CountryAustraliacapitalCanberrapopulation_density_rank232languageNonelanguageEnglish (de facto)human_development_index_date2007-01-01 00:00:00.0largest_citySydneygdp_nominal_total$1.013 trillionlocation_leaderKevin Ruddlocation_leaderQuentin Brycelocation_leaderQueen Elizabeth IIpopulation_rank_date2009-01-01 00:00:00.0time_zonevariousarea7617930wikipedia_paragraphAustralia (pronounced: /əˈstreɪljə/ or IPA: /ɒˈstreɪljə|/ , or more formally as IPA: /ɔːˈstreɪliə|/ ), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland (the world's smallest), the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the southeast. For some 40,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 18th century, the Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north, and European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded on 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and during the 19th century another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established.gdp_per_capita_rank15thgdp_per_capita_rank17thname_localAustraliagdp_nominal_per_capita$46,824gdp_nominal_rank15thgdp_nominal_per_capita_rank13thgdp_nominal_year2008-01-01 00:00:00.0government_typeFederal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, see Government of Australiagdp_capita_ppp_year2008-01-01 00:00:00.0anthemAdvance Australia Faircountry_code_top_level_domain.aucurrency_codeAUDname_conventional_longCommonwealth of Australiasource_urlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiafounding_date1931-12-11 00:00:00.0founding_date1901-01-01 00:00:00.0founding_date1986-03-03 00:00:00.0founding_date1942-10-09 00:00:00.0demonymAustraliandemonymAussie (colloquial)calling_code61nameAustraliacurrencyAustralian dollarwikipedia_inbound_page_count94124drives_on_sideleftpopulation_total22,010,766establishing_eventAustralia Actestablishing_eventStatute of Westminsterestablishing_eventStatute of Westminster Adoption Actestablishing_eventConstitutionhuman_development_index_rank2ndhuman_development_index0.970gdp_per_capita$799.054 billionpopulation_census_date2006-01-01 00:00:00.0LOCATION