Did you know? There are more than 40 millions of kangaroos in Australia now.

This is more than the total population of Australia! We have more sheep than kangaroos! There are about 140 million sheep. That's why Australia is worldwide famous for their wool quality. Australia has the longest fence in the world. The fence is called the Dingo Fence and is 5,531 kilometres long! The fence is only 1.8 meters tall with no gaps. It runs through the middle of Queensland and was built to protect the sheep from the dingo, an Australia dog. Western Australia, they have the longest straight road in the world. It is 148 kilometres long!

Interesting facts about Australia, The Land Down Under

Language and Culture Division

Key Facts Official Name Capital City

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How is the weather? Australian seasons are the reverse of the Europeans but the same of the Latin Americans. The summer months in Australia are from December to February and the Autumn months are during March till May. Winter is from June to August with Spring in Australia from September till November. Queensland and the Northern Territory are located closer to the tropics and generally havewarmer and humid weather all year round. New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia and Perth all experience the four seasons during the year. In Tasmania, the weather is colder than the rest of Australia because it is closer to Antarctica. How many people live there? Australia has about 21 million people, with the main population living in the South -East and East of Australia. 70 % of Australias population live less than one hour from the coast. Australians love the beach and surfing. They have a wonderful relaxed lifestyle. Culture and life style - What is to be an Australian? Australia is a multicultural country. People from around the world have migrated to Australia for many years and have brought with them their culture and wonderful food. In Australia, the main language is English and the official currency is the Australian dollar (AU$). A bit of history Australia was firstly discovered by a Dutch explorer who named it New Holland. The Dutch explorer did not think the land was very interesting and did not explore it any further. It wasnt until 1770 when Captain James Cook came and started using and exploring the land that he renamed it New England. After 18 years, prisoners were sent to Australia from Britain to be used as a convict colony. Because there were so many prisoners, the land from the coast to the Blue Mountains was not enough and they needed to search for more land to fit them. This was when the first started to explore the other side of the Blue Mountains. Between 1851 and 1852, goldfields were discovered in Victoria and New South Wales. This discovery attracted thousands of people that came to Australia to try their luck at finding gold. In 1901, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia was started. The parliament was established as a federation of six states and two territories. Canberra was chosen as the capital of Australia as they could not decide between Sydney and Melbourne.

Commonwealth of Aus- Member of the British tralia Commonwealth Canberra Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Darwin. 7,682,300 sq. km

Main Cities

Area

Let's start to travel around Australia!!!! Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is also the 6th largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, China, USA, and Brazil. There are over 20 million people living in Australia. Australia is divided into six states and two territories. The capital city is Canberra, which is in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). A little description of the geography Australia is an island with most of its population living around its coastline. The coastline has many beaches and reefs that are popular with surfers and divers such as the Great Barrier Reef, Bondi Beach and Surfers Paradise. The centre of Australia is mostly desert with very little water. The famous Ayres Rock or Uluru is found here and is a popular tourist attraction. The Australian Alps are on the south-east side of Australia. The highest mountain, Mount Kosciusko is a great place to go during the summer for hiking and skiing during the winter months. In the North of Australia you can find rainforests and warmer weather as it is close to the tropics. The Daintree Rainforest is famous for its beauty and hiking trails. Australia has a long history of farming and crop growing. In the outback, there are many farms that grow rice, wheat, and many vegetables. There are also many dairy and cattle farms that produce milk and beef for local use and to send overseas.

Climate

Ranges from tropical to temperate. Most of Australia is arid land or desert.

The extreme north is tropical; the southeast and southwest more mediterranean.

40% of population are Nationals from over 140 Ethinic Maimmigrants or children countries. Predominantly keup of immigrants; 25% European descent. were born overseas. Aboriginal and other languages are spoken at home and are available in government offices, banks, shops, etc.

Language

English

Government

The states are: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Democratic Federal Victoria, Western Aussystem comprising six tralia and Tasmania. The states and two territoterritories are the ries. Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Australian Dollar

Currency

Western: GMT +8 hrs Time Diffe- Australia has three time Central:GMT +9.5 hrs rence zones. Eastern:GMT +10hrs