[originaltext] Australia, the last continent to be "discovered", was sighted

Australia, the last continent to be "discovered", was sighted by Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish ships in the 17th century. No colonies followed at that time, however, as these nations were less interested in colonizing than in exploring. As in the early history of the United States, it was the English who established the permanent settlements in Australia.
    The history and geography of these two former British colonies have other things in common as well.
    Australia and the United States are about equal in size, and barren western portions of the two bear a close physical resemblance. It was the eastern coast of Australia and America that the English first settled, and both colonies soon began to expand to the west. However, this westward expansion occurred more because the colonists were searching for better land than because the population was increasing. Settlement of the western part of both countries quickened after gold was discovered in America in 1849 and in Australia two years later.
    Although the parallels in the development of these two countries are striking, there are some sharp contrasts as well. The United States gained its independence from the English by revolution, whereas Australia was granted its independence without having to go to war.
    Australia, unlike the United States, was originally colonized by English convicts, and its economy was rooted in wheat growing and sheep raising. By 1922, for example, Australia had fifteen times more sheep than it had people, or almost half as many sheep as there are people today in the United States. Yet, in spite of these and other major differences, Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world.