Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano. Australia has three times more sheep than people. The largest Greek population in the world beside Athens in Greece can be found in Melbourne Victoria. An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay.
Australia's ecosystem is an unusual one. Because of its remote location, many animal species that occur here are found nowhere else on Earth, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its unique plants and animals. There are several types of rainforests in Australia.
More than half of all Australians participate in Australia Day attending events organised by State Governments, local councils, community groups or getting together with family and friends. In addition, over 16,000 new Australians become citizens on Australia Day.
Australia Day is a holiday that takes place every year on January 26. It celebrates the day in 1788 that Arthur Phillip established the first permanent European settlement in Australia. Australia Day is celebrated with many kinds of sporting events, such as horse races and sailing races (also called regattas).
Australia/Oceania is the smallest continent of the seven continents and although some consider Australia as the largest island in the world, Australia is commonly referred to as a country and a continent. (Greenland is the biggest island in the world). Australia is also the driest inhabited continent of the world.
There are also a number of terms for Australia, such as: Aussie, Oz, Lucky Country, and land of the long weekend.
Spectacular landscapes, dynamic cities, vibrant regional centres, and an inclusive professional culture that allows you the time to enjoy them. Three Australian cities are regularly ranked among the world's top 10 most liveable.
Australia has over 750 different reptile species, more than any other country in the world. Australia is as wide as the distance between London to Moscow. The biggest property in Australia is bigger than Belgium. The world's oldest fossil, which is about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia.
Australia is the planet's sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil. At 7 692 024 km2, it accounts for just five percent of the world's land area of 149 450 000 km2, and although it is the smallest continental land mass, it is the world's largest island.
While Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606. The Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon landed on the western side of Cape York Peninsula and charted about 300 km of coastline.
Australia's population comprises just 0.33 percent of the global population of 7.6 billion. The median age of first marriage for females is 28.7 and males is 30.3. The median age of parents (new births) is 31.2 for females and 33.3 for males. The average Australian family has 1.9 children.
Kangaroos and wallabies are marsupials that belong to a small group of animals called macropods. They are only found naturally in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Most macropods have hind legs larger than their forelimbs, large hind feet and long muscular tails which they use for balance.
Australia ranks amongst the highest in the world for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.
Long associated with Australian sporting achievements, the national colours have strong environmental connections. Gold conjures images of Australia's beaches, mineral wealth, grain harvests and the fleece of Australian wool. Green evokes the forests, eucalyptus trees and pastures of the Australian landscape.
Australia has a much more laid-back culture than England. Australians are known for their mate ship and easy-going attitudes. There is a strong focus on enjoying life and having a good time. This doesn't mean that Australians don't work hard, but they definitely know how to enjoy their leisure time.
Nenagh Kemp, a psychologist at the University of Tasmania, told Australian Geographic her theories behind why Australians use these shortened words so often. Her theory is that Australians use them as a way of coming across as more friendly and less pretentious.
After Dutch navigators charted the northern, western and southern coasts of Australia during the 17th Century this newly found continent became known as 'New Holland'. It was the English explorer Matthew Flinders who suggested the name we use today.
Why is Australia called Oz? The word Australia when referred to informally with its first three letters becomes Aus. When Aus or Aussie, the short form for an Australian, is pronounced for fun with a hissing sound at the end, it sounds as though the word being pronounced has the spelling Oz.
In Australia, Year 10 is the eleventh year of compulsory education. Although there are slight variations between the states, most children in Year 10 are aged between fifteen and sixteen. Year 10 is the final year of compulsory education in Australia.
With a land size of 7,682,300 sq km, Australia is only slightly smaller than the United States. It is the smallest continent on our planet and the 6th largest country. The United States is 9,833,517 sq km making it the fourth largest country in the world.
The laughing kookaburra is Australia's national symbol. The kookaburra is a brown-colored bird, about the size of a crow. The male is easily distinguished from the female by the blue hues on his wing feathers and darker blue on his tail feathers.