Australia: Flag and Facts
Australia's flag puts the UK flag at upper left on a blue field, with a big seven-pointed star below it, and the five white stars of the Southern Cross on the right.
- Official name
- Commonwealth of Australia
- Capital
- Canberra
- Region
- Australia and New Zealand
- Population
- 27 million (2025)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Australian dollar
- Area
- 7,692,024 km² (2,969,906 sq mi)
- People
- Australian
- Calling code
- +61
- Highest point
- Mount Kosciuszko 2,228 m
- Independence
- 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)
- National symbols
- Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (Acacia pycnantha), kangaroo, emu
- Borders
- No land borders
About Australia
The large star is the Commonwealth or Federation Star. Six of its points stand for the original states, and the seventh covers all the territories. It marks the joining of the colonies in 1901. The Southern Cross uses four larger seven-pointed stars and one small five-pointed star.
Aboriginal Australians reached the continent at least 60,000 years ago. Dutch sailors led by Abel Tasman landed in 1606 and called it New Holland, but did not settle. James Cook claimed the east coast for Britain in 1770 and named it New South Wales. Britain and Ireland shipped more than 150,000 convicts to the colonies before stopping in 1868. Today about 27 million people live there, mostly in a land of low plateau and desert.
Did you know?
- Australia is just a little smaller than the 48 contiguous states of the US.
- The kangaroo, the emu, and the golden wattle tree are all national symbols of Australia.
- Lake Eyre, the lowest point in Australia, lies 15 meters below sea level.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Australia
What is the capital of Australia?
Canberra is the capital of Australia.
What is the highest mountain in Australia?
Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point, at 2,228 meters.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.