Australia

History

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 total area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest in Oceania. Australia 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 deserts in the interior 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... Summary adapted from the English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). The live article includes citations, maps, and updates.

Colors

Blue, Red, White

The Union Jack reflects Australia's British heritage; the blue background is traditional for British maritime flags; the stars represent Australia's position in the southern hemisphere.

Symbols

Union Jack, Commonwealth Star, Southern Cross

The Commonwealth Star has seven points — six for the states and one for the territories. The Southern Cross identifies Australia's location in the southern hemisphere.