Australia ,officially theCommonwealth of Australia,is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent,the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands.It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area.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 south-east.
A highly developed country and one of the wealthiest,Australia is the world's 12th-largest economy and has the world's fifth-highest per capita income.Australia's military expenditure is the world's 13th-largest.With the second-highest human development index globally,Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance,such as quality of life,health,education,economic freedom,and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.Australia is a member of the G20,OECD,WTO,APEC,UN,Commonwealth of Nations,ANZUS and the Pacific Islands Forum.
