water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the contiguous 48 states of the US
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 25,760 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north