Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, takes in the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and many smaller islands. Its land area of 7,688,287 square kilometres makes it the sixth-largest country in the world, and it is the flattest and driest inhabited continent. Canberra is the capital, and Sydney and Melbourne are the most populous cities.
Ipsos places Australia No. 8 in its Happiness Index 2026, a survey of 29 countries. In the World Happiness Report 2024 the country climbed to tenth place, ABC News reported, while noting a happiness gap between older and younger Australians.
The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians arrived 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, and by the time of British settlement they spoke more than 250 languages. British colonisation began in 1788 with the penal colony of New South Wales, and the colonies federated in 1901 to form the Commonwealth. Today Australia is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy of six states and ten territories, with a population of almost 29 million concentrated on the eastern seaboard.
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In 1 of 2 rankings, together with 17 others named by the same number of rankings. The more trusted rankings name an entry, the higher its place; inside a shared place, votes decide the order.
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