<P> Australia ( / əˈstreɪliə / ( listen ) , / ɒ - / ) , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent , the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands . It is the largest country in Oceania and the world 's sixth - largest country by total area . The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea , Indonesia and East Timor to the north ; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north - east ; and New Zealand to the south - east . Australia 's capital is Canberra , and its largest urban area is Sydney . </P>
what is australia 's location in the world and region
Oceania