Australia

Australia

Location: Pacific Ocean
AKA: Commonwealth of Australia, The Land Down Under, Oz, Terra Australis Incognita, Terra Australis
Dimensions: 7,741,220 km², 2,988,888 sq mi
Population: 22,535,686

Brief:
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Known as "the Land Down Under", Australia is famed globally for their "laid-back but unwittingly practical" characters and their history revolving around roguish personalities.

Australia's involvement in the world of superheroes and supervillains usually involves primal magic, the astral dimension known as the Dreamtime, and the country's indigenous race known as the Aboriginals.

History:
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians (referred to as "Aboriginals"). After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Britain in 1770 and initially settled through convict penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, formally founded on 7th February, 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.

On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and is a Commonwealth realm. The nation's capital city is Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

In 1942, during World War II, Brisbane was the site of a violent clash between visiting United States military personnel and Australian servicemen and civilians which resulted in one death and several injuries. This incident became known colloquially as the Battle of Brisbane.

During the great Invasion! Melbourne was used as a beachhead for the Alien Alliance because the Khunds believed that they would meet with the least superhuman resistance there. Eventually, they were repelled by Justice League International.

During the following year of the Infinite Crisis, the heroes trapped in a Zeta Beam were finally freed over the Australian desert. Further on through the year, Black Adam devastated Sydney due to the city's affiliation with Ridge Ferrick; a front company for Intergang.
One year later, Doctor Sivana used Sydney as a test trial for his new machine; the "Luddite", which sends something similar to a magnetic pulse that shuts down any piece of technology, from a cell phone to a car engine or a microwave oven, and renders it beyond repair. The pulse also wipes the human brain of advanced knowledge such as memory, reading or mechanical manipulation.

Trivia

• Various heroes and villains operate or originate from Australia, these include: Captain Boomerang, Tazmanian Devil, Miss Martian, Gunshot, and Dark Ranger
• Approximately 60% of the country's population is concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
• Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance such as human development, quality of life, health care, life expectancy, public education, economic freedom and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.
• Australia is a member of various global groups such as the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, OECD, APEC, Pacific Islands Forum and the World Trade Organization.
• The Boomerang, a throwing weapon on which the Batarang is partially based, originates from Australia.
• The Tanami Desert, one of the most important biological areas to be found in Australia as it provides refuge for several of Australia's rare and endangered species, has been described as one of the most isolated and arid places on Earth. The desert reminds M'gann M'orzz of her home planet, Mars, and as such is where M'gann resides in a Pyramid when she is not otherwise in America.
• With a population of approximately 4.5 million, Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, is the largest city in the Oceania area of the world.
• Captain Boomerang has been a national embarrassment for Australia for years.
• Wayne Entertainment is a majority shareholder (60%) in Ularoo Media a major Australian telecommunications company. Hush (Thomas Elliot) theorized that this connection supplies Batman with information on anything happening in the South Pacific.

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