Australia's Emptiness: Nature, History, and Modernity A podcast episode, "Australia: The Mystery of Emptiness," explores why most of Australia's population lives in such a small geographic area. It explains that most of the country is made up of arid deserts and semi-arid regions where there is little water and noxious organisms live. Additionally, this source highlights that European settlements were initially established in coastal areas where the climate was more favorable, and even today, most amenities and economic opportunities are concentrated in these coastal cities. Overall, this episode demonstrates how geography, history, and the modern economy have combined to shape Australia's unique pattern of population density.