Its land mass of nearly 7.7 million km² makes it the sixth largest country in area after Russia, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil. It is the flattest and (after Antarctica) the dryest of continents, yet it has extremes of climate and topography.
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There are rainforests and vast plains in the north, snowfields in the south east, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the east, south and south west. About one third of the country lies in the tropics. Australia has a coastline of 36,735km - if it were possible to drive non-stop along the entire coast at 60 km/h it would take about 24 days to complete the trip.
Climate and Weather
Australia is a large island continent in the southern hemisphere with a diverse range of climate zones. These vary from tropical regions in the north through the arid expanses of the interior to temperate regions in the south.
Seasonal fluctuations can be great with temperatures ranging from above 50 ° Celsius to well below zero. Minimum temperatures are moderated by the lack of mountains and the influence of surrounding oceans.
Australia is relatively arid, with 80% of the land having a rainfall less than 600 millimetres per year and 50% having even less than 300 millimetres.
Most Australians live near the wetter more moderate south eastern coasts primarily in major cities.
Population
Most of the estimated 21.3 million Australians are descended from colonial-era settlers and post-Federation immigrants from Europe, with almost 90% of the population being of European descent. For generations, the vast majority of both colonial-era settlers and post-Federation immigrants came almost exclusively from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still mainly of British or Irish ethnic origin.
Transportation
Transport in Australia is a highly significant part of the infrastructure of the Australian economy, since the distances are large and the country has a relatively low population density. The railway network is large, comprising a total of 33,819 km (2,540 km electrified) of track: 3,719 km broad gauge, 15,422 km standard gauge, 14,506 km narrow gauge and 172 km dual gauge. Road transport is an essential element of transport in Australia due to the large land area of the country and low population density in considerable parts of the country. here are many airports around Australia paved or unpaved. A 2004 estimate put the number of airports at 448.
Top Attractions
Australia’s main tourist attractions are Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, the Gold Coast of Queensland and Uluru (Ayers Rock), in the rugged outback of the Northern Territory. Other attractions in the continent range from the wild flowers of Western Australia to the vineyards of the Barossa Valley, and from Western Australia’s ghost towns to the remarkable wildlife on the island of Tasmania. It is possible to visit the relatively undisturbed Aboriginal communities on Bathurst and Melville Islands, about 80km (50 miles) north of Darwin, providing valuable insights into the continent’s ancient indigenous culture. The Australian coastline has thousands of miles of beautiful beaches. Information on resorts, excursions, places of interest, sports and activities within Australia is given under each individual State section.
Best Travel Time
The northern states are best visited during the winters, from July to September while the summer months are ideal for visiting the southern states. On the whole, September and October are the best, when it is neither too hot nor too cold.
Food and Drink
National specialties:
• Sydney rock oysters.
• Barramundi (freshwater fish).
• Tiger prawns.
• Macadamia nuts.
• Yabbies (small freshwater lobsters).
• Beef is the most popular meat and lamb is also of a high quality.
• There is a wide variety of excellent fruits and vegetables.
National drinks:
• Australian wine.
• Australian beer.
Local Products/Shopping
Special purchases include excellent local wines; wool, clothing, leather and sheepskin products; opal and other precious or semi-precious stones; and modern art sculpture and paintings. Exhibitions of bark paintings, boomerangs and other tribal objects are on view and for sale in Darwin, Alice Springs and the State capitals; many depict stories from the Dreamtime. Many cities and towns have small shops devoted to the sale of ‘Australiana’, where Australian souvenirs, ranging from T-shirts to boomerangs, can be bought.
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Australia’s main tourist attractions are Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef, the Gold Coast of Queensland and Uluru (Ayers Rock), in the rugged outback of the Northern Territory. Other attractions in the continent range from the wild flowers of Western Australia to the vineyards of the Barossa Valley, and from Western Australia’s ghost towns to the remarkable wildlife on the island of Tasmania. It is possible to visit the relatively undisturbed Aboriginal communities on Bathurst and Melville Islands, about 80km (50 miles) north of Darwin, providing valuable insights into the continent’s ancient indigenous culture. The Australian coastline has thousands of miles of beautiful beaches. Information on resorts, excursions, places of interest, sports and activities within Australia is given under each individual State section. 
Best Travel Time