Australia is the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth and it has had a relatively stable geological history. Geological forces such as tectonic uplift of mountain ranges and clashes between tectonic plates occurred mainly in Australia’s early prehistory, when it was still a part of Gondwana. Its highest peak is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), which is relatively low in comparison to the highest mountains on other continents.

• The climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low-pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia. 
• Much of the northern part of the country has a tropical, predominantly summer-rainfall.
• The south-west corner of the country has a Mediterranean climate.
• The south-east ranges from oceanic (Tasmania and coastal Victoria) to humid subtropical (upper half of New South Wales), with the highlands featuring alpine and subpolar oceanic climates. The interior is arid to semi-arid.

• A wealthy country, Australia has a market economy, a high GDP per capita, and a relatively low rate of poverty. In terms of average wealth, Australia ranked second in the world after Switzerland from 2013 until 2018. In 2018, Australia overtook Switzerland and became the country with the highest average wealth.
• The country was ranked third in the United Nations 2017 Human Development Index. Melbourne reached top spot for the fourth year in a row on The Economist’s 2014 list of the world’s most liveable cities, followed by Adelaide, Sydney, and Perth in the fifth, seventh, and ninth places respectively.

• School attendance, or registration for home schooling, is compulsory throughout Australia. Education is the responsibility of the individual states and territories so the rules vary between states, but in general children are required to attend school from the age of about 5 until about 16.
• Australia has 37 government-funded universities and three private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level. The OECD places Australia among the most expensive nations to attend university.

• Healthcare in Australia has a highly developed structure, though because of the nations’ vast size, services are not evenly distributed geographically. 
• Health care is delivered in Australia by both government and private companies which are often covered by Medicare. Health care in Australia is largely funded by the government at national, state and local governmental levels, as well as by private health insurance; but the cost of healthcare is also borne by not-for-profit organisations, with a significant cost being borne by individual patients or by charity. 
• Some services are provided by volunteers, especially remote and mental health services.