torrens (ephemeral) - 5,780 sq km; Lake Gairdner - 4,470 sq km; Lake Mackay (ephemeral) - 3,494 sq km; Lake Frome - 2,410 sq km; Lake Amadeus (ephemeral) - 1,032 sq km.
Natural resources
Alumina, coal, iron ore, copper, lithium, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, opals, natural gas, petroleum.
Land use
Agricultural land: 47.2% (2023 est.); arable land: 4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 43.1% (2023 est.); forest: 17.3% (2023 est.); other: 35.4% (2023 est.)
Natural hazards
Cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands.
Geographic note
Note 1: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania, the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere, and the largest country without land borders note 2: the Great Dividing Range that runs along eastern Australia is that continent’s longest mountain range and the third-longest land-based range in the world; the term "Great Dividing Range" refers to the fact that the mountains form a watershed crest from which all of the rivers of eastern Australia flow – east, west, north, and south note 3: Australia is the only continent without glaciers; it is the driest inhabited continent on earth; Perth on the west coast is home to the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor," one of the most consistent winds in the world; Australia hosts 10% of the world's biodiversity, and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world.
Languages
English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 18.1% (Anglican 9.8%, Uniting Church 2.6%, Presbyterian and Reformed 1.6%, Baptist 1.4%, Pentecostal 1%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 3.5%, Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 2.7%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3% (Eastern Orthodox 2.1%, Oriental Orthodox 0.2%), other 2.1%, none 38.4%, unspecified 7.3% (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups
English 33%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6%, Chinese 5.5%, Italian 4.4%, German 4%, Indian 3.1%, Australian Aboriginal 2.9%, Greek 1.7%, unspecified 4.7% (2021 est.)
Economy
High-income and globally integrated economy; strong mining, manufacturing, and service sectors driving slow but steady growth; net exporter, driven by commodities to East Asian trade partners; weak productivity and aging population straining labor force participation.

From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.

Australia in Numbers

Population
27.61 million
2025
GDP
US$1.80 trillion
2025
GDP per person
US$65,130
2025
Life expectancy
83.0 years
2024
Population growth
1.53% a year
2025
Population density
4 per km²
2024
Urban population
87.7%
2025
Surface area
7,741,220 km²
2024
Forest cover
17.4%
2024
Arable land
4.1%
2024
Access to electricity
100.0%
2024
Internet users
96.1%
2024

Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.

Australia in Depth

History

Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea crossings from what is now Southeast Asia. It is uncertain how many waves of immigration may have contributed to these ancestors of modern Aboriginal Australians. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is possibly the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia. The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains, which have been dated to approximately 42,000 years ago.

Aboriginal Australian culture is one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth.

Geography

Australia consists of the mainland Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, numerous smaller offshore islands, and the remote offshore territories of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, and Norfolk Island. Australia also claims about 42% of Antarctica as the Australian Antarctic Territory, but this claim is only recognised by four other countries.

Mainland Australia lies between latitudes 9° and 44° south, and longitudes 112° and 154° east. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand.

Economy

Australia's mixed-market economy is highly developed and rich in natural resources. It is the world's twelfth largest by nominal terms and the twenty-third largest by PPP. As of 2021, Australia has the second-highest amount of wealth per adult, after Luxembourg, and the thirteenth-highest financial assets per capita, as well as one of the highest per capita incomes globally. It has a labour force of some 14.6 million, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% as of December 2025. According to the Australian Council of Social Service, the poverty rate of Australia exceeds 13.6% of the population, encompassing over 3.2 million. It also estimated that there were 774,000 (17.7%) children under the age of 15 living in relative poverty.

Demographics

The population of Australia is estimated to be 27,801,023 as of December 2025. It is the 54th most populous country in the world and the most populous Oceanian country.

Australia has a population density of 3.4 persons per square kilometre of total land area, which makes it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The population is heavily concentrated on the east coast, and in particular in the south-eastern region between South East Queensland to the north-east and Adelaide to the south-west.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Australia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia: Key Facts

Key facts about Australia
CurrencyAustralian dollar
Official languageEnglish
Head of stateCharles III
Head of governmentAnthony Albanese
Form of governmentrepresentative democracy, constitutional monarchy
Calling code+61
Internet domain.au
Highest pointMawson Peak
Lowest pointKati Thanda–Lake Eyre
Established1 January 1901

Facts from Wikidata Q408 (CC0).

History of Australia: Empires and States

The atlas records 3 polities whose mapped territory included part of Australia, from British Colonial Empire in 1796 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Australia, in chronological order
PolityPeriod here
British Colonial Empire1796–1904 CE
The British Empire1796–1904 CE
Commonwealth of Australia1905–2024 CE

Historical Maps of Australia

Australia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Australia

There is nowhere else quite like Australia, nicknamed the Land Down Under, the only country that has a whole continent to itself. With Indigenous cultures that go back over 65,000 years and truly global immigration in modern times, the country is famous for its natural wonders, wide open spaces, beaches, deserts, "the bush", and "the Outback". However, it is also highly urbanised, with an array of cosmopolitan cities – the largest and most famous being Sydney, situated on one of the most famous harbours in the world.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Australia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Australia

224 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Australia
#NamePopulation
1Sydney4.63 million
2Melbourne4.17 million
3Brisbane1.86 million
4Perth1.53 million
5Adelaide1.15 million
6Newcastle1.13 million
7Gold Coast527,660
8Cranbourne460,491
9Canberra327,700
10Wollongong260,914
11Geelong160,991
12Cairns154,225
13Townsville138,954
14Albury104,258
15Nowra94,781
16Darwin93,080
17Toowoomba92,800
18Ballarat85,109
19Bendigo81,657
20Hobart80,870
21Mackay75,922
22Mandurah73,356
23Launceston72,458
24Sunshine Coast71,043
25Rockhampton65,850
The other 199 (population, region, role)
  1. Coffs Harbour · 62,978 · New South Wales · Populated place
  2. Wagga Wagga · 55,381 · New South Wales · Populated place
  3. Bundaberg · 52,472 · Queensland · Populated place
  4. Port Macquarie · 48,547 · New South Wales · Populated place
  5. Mildura · 47,867 · Victoria · Populated place
  6. Taree · 44,182 · New South Wales · Populated place
  7. Orange · 39,329 · New South Wales · Populated place
  8. Caloundra · 38,706 · Queensland · Populated place
  9. Tamworth · 38,551 · New South Wales · Populated place
  10. Kalgoorlie · 36,852 · Western Australia · Populated place
  11. Shepparton · 33,550 · Victoria · Populated place
  12. Mount Isa · 33,200 · Queensland · Populated place
  13. Tweed Heads · 33,065 · New South Wales · Populated place
  14. Queanbeyan · 32,602 · Australian Capital Territory · Populated place
  15. Melton · 32,368 · Victoria · Populated place
  16. Dubbo · 31,574 · New South Wales · Populated place
  17. Caboolture · 31,513 · Queensland · Populated place
  18. Lismore · 31,430 · New South Wales · Populated place
  19. Gladstone · 30,489 · Queensland · Populated place
  20. Warrnambool · 29,928 · Victoria · Populated place
  21. Sunbury · 29,925 · Victoria · Populated place
  22. Alice Springs · 27,710 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  23. Geraldton · 27,258 · Western Australia · Populated place
  24. Bunbury · 26,998 · Western Australia · Populated place
  25. Albany · 26,445 · Western Australia · Populated place
  26. Hervey Bay · 25,114 · Queensland · Populated place
  27. Mount Gambier · 23,209 · South Australia · Populated place
  28. Armidale · 22,673 · New South Wales · Populated place
  29. Whyalla · 22,559 · South Australia · Populated place
  30. Sale · 22,486 · Victoria · Populated place
  31. Katoomba · 22,076 · New South Wales · Populated place
  32. Goulburn · 20,940 · New South Wales · Populated place
  33. Maryborough · 20,678 · Queensland · Populated place
  34. Kwinana · 20,086 · Western Australia · Populated place
  35. Burnie · 19,972 · Tasmania · Populated place
  36. Echuca · 19,457 · New South Wales · Populated place
  37. Devonport · 19,317 · Tasmania · Populated place
  38. Roebourne · 19,260 · Western Australia · Populated place
  39. Maitland · 18,625 · New South Wales · Populated place
  40. Traralgon · 18,226 · Victoria · Populated place
  41. Murray Bridge · 18,194 · South Australia · Populated place
  42. Forster-Tuncurry · 17,591 · New South Wales · Populated place
  43. Broken Hill · 17,395 · New South Wales · Populated place
  44. Karratha · 16,796 · Western Australia · Populated place
  45. Gawler · 16,362 · South Australia · Populated place
  46. Griffith · 15,455 · New South Wales · Populated place
  47. Kingston · 14,371 · Tasmania · Populated place
  48. Port Hedland · 14,288 · Western Australia · Populated place
  49. Ballina · 14,242 · New South Wales · Populated place
  50. Wangaratta · 14,022 · Victoria · Populated place
  51. Port Augusta · 13,897 · South Australia · Populated place
  52. Richmond · 13,880 · New South Wales · Populated place
  53. Singleton · 13,813 · New South Wales · Populated place
  54. Bongaree · 13,649 · Queensland · Populated place
  55. Port Lincoln · 13,630 · South Australia · Populated place
  56. Broome · 13,218 · Western Australia · Populated place
  57. Horsham · 12,830 · Victoria · Populated place
  58. Port Pirie · 12,506 · South Australia · Populated place
  59. Warwick · 12,347 · Queensland · Populated place
  60. Kempsey · 11,840 · New South Wales · Populated place
  61. Portland · 11,808 · Victoria · Populated place
  62. Gympie · 11,649 · Queensland · Populated place
  63. Muswellbrook · 11,630 · New South Wales · Populated place
  64. Parkes · 11,137 · New South Wales · Populated place
  65. Lithgow · 11,128 · New South Wales · Populated place
  66. Bairnsdale · 11,005 · Victoria · Populated place
  67. Bowen · 10,983 · Queensland · Populated place
  68. Yeppoon · 10,769 · Queensland · Populated place
  69. Batemans Bay · 10,557 · New South Wales · Populated place
  70. Kiama · 10,379 · New South Wales · Populated place
  71. Busselton · 10,214 · Western Australia · Populated place
  72. Innisfail · 10,143 · Queensland · Populated place
  73. Katherine · 10,141 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  74. Moranbah · 10,000 · Queensland · Populated place
  75. Grafton · 9,955 · New South Wales · Populated place
  76. Dalby · 9,847 · Queensland · Populated place
  77. Charters Towers · 9,573 · Queensland · Populated place
  78. Emerald · 9,398 · Queensland · Populated place
  79. Swan Hill · 9,276 · Victoria · Populated place
  80. Ulladulla · 9,250 · New South Wales · Populated place
  81. Colac · 9,089 · Victoria · Populated place
  82. Ayr · 9,078 · Queensland · Populated place
  83. Hamilton · 8,869 · Victoria · Populated place
  84. Kingaroy · 8,573 · Queensland · Populated place
  85. Inverell · 8,561 · New South Wales · Populated place
  86. Moree · 8,203 · New South Wales · Populated place
  87. Deniliquin · 8,024 · New South Wales · Populated place
  88. Esperance · 7,888 · Western Australia · Populated place
  89. Victor Harbor · 7,760 · South Australia · Populated place
  90. Young · 7,501 · New South Wales · Populated place
  91. Carnarvon · 7,392 · Western Australia · Populated place
  92. Leeton · 7,299 · New South Wales · Populated place
  93. Gunnedah · 7,148 · New South Wales · Populated place
  94. Narrabri · 7,082 · New South Wales · Populated place
  95. Maryborough · 7,046 · Victoria · Populated place
  96. Stawell · 6,991 · Victoria · Populated place
  97. Atherton · 6,959 · Queensland · Populated place
  98. Cowra · 6,795 · New South Wales · Populated place
  99. Byron Bay · 6,764 · New South Wales · Populated place
  100. Tumut · 6,526 · New South Wales · Populated place
  101. Cooma · 6,520 · New South Wales · Populated place
  102. Merimbula · 6,367 · New South Wales · Populated place
  103. Biloela · 6,309 · Queensland · Populated place
  104. Ingham · 6,127 · Queensland · Populated place
  105. Bathurst · 6,111 · New South Wales · Populated place
  106. Ararat · 6,110 · Victoria · Populated place
  107. Wonthaggi · 5,985 · Victoria · Populated place
  108. Northam · 5,855 · Western Australia · Populated place
  109. Kununurra · 5,679 · Western Australia · Populated place
  110. Roma · 5,496 · Queensland · Populated place
  111. Mudgee · 5,391 · New South Wales · Populated place
  112. Newman · 5,138 · Western Australia · Populated place
  113. McMinns Lagoon · 5,025 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  114. Forbes · 4,838 · New South Wales · Populated place
  115. Berri · 4,716 · South Australia · Populated place
  116. Cobram · 4,659 · Victoria · Populated place
  117. Scone · 4,624 · New South Wales · Populated place
  118. Goondiwindi · 4,251 · New South Wales · Populated place
  119. Manjimup · 4,240 · Western Australia · Populated place
  120. Narrogin · 4,238 · Western Australia · Populated place
  121. Smithton · 4,202 · Tasmania · Populated place
  122. Proserpine · 3,976 · Queensland · Populated place
  123. Katanning · 3,934 · Western Australia · Populated place
  124. Tennant Creek · 3,889 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  125. Seymour · 3,693 · Victoria · Populated place
  126. Derby · 3,199 · Western Australia · Populated place
  127. Clare · 3,061 · South Australia · Populated place
  128. Central Coast · 3,026 · New South Wales · Populated place
  129. Port Douglas · 3,000 · Queensland · Populated place
  130. Longreach · 2,894 · Queensland · Populated place
  131. Weipa · 2,830 · Queensland · Populated place
  132. Wallaroo · 2,779 · South Australia · Populated place
  133. Tom Price · 2,723 · Western Australia · Populated place
  134. Merredin · 2,668 · Western Australia · Populated place
  135. Bordertown · 2,583 · South Australia · Populated place
  136. Bourke · 2,475 · New South Wales · Populated place
  137. Scottsdale · 2,468 · Tasmania · Populated place
  138. Queenstown · 2,352 · Tasmania · Populated place
  139. Charleville · 1,900 · Queensland · Populated place
  140. Yamba · 1,806 · New South Wales · Populated place
  141. Tumby Bay · 1,791 · South Australia · Populated place
  142. Mount Barker · 1,781 · Western Australia · Populated place
  143. Peterborough · 1,689 · South Australia · Populated place
  144. Wagin · 1,598 · Western Australia · Populated place
  145. Ceduna · 1,586 · South Australia · Populated place
  146. Kalbarri · 1,537 · Western Australia · Populated place
  147. Penola · 1,514 · South Australia · Populated place
  148. Meningie · 1,501 · South Australia · Populated place
  149. Gingin · 1,446 · Western Australia · Populated place
  150. Ouyen · 1,400 · Victoria · Populated place
  151. Port Denison · 1,213 · Western Australia · Populated place
  152. Halls Creek · 1,209 · Western Australia · Populated place
  153. Cloncurry · 1,202 · Queensland · Populated place
  154. Winton · 1,157 · Queensland · Populated place
  155. Oatlands · 1,157 · Tasmania · Populated place
  156. Ravensthorpe · 1,101 · Western Australia · Populated place
  157. Exmouth · 1,085 · Western Australia · Populated place
  158. Barcaldine · 1,068 · Queensland · Populated place
  159. Streaky Bay · 1,060 · South Australia · Populated place
  160. Norseman · 1,004 · Western Australia · Populated place
  161. Yulara · 930 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  162. Georgetown · 818 · Queensland · Populated place
  163. Wyndham · 800 · Western Australia · Populated place
  164. Pannawonica · 686 · Western Australia · Populated place
  165. Pine Creek · 665 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  166. Meekatharra · 654 · Western Australia · Populated place
  167. Kimba · 636 · South Australia · Populated place
  168. Boulia · 600 · Queensland · Populated place
  169. Onslow · 573 · Western Australia · Populated place
  170. Quilpie · 560 · Queensland · Populated place
  171. Cowell · 537 · South Australia · Populated place
  172. Andamooka · 528 · South Australia · Populated place
  173. Eidsvold · 459 · Queensland · Populated place
  174. Woomera · 450 · South Australia · Populated place
  175. Wilcannia · 442 · New South Wales · Populated place
  176. Mount Magnet · 424 · Western Australia · Populated place
  177. Hughenden · 421 · Queensland · Populated place
  178. Kaltukatjara · 355 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  179. Laverton · 316 · Western Australia · Populated place
  180. Richmond · 296 · Queensland · Populated place
  181. Birdsville · 283 · Queensland · Populated place
  182. Ivanhoe · 265 · New South Wales · Populated place
  183. Morawa · 259 · Western Australia · Populated place
  184. Theodore · 246 · Queensland · Populated place
  185. Adelaide River · 237 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  186. Leonara · 227 · Western Australia · Populated place
  187. Kingston South East · 206 · South Australia · Populated place
  188. Thargomindah · 203 · Queensland · Populated place
  189. Burketown · 200 · Queensland · Populated place
  190. Three Springs · 190 · Western Australia · Populated place
  191. Southern Cross · 187 · Western Australia · Populated place
  192. Camooweal · 187 · Queensland · Populated place
  193. Bicheno · 177 · Tasmania · Populated place
  194. Karumba · 173 · Queensland · Populated place
  195. Windorah · 158 · Queensland · Populated place
  196. Bedourie · 142 · Queensland · Populated place
  197. Kingoonya · 50 · South Australia · Populated place
  198. Newcastle Waters · 10 · Northern Territory · Populated place
  199. Erldunda · 10 · Northern Territory · Populated place

Highest Mountains in Australia

19 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.

See all 19 mountains →
Highest Mountains in Australia
#NameElevation
1Mount Kosciuszko2,228 m
2Mount Bogong1,986 m
3Mount Buller1,805 m
4Mount Bartle Frere1,622 m
5Mount Ossa1,617 m
6Round Mtn1,608 m
7Barrington Tops1,555 m
8Mount Zeil1,531 m
9Mount Dalrymple1,259 m
10Mount Meharry1,253 m

Largest Lakes in Australia

24 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.

See all 24 lakes →
Largest Lakes in Australia
#NameSurface Area
1Lake Eyre North8,144 km²
2Lake Torrens5,158 km²
3Lake Gairdner4,241 km²
4Lake Mackay3,594 km²
5Lake Frome2,582 km²
6Lake Barlee2,101 km²
7Lake Argyle1,818 km²
8Lake Carnegie1,524 km²
9Lake Moore1,290 km²
10Lake Everard1,267 km²

Rivers in Australia

22 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.

See all 22 rivers →
Rivers in Australia
NameType
BarwonRiver
BlackwoodRiver
BurdekinRiver
BurnettRiver
DalyRiver
DarlingRiver
DerwentRiver
Fitzroy (near Derby)River
Fitzroy (near Rockhampton)River
KatherineRiver

Ports in Australia

56 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.

Ports in Australia
#NameChannel Depth
1Welshpool56.7 m
2Launceston56.7 m
3Kingscote53 m
4Ballina53 m
5Thursday Island49.4 m
6Port Alma45.7 m
7Mourilyan Harbour45.7 m
8Klein Point45.7 m
9Wyndham45.7 m
10Ardrossan42.1 m
The other 46 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
  1. Port Huon · 42.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  2. Stanley · 42.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  3. Brisbane · 42.1 m · Major · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  4. Cairns · 42.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  5. Mackay · 42.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  6. Bundaberg · 42.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  7. Gladstone · 42.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  8. Devonport · 42.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  9. Wallaroo · 42.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  10. Thevenard · 42.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  11. Eden · 38.4 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  12. Port Dalrymple · 38.4 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  13. Useless Loop · 38.4 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · point_of_interest
  14. Whyalla · 38.4 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  15. Port Pirie · 38.4 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  16. Dampier · 34.7 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  17. Port Bonython · 34.7 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  18. Point Murat · 34.7 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  19. Geelong · 34.7 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  20. Townsville · 34.7 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  21. Albany · 34.7 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  22. Broome · 34.7 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  23. Fremantle · 31.1 m · Major · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  24. Hay Point · 31.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  25. Lucinda · 31.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  26. Port Giles · 31.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  27. Port Walcott · 31.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  28. Gove · 31.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  29. Dover · 31.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · point_of_interest
  30. Melbourne · 31.1 m · Major · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  31. Bunbury · 31.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  32. Portland · 31.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  33. Botany Bay · 27.4 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  34. Port Latta · 27.4 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  35. Western Port · 27.4 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  36. Port Adelaide · 27.4 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  37. Newcastle · 27.4 m · Major · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  38. Geraldton · 27.4 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  39. Port Kembla · 23.8 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · large vessels
  40. Cape Cuvier · 20.1 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  41. Darwin · 16.5 m · Minor · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  42. Esperance · 16.5 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  43. Beauty Point · 9.1 m · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  44. Milner Bay · 5.5 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels
  45. Jervis Bay · 5.5 m · Very Small · Australia & New Zealand · point_of_interest
  46. Cape Flattery Harbor · Small · Australia & New Zealand · medium vessels

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia

18 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.

See all 18 World Heritage Sites →
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia
#NameInscribed
1Great Barrier Reef1981
2Kakadu National Park1981
3Willandra Lakes Region1981
4Lord Howe Island Group1982
5Tasmanian Wilderness1982
6Gondwana Rainforests of Australia1986
7Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park1987
8Wet Tropics of Queensland1988
9Shark Bay1991
10K'gari1992

Largest Islands of Australia

12 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.

See all 12 islands →
Largest Islands of Australia
#NameArea
1Tasmania64,242 km²
2Melville Island5,841 km²
3Kangaroo Island4,463 km²
4Rowley Shoals3,014 km²
5Groote Eylandt2,321 km²
6Fraser Island1,703 km²
7Flinders Island1,370 km²
8Whitsunday Group1,331 km²
9King Island1,109 km²
10Mornington Island1,070 km²

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Australia

32 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.

See all 32 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms →
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Australia
#NameArea
1Australia8.82M km²
2Western Plateau1.75M km²
3Great Artesian Basin1.03M km²
4Great Dividing Range793,951 km²
5Murray-Darling Basin691,792 km²
6Nullarbor Plain167,047 km²
7Great Sandy Desert161,048 km²
8Arnhem Land127,209 km²
9Kimberley Plateau117,820 km²
10Barkly Tableland117,367 km²

States and Provinces of Australia

7 first-level divisions with their own map.

Countries Bordering Australia

Land and maritime neighbours.

More Maps in Oceania

Australia: Quick Answers

What is the capital of Australia?
The capital of Australia is Canberra.
What is the population of Australia?
Australia has a population of about 27.61 million, the #55 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
How big is Australia?
Australia covers 7.69M km², ranking #7 by area, with about 4 people per square kilometre.
Which continent is Australia in?
Australia is in Oceania.
Which countries border Australia?
Australia shares a land or maritime border with Indonesia, Timor-Leste, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia.
What is the largest city in Australia?
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, with a metropolitan population of about 4.63 million.
What is the highest mountain in Australia?
The highest summit recorded for Australia in YearMaps is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m (7,310 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
What is the largest lake in Australia?
The largest lake recorded in or bordering Australia is Lake Eyre North, at roughly 8,144 km².