Australia is a fascinating country – home to many amazing wildlife and views, with famous buildings and landmarks that plenty of travelers long to see.
Whether it’s close to you or very far from home, here are some awesome facts about this incredible place.
Way back in the history of Australia, indigenous people settled on the land for around 50,000 years before the British arrived.
You will find more kangaroos than you will humans!
Australia is an island, and it’s a large island at that. As a result, you can visit more than 10,000 beaches across the country.
Koala bears are popular in Australia, although there are 10 times as many camels as koalas.
There are no Bills of Rights in this country, making it the only Western country to omit this from its governmental system.
Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia.
There are so many different types of species in Australia that only 25% of them have been discovered and are known to humans. This leaves 75%, which are totally undiscovered as of yet.
In Australia, there is a mountain called Mount Disappointment. It was named by British explorers who were disappointed that they couldn’t see Port Phillip Bay from its summit.
Want to go for a Burger King? You won’t find it in Australia, but you will find the same fast-food chain under the name of Hungry Jacks.
According to a survey conducted in Britain, around 10% of the population believed that the moon was closer than Australia.
Highway 1 in Australia is the longest highway in the world, spanning around 9,000 miles in total.
It’s such a large country, and with 91% of the surface area taken up with vegetation, it’s a very prosperous country too.
The national floral emblem is the wattle, a flower that was selected in 1912.
There are around 200 different types of races and cultures within Australia, making it one of the most multicultural nations in the world.
Even in 2018, politicians discussed the Australian flag design and whether it should be changed. The flag still incorporates the Union Flag of the United Kingdom, which isn’t a true reflection of modern Australian life.
In 1902, women received the right to vote in Australia. This made the country the second in the world to implement this.
Nowhere has a higher gambling rate than Australia, with more than 80% of adults involved regularly in some form of betting or gambling.
Australia Day takes place every year on January 26 and is a celebration of different cultures, races, religions, beliefs, and views.
Kangaroo meat is widely available, and many people like this meat for its low-fat content.
Over a trillion bottles of wine are produced in Australia every year. While much of the wine stays within the country, there is a thriving export market to the rest of the world too.
There are several large cities in Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne. Canberra was chosen to be the capital city as a result of an ongoing debate between Melbourne and Sydney over which would be the capital.
Ugg boots, the popular winter footwear made from sheepskin, originated in Australia.
More than 70% of the Australian population participates regularly in some form of sport, although over 25% of the country is considered to be obese.
Not only is Australia the flattest continent on earth, but it’s also the largest island on earth.
The largest producer of gold in the world is located in Australia. Rather than being found in one of the large cities, its home is a small town named Kalgoorlie.
Despite being the sixth-largest country in the world and the home of several large cities, there are just 24 million people living in Australia.
After China, the largest number of sheep can be found in Australia. With many more sheep than humans, there are approximately 100 million of these animals across the country. This also means that Australia is one of the world’s leading producers of wool.
Home to many crocodiles, every year, there is at least one fatal accident involving these creatures.
The World Surfing Championship was first held in Sydney, Australia, in 1964.
John Batman was one of the founders of the city of Melbourne. Prior to having its current name, the city was known as Batmania.
Volcanoes can be found in various parts of the world, but Australia is the only continent that does not have an active volcano.
An Australian radio station called Joy Radio was established in 1993 and became the world’s very first gay and lesbian radio station.
There are several Australian actors on the Hollywood scene, and Russell Crowe is often mistakenly thought to be Australian. Contrary to popular belief, Crowe was actually born in New Zealand but moved with his family to Australia when he was just four years old.
There are up to 1,500 different species of spiders, and some of them are poisonous, while others are totally harmless.
In the 20th century, Australia saw a large amount of immigration, including from those across the sea in the Mediterranean countries. Melbourne has one of the largest Greek populations in the world, with more than 150,000 Greeks living in the city.
It does actually snow in Australia during the winter, and can often have even more snow than Switzerland.
The Dingo Fence, built to keep out dingoes, is the longest fence in the world and is located in Australia.
The Melbourne Cup is a horse racing event that takes place every November. It’s a public holiday in Melbourne and a busy day throughout other parts of the country.
The kangaroo and emu are both featured on the Australian coat of arms. This represents the nation going forward, as neither animal is physically able to walk backward.
Around 160,000 convicts were sent in boats from England to Australia when the country was first colonized. The survivors were kept in prison camps, while many others died en route.
The health service in Australia includes doctors who will visit remote areas by helicopter. For many Australians, this is their only access to urgent medical assistance.
The cleanest air and water on earth can be found in Tasmania.
The Great Victoria Desert is larger than the whole of the United Kingdom and is just one of Australia’s many dry areas.
Imagine playing golf on a course that was 850 miles long. Visit Australia, and you’ll find the world’s longest golf course.
The platypus and the echidna are the only two mammals in the world that lay eggs, and both of these creatures can be found in Australia.
Camels were historically used to help with construction and other labor around the country, but now there are more than one million wild camels in the deserts.
There are 19 world heritage sites in this country.
The elusive ‘drop bear’ was a fake animal that was created to scare tourists. The bear apparently dropped from trees and other areas but was entirely fictional.
Around a quarter of all Australians were born overseas.
Most Australians live within close proximity of the coastline, which isn’t difficult to do, considering the whole country is lined with beautiful beaches.
Australia grew from a troubled past to become one of the most popular places in the world to both visit and live.
Australia has so much to do in its many exciting cities, like Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
There’s an adventure for everyone, from snorkeling and scuba diving the coasts to venturing into the outbacks.
Australia is simply a country that keeps on giving.
