Australia is the smallest continent but also the only continent controlled by a single country. It's a small place in terms of population, with 90% of Australia being empty, despite being the 6th largest country in the world by land area. Do you know the reason for this?
Of the 7 continents in the world, the smallest is Australia. But it is also the only continent completely controlled by a single country. Compared to the Amazon rainforest, Antarctica, Canada's boreal forests, and the Sahara, Australia's forests are vast.
Although Australia is a large place in terms of area, everyone knows that it is a small place in terms of population. 90% of Australia, the 6th largest country in the world by land area, is empty. Why is this?
Compared to the USA, nearly 300 million people live in its 48 states. But only 26 million people live in Australia. This means there are two US states with a larger population than the entire Australian continent. California has over 39 million and Texas over 28 million.
England's population is twice that of Australia's total population. Despite being an entire continent, there are 7 significantly smaller islands around the world with larger populations than Australia.
The islands of Great Britain, Honshu, Luzon, Mindanao, Java, Sumatra, and Madagascar all have larger populations than Australia. Java, an island 60 times smaller than the Australian continent, has 6 times the population of Australia.
Australia's population is smaller than that of many metropolitan areas around the world. The metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Jakarta, and Delhi all have larger populations than Australia.
Australia has only 5 major cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. These cities house two out of every three Australians.
Therefore, Australia is one of the world's most urbanized countries, with the majority of the 90% population living in small urban areas. This represents only 1 to 5% of Australia's total land area. In total, 85% of Australians live within 50 km of the coast.
Adelaide, Australia's fifth-largest city with over 1.3 million people, has a nearby area with only 3,750 residents. This creates a population density of about 178 square kilometers of land per person.
Why is 90% of Australia empty? Australia's geography is a major reason for its low population. Much of the interior is desert. Two-thirds of the country receives less than 500mm of rain annually. The climate around the coast is more favorable, resulting in higher population densities in these areas.
In fact, Australia is considered the second driest continent after Antarctica. The bustling Sydney Harbour or the Melbourne skyline masks the fact that nearly 40% of Australia's land is uninhabitable. One reason for this vast land being so desolate is the lack of rain.
This arid, uninhabitable part of Australia is located away from the coast, in the middle of the continent (the Outback). This is why over 80% of the country's population lives within 50 kilometers of the coast.
Fertility rates in Australia have declined, and the death rate has grown faster than the birth rate. Australia's geography is the main reason for its low population.
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