What is the reason behind Australia's sparse population?

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and has a land area of approximately 2,969,907 square miles, making it the largest in Oceania. It is also the third largest English-speaking country and the largest in the southern hemisphere. Despite its massive size, Australia is sparsely populated. It is common to see movies set in Australia that depict vast landscapes without any people, and this accurately represents the country. In fact, Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only nine people per square mile. To put this in perspective, Monaco has over 47,000 inhabitants per square mile, Singapore has around 20,000, and Malta has around 4,000. Even countries like Mexico, which are also geographically large, have a population density far higher than Australia, with 167 people per square mile. If you want to learn more about this impressive country, stay with me.

Australia's extreme geography, isolated towns and cities, and limited water sources make it one of the least populated countries in the world. Unlike other large countries, Australia's densely populated areas are concentrated in the East and Southeast, while central areas only have medium or very small towns. Out of the eight most populated cities in Australia, four are in the East and Southeast, with Sydney and Melbourne having over 5 million people each, and Brisbane and Canberra having over 2 million and 450,000 people, respectively. Adelaide is close to the Southeast, while Perth, Hobart, and Darwin are exceptions. Perth, with over 2 million people, is the fourth most populated city in Australia and is considered the most isolated city in the world. Hobart and Darwin are also in Southeast and Central North, respectively.

The interior and west of Australia are mostly desert, which makes human settlements challenging due to extreme conditions. Around 70 percent of Australia is considered arid or semi-arid, making Oceania the driest continent on the planet. Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, larger than the European Union, India, Argentina, Mexico, and Algeria. The availability of water is a significant challenge in the deserts of Great Sandy, Victoria, Gibson, Tanami, and Simpson. The limited access to water in these areas, which covers over 386,000 square miles, contributes to the sparse population. Coastal areas with rainfall make up only five percent of Australia's territory but have 95 percent of the population.

Northern Australia is less desert-like than Central and Western parts, but the soils are nutrient deficient, and the lack of mountains results in little rainfall and very few rivers. Groundwater is also scarce or too saline to be used for irrigation. These factors make it difficult to sustain human settlements in Northern Australia.

Australia is characterized by its extreme geography, spanning nearly 2,485 miles in width and 2,299 miles from north to south, covering an area of 2,969,907 square miles. It shares maritime borders with New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor. Australia is the driest, least populated, and flattest continent on Earth. The country is divided into six states, two internal territories, and several external territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Australian Capital Territory.

Australia's geography is diverse, with snow-covered mountains in the Australian Alps and Tasmania, vast tropical and temperate deserts, grasslands, heathlands, and forests. The Western half of the country is the Western Plateau, which is generally flat but has several mountain ranges that divide it. In the eastern part, the Eastern Highlands are close to Australia's East Coast. Here, temperate forests receive more rainfall, making human settlements denser. Between the Eastern Highlands and the Western Plateau lie the central lowlands formed by the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin.

Over 80 percent of Australia has annual rainfall of less than 23.6 inches. Factors contributing to the dryness of Australia's land mass include cold ocean currents off the West Coast, the low elevation of landforms, the dominance of high-pressure systems, and the shape of the land mass. Regarding climate, the tropical savanna zone is warm year-round, and summers are hot in most of the country, with temperatures reaching up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit in January. Winters are warm in the north and cool in the South, and night frosts are common in some areas. In the mountainous region of New South Wales, temperatures frequently drop to 23 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. The extreme Southeast and Southwest have a temperate climate, part rainforest, part grassland, and part desert.

Climate change has affected Australia since the early 21st century, making the climate hotter, increasing wildfires, droughts, floods, and lengthening fire seasons. Over the past five decades, warming has been twice as rapid as in the previous five decades. Rainfall has also decreased as part of climate change's effects by 10 to 20 percent in the 1970s in Southwest Australia and moderately decreased in the 1990s in the Southeast region. The desert or semi-arid region occupies 40 percent of the territory and is home to only 3 percent of Australians. Among the environmental issues facing Australia are soil erosion due to overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor agricultural practices, as well as increasing soil salinity and desertification.

Additionally, the Great Barrier Reef situated off the Northeast Coast is under threat from increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist destination. Depopulation of large Australian regions has resulted in these areas relying on activities such as mining and livestock grazing. Mining generally takes place in very remote locations, while beef production occurs on vast tracts of land that receive little rainfall. The population of regional Australia is supported by cattle and sheep grazing. On the other hand, the existence of large, sparsely populated territories lowers birth rates. Thus, the Australian government has allocated resources to programs aimed at increasing the population, which would lead to improved trade conditions, increased tourism, and higher tax revenues. In demographic matters, Australia's population has experienced aging, and for this reason, the country has sought to attract more migrants to maintain the percentages of economically active population.

Australia's most isolated towns and cities include Cape York, one of the most remote places in Australia, situated at the tip of the peninsula and the northernmost point of Mainland Australia. This area is the largest untouched space in the entire country, with flat terrain and half of the land being used for livestock. The wooded savannas, tropical rainforests, and other intact habitats are globally recognized for their environmental importance. Although a significant portion of the peninsula remains pristine, wildlife is threatened by industry, overgrazing, and introduced species by settlers. Cape York is 727 miles from Cairns and almost 1,800 miles from the state capital, Brisbane. A four-wheel drive vehicle is needed to reach this region.

Coober Pedy is a small town in northern South Australia, with just under 2,000 inhabitants. Being a desert area, temperatures in January can exceed 113 degrees Fahrenheit, while in July, they can drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Known as the opal capital of the world, the town has a large number of opal mines. Since the first opal mine was discovered in 1915, the mining industry has been the mainstay of this region. The town is so hot that locals have excavated houses, hotels, churches, and bars into the rock to naturally lower temperatures.

Perth is considered the most isolated city in the world, located more than 1,240 miles from the nearest urban settlement, Adelaide. Geographically, Perth is closer to East Timor or Jakarta, Indonesia, than Sydney. To reach Sydney, one must travel 2,050 miles, while East Timor is 1,740 miles away, and Jakarta is 1,860 miles away. A significant part of Perth was built on freshwater wetlands, which stretch from Herdsman Lake to Clays Brook Cove. Perth is currently the fourth most populous city in Australia, with 2,192,229 inhabitants. Alice Springs, located in the middle of the Australian desert, has a population of 28,605.

Alice Springs is the third-largest city in the Northern Territory of Australia, covering 10% of the region. It's known as Emparante by the Arerante, who have inhabited the area for thousands of years. The town's population relies heavily on tourism, as nearby Uluru Mountain is a popular destination. Alice Springs used to be a service town for the pastoral industry, but with the introduction of the railway line, its economy diversified and developed further. Trains, buses, and flights are available to reach this city.

The desert area in which Alice Springs is located is known as the Red Center. The Simpson Desert, a vast wilderness with giant red sand dunes and rocky formations, is southeast of Alice Springs. The Outback refers to the remote arid lands with sparse populations that make up the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. Aboriginal tribes have preserved their local traditions in this region, which is one of the largest remaining intact natural areas on the planet.

Livestock farming, tourism, and mining are the main economic activities in the Outback. The grazing industry, which includes cattle, sheep, and goats, is the largest in the area. Many of the grazing properties are certified organic livestock producers. Some of the most notable tourist sites in the Outback include Airs Rock, Kings Canyon, the Olgas, and the McDonald Ranges.

The Australian Aboriginal culture is one of the oldest on the planet, estimated to have begun around 50,000 to 65,000 years ago. Before European settlement, there were around 750,000 Aboriginal people composed of two groups: the Aboriginal peoples of the Australian mainland and Tasmania, and the Islander peoples of the Torres Strait in the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Most Aboriginal people today speak English with a mix of Aboriginal vocabulary, which has given rise to Australian Aboriginal English.

The first European sighting of Australia is attributed to the Dutch, who mapped the northern part of Australia and named it New Holland. James Cook mapped the eastern coast and claimed it for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales. The British established a penal colony in New South Wales in 1783, which expanded and developed an economy based on agriculture, fishing, whaling, trade, and construction. The indigenous population decreased due to diseases and conflicts with settlers. The British continued to settle in other areas, and border conflicts between settlers and Aboriginal people led to policies to protect the Aboriginal people, although they were ultimately criminalized. When the Gold Rush began in 1850, migrants from China, North America, and Europe started arriving in Australia, increasing the population until the Federation of the colonies was achieved in 1901, establishing the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia received the status of a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire in 1931. Constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom were severed during World War I.

In conclusion, Australia's sparse population is largely due to its vast and arid land, as well as historical factors such as the displacement and mistreatment of the Aboriginal peoples. Despite its low population density, Australia remains a unique and fascinating country with diverse landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique wildlife.