Australia is an island continent located between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy with Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch. Australia has a diverse, multicultural population, originally made up of British and Irish immigrants but now including people from Asia and other regions. Aboriginal Australians suffer from higher rates of unemployment and imprisonment as well as lower life expectancies compared to other Australians. Australia maintains close foreign relations with western countries like the United States and is a founding member of the United Nations.