You are looking at the HTML representation of the XML format.
HTML is good for debugging, but is unsuitable for application use.
Specify the format parameter to change the output format.
To see the non HTML representation of the XML format, set format=xml.
See the complete documentation, or API help for more information. 
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<api>
  <query>
    <backlinks>
      <bl pageid="2" ns="0" title="Soldering Irons/Stations in Australia" />
      <bl pageid="3" ns="0" title="Lynx" />
      <bl pageid="6" ns="0" title="FAQ Toroid Low voltage power" />
      <bl pageid="9" ns="0" title="Lynx USB DMX Dongle" />
      <bl pageid="15" ns="0" title="Enttec Pro Connections" />
      <bl pageid="21" ns="0" title="Grinch" />
      <bl pageid="57" ns="0" title="Tiger SSR16 Detail" />
      <bl pageid="242" ns="14" title="Category:General" redirect="" />
    </backlinks>
  </query>
</api>