Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans,[N 6] Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent[131] and sixth largest country by total area,[132] Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent"[133] and is sometimes considered the world's largest island.[134] Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands),[135] and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.[136]
Mainland Australia lies between latitudes 9° and 44° South, and longitudes 112° and 154° East.[137] Australia's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with tropical rainforests in the north-east, mountain ranges in the south-east, south-west and east, and desert in the centre.[138] The desert or semi-arid land commonly known as the outback makes up by far the largest portion of land.[139] Australia is the driest inhabited continent; its annual rainfall averaged over continental area is less than 500 mm.[140] The population density is 3.4 inhabitants per square kilometre, although a large proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline.[141]