Australia

Quick facts

Where is Australia?

Satellite view centred on Canberra (-25.0°, 133.0°).

How to spot Australia from satellite imagery

Australia is the sixth-largest country on Earth, the only one to span an entire continent, and one of the easiest large countries to identify from satellite imagery once you know the signals. The combination of an enormous empty interior, distinctive red soils, a coastline dominated by a handful of population clusters, and a unique flora that produces a recognisable greyish-green canopy makes Australia stand out from a single frame in most cases.

This guide covers the dominant signatures of Australian satellite imagery — the Outback, the wheat belt, the coastal cities, and the subtropical north — and how to disambiguate the country from its closest visual cousins.

Themed Australia modes

Restrict the location pool to Australia and pick a theme — volcanoes, capitals, coastlines. Smaller pool, sharper learning curve.

• The 10 Largest Islands in the World, Ranked (And Why Australia Doesn't Count)