How many miles wide is Australia?

Australia is about 2,485 miles wide. It is also about 2,398 miles long from north to south.

The farthest east point is Cape Byron, while the westernmost point is Steep Point. Cape Byron is actually the namesake of Lord Byron's grandfather, assigned by James Cook. Steep Point is aptly named, as it is composed of steep cliffs that drop into the sea.

Though Australia may look smaller on a map, it is almost as big as the United States. In fact, it ranks sixth in size for all countries, according to the Australian Government website. About one-fifth of the land is desert.