1840 46,296 1841 45,176 1842 50,320 1843 55,544 1844 62,419 1845 89,526 1846 86,263 1847 81,431 1848 88,512 1849 103,445 1850 85,153 1851 118,443 1852 74,806 1853 109,961 1854 110,323 1855 102,321 1856 123,124 1857 104,479 1858 130,725 1859 131,571 1860 134,001 1861 134,726 1862 142,755 1863 129,716 1864 138,009 1865 135,714 1866 140,042 1867 130,947 1868 175,960 1869 179,579 1870 150,184 1871 187,851 1872 205,992 1873 195,924 1874 198,318 1875 190,576 1876 234,111 1877 241,930 1878 221,140 1879 229,616 1880 212,763 1881 274,796 1882 287,392 1883 319,574 1884 388,019 1885 374,041 1886 350,397 1887 369,847 1888 349,719 1889 327,735 1890 393,680 1891 400,372 1892 415,332 1893 472,082 1894 522,574 1895 572,381 1896 525,947 1897 577,036 1898 713,575 1899 750,400 1900 732,498 1901 791,046 1902 882,966 1903 929,880 1904 1,038,373 1905 1,022,759 1906 1,050,926 1907 1,191,007 1908 1,222,262 1909 1,227,553 1910 1,258,222 1911 1,443,397 1912 1,331,180 1913 1,345,230 1914 1,303,045 1915 1,264,000 1916 1,500,000[87] AUSTRALIA The island-continent of Australia lies south of Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans, and it extends from 10 degrees 41 minutes to 39 degrees 8 minutes south latitude and from 113 degrees to 153 degrees 30 minutes east longitude. Its area is 2,974,581 square miles and the population, not including aborigines, is 4,455,005, mainly of British origin. Dutch and Spanish explorers visited Australia in 1606. On April 19, 1770, its eastern coast was first sighted by Cook, who, nine days later, dropped anchor in Botany bay. Sailing north, he touched at several points, and after having completed a survey of the east coast, he took possession of the territory between 38 degrees south and 10 degrees 30 minutes south. He reached Australia again in 1772 and in 1777 he landed on the coasts of Tasmania and New Zealand. The first settlement was established at Port Jackson in 1788 and gold was discovered in 1851. The commonwealth of Australia comprises the following political divisions: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania.