Australia's population is currently about 19 million people, who are predominantly located on the eastern seaboard. The country is roughly the same size as mainland US - except Alaska - and is divided into 6 states and 2 territories. Agriculture is one of the most dynamic industries within the Australian economy and has been so since the country was settled as a convict colony in the late 18th century. The farming industry is in a consolidation phase at present, with about 1% of farmers leaving the industry per year. The National Australia Bank has about 30% market share of Australian farm debt, and, as a group, there is total agricultural lending of $12 billion. This is serviced by more than 500 specialist agricultural banks around the world.