Summary

Australia is a stable, democratic and culturally diverse nation with a highly skilled workforce and one of the strongest performing economies in the world.

With spectacular landscapes and a rich ancient culture, Australia is a land like no other. It is the earth's sixth-largest country in land area and is the only nation to govern an entire continent.

Australia in Brief provides an authoritative overview of Australia's history, the land, its people and their way of life. It also looks at Australia's economic, scientific and cultural achievements and its foreign, trade and defence policies.

Legal information

This is the 52nd edition of Australia in Brief, revised and updated in February 2021. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is grateful for assistance from other government departments and agencies, and various private organisations which have licenced the use of photos and graphics. Money values are given in Australian dollars unless otherwise indicated. Weights and measures are metric and imperial.

Creative commons

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted, such as copyrighted images, this booklet is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australian license.

The booklet should be attributed as Australia in Brief, Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Use of the Australian Coat of Arms

The terms under which the Australian Coat of Arms and the Australian Flag can be used are detailed on the website of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Inquiries regarding the licence and any use of the booklet should be directed to:

Assistant Secretary

Communications Branch

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

RG Casey Building

John McEwen Cresent

Barton ACT 0221 Australia

Telephone +61 2 6261 1111

public.diplomacy@dfat.gov.au

Inquiries regarding the licencing of images should be directed to the individual copyright holders.