Area

7,686,850 sq km

Population

22.8 million (2012 estimate)

Capital

Canberra (population 358 000)

Other towns

Sydney (conurbation 4.57 million), Melbourne (conurbation 4.077 million), Brisbane (conurbation 2.043 million), Perth (conurbation 1.7 million), Adelaide (conurbation 1.203 million), Newcastle (conurbation 540,000), Wollongong (conurbation 292,000), Hobart (conurbation 214,000)

Currency

Australian Dollar = 100 cents

Languages

English (official), Aboriginal languages

Life expectancy

men 78.5, women 83.5

GDP

$66,983 per capita (2011 estimate)

Head of state

Queen Elizabeth II represented by Governor General

Head of government

Prime Minister (Julia Gillard since 2010)