Flag Coat of arms Anthem: Advance Australia FairN1

Capital Canberra 35°18'S 149°08'E? / ?-35.3, 149.133 Largest city Sydney Official languages English (de facto N2) Demonym Australian Government Parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II  -  Governor-General Michael Jeffery  -  Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Independence from the United Kingdom   -  Constitution 1 January 1901   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931 (adopted 9 September 1939)   -  Australia Act 3 March 1986  Area  -  Total 7,741,220 km² (6th) 2,988,888 sq mi   -  Water (%) 1 Population  -  2008 estimate 21,260,000[1] (53rd)  -  2006 census 19,855,288   -  Density 2.6/km² (224th) 6.7/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate  -  Total US$718.4 billion (IMF) (17th)  -  Per capita US$34,359 (IMF) (14th) GDP (nominal) 2007 estimate  -  Total US$889.7 billion (AU $1.1 trillion) (15th)  -  Per capita US$42,553 (DFAT) (16th) HDI (2007) ? 0.962 (high) (3rd) Currency Australian dollar (AUD) Time zone variousN3 (UTC+8 to +10.5)  -  Summer (DST) variousN3 (UTC+9 to +11.5) Internet TLD .au Calling code +61 The Commonwealth of Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and a number of other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 The neighbouring countries are Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. The Australian mainland has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians.[2] After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and then European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606,[3] the eastern half of Australia was later claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation as part of the colony of New South Wales, commencing on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established during the 19th century. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The population is just over 21 million, with approximately 60% of the population concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.