Australia is an amazing country with a unique culture, stunning landscapes, and plenty of interesting facts. From the iconic animals to the fascinating history and culture, Australia is home to a wealth of knowledge. Here are the top ten facts about Australia that you need to know. From the culture and geography to the wildlife and Great Barrier Reef, read on to learn more about this fascinating country.

1. Australia is a country in the continent of Oceania.

Australia sits in the continent of Oceania, along with New Zealand and thousands of Pacific islands. The country itself is made up of mainland Australia, Tasmania and the smaller islands around them — by far the biggest country in the whole continent.

Learn more about the world’s continents below.

2. The Capital of Australia is Canberra.

Although cities like Sydney and Melbourne may be better known, the capital of Australia is Canberra. The biggest city in Australia is Sydney.

3. Almost all the world’s kangaroos live in Australia.

Nearly every kind of kangaroo lives only in Australia — though a few, like the tree kangaroo, live wild in New Guinea, just to the north. There are millions of them, hopping across the bush.

4. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest reef system in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the biggest coral reef system in the world.

The reef includes more than 3,000 reefs and 900 islands. The Barrier Reef is home to over 350 species of corals and over 1,500 species of fish.

Unfortunately due to climate change much of the reef is damaged and is losing it’s colour due to coral bleaching – you can find out more about how climate change is changing coral reefs here.

5. Australia is split into six states.

The six states are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. There’s also two territories which are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, which contains Canberra.

New South Wales has more people than any other state. About a third of Australia’s population lives in New South Wales.

6. Australia is home to some dangerous animals.

When people think of Australia they often think of the dangerous spiders and snakes that live there.

Australia is home to the world’s most venomous snake the Inland Taipan as well as tarantulas, the box jellyfish and the blue ringed octopus.

7. Tasmania is part of the continent of Oceania.

Tasmania is about the same size as the Republic of Ireland. 500,000 people live on the island of Tasmania and the island has lots of nature and national parks.

8. Due to climate change, Australia is suffering from many bush fires.

Bushfires in Australia are a widespread and regular occurrence however due to climate change they are becoming more regular.

Bushfires happen when fires happen in Australia’s dry forests and spread rapidly. Lots of animals are dying because of bushfires, you can read more about bushfires and the animals caught in them here.

9. Australia was ‘discovered’ by European explorers in the 17th Century.

Australia was first ‘discovered’ in 1606. Of course the aboriginal people who lived there knew it existed so using the word discovered is an old fashioned way to explain this, however Europeans had never found before this date and it was only after 1606 that it began to appear on maps.

10. Indigenous Australians have lived on the continent for over 65,000 years.

These people are called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Today they make up a small percentage of the Australian population.

Where in the world?

Australia is unusual: it is a country and a continent at the same time.

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