Overview
Facts About The Country
Facts for The Visitors
Places To Visit

AUSTRALIA > OVERVIEW

Australia is the only country that is also a continent lies between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, featuring the fast paced modern city to the timeless outback. Australia is about 11,000 kilometres southwest of North America and about 3,000 kilometres southeast of mainland Asia. The country's official name is the Commonwealth of Australia, while the name Australia itself comes from the Latin word 'australis', means "southern". In Australia, the part of the Indian Ocean south of Australia is called the Southern Ocean. Australia is often referred to as being "down under" because it lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. The land owns the fabulous beaches, tropical rain forests, and just about every type of terrain from sub-alpine areas to scorching deserts.