Australia, the facts

• Australia is the largest inhabited island.
• The nation's capital city is Canberra.
• Voting is compulsory in Australia.
• The name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern".
• The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is the longest coral reef in the world, measuring over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi).
• Around 24 percent of Australia’s residents were born overseas.
• Australia has a total coastline of  34,218 kilometres (21,262 mi).
• The population in Australia is 22.5 million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

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