Country profile - Australia
Australia is the biggest island on the planet Earth. It was discovered by Captain Cook. The British sent more than 160,000 convicts to Australia by 1870, and the largest cities in Australia grew around these penal settlements. Like North America, many of the native inhabitants of Australia were killed by the settlers.
Canberra is the capital of Australia, though Sydney is the largest city. However, staying in Sydney can be expensive. Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart are other major cities.