2. Facts About Australia
Official name Commonwealth of Australia
Capital Canberra
Official language English
Population 20,600,000 people
Rank among countries in population 51st
Major cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
2,970,000 square miles
Area
7,680,000 square kilometres
Rank among countries in area 6th
Mt. Kosciusko
Highest point
7,310 feet/2,228 meters
Currency Australian dollar
5. .
Australian native animals
. Kangaroo
. Koala
. Cockatiels
.Possum
. Tasmanian Devil
Sorry got no pictures
6. • THE SMALLEST CONTINENT
• Australia lies between the South Pacific Ocean and
the Indian Ocean. Like an island, it is surrounded by
water. But Australia is too large to be called an island.
Instead, it is considered the world’s seventh and
smallest continent. In fact, Australia is the only
country that takes up an entire continent.
• The island of Tasmania, to the south of the mainland,
is part of Australia. Thousands of years ago, Tasmania
was connected to the mainland. But it split off when
the ocean levels rose and water covered the
connecting land.
• A LAND OF STRANGE ANIMALS
7. • A LAND OF STRANGE ANIMALS
• Australia is famous for its many unusual
animals. If you visit, you might see a kangaroo
hop past. Kangaroos use their powerful hind
legs to hop at speeds up to 30 miles per hour
(48 kilometres per hour)! If you look up in a
eucalyptus tree, you might see a koala happily
munching on leaves. Koalas resemble small
bears, but they are not related to bears.
• Even the names of the animals in Australia are
strange. Can you imagine seeing a wallaby,
wombat, quokka, bandicoot, dingo, or
Tasmanian devil? The most unusual animal
might be the platypus. It has a body like an
otter and a bill like a duck.
8. • WHAT’S THE OUTBACK?
• Australia is one of the flattest lands on Earth. It has a
vast, flat interior called “the outback.” The only
mountains in Australia are in the east. They are
called the Great Dividing Range. The only forests are
near the coasts.
• The outback is hot and dry and rugged. Very few
people live there. Most Australians live in cities and
towns along the coasts.
• Millions of sheep graze on the dry grasslands that
cover much of the outback. Wool from sheep was
Australia’s first major product. Today, Australia
exports more wool than any other country.
• A popular attraction in the outback is Uluru, or Ayers
Rock. Uluru is one of the biggest rocks in the world. It
measures about 2.2 miles (3.6 kilometres) long!
9. • THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
• Another famous attraction in Australia is the
Great Barrier Reef, along the northeast coast.
It’s the world’s largest coral reef. Thousands
of kinds of animals live in the reef, including
fish, dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks.
• The reef is famous for its beauty. Colourful
coral grows in shades of
blue, purple, green, red, and yellow. Many of
the animals living in the reef are brightly
colour, too. Swimmers and skin divers enjoy
exploring the reef and its waters, which are
warm year-round.
10. • SYDNEY
• Sydney, on the southeast coast, is the oldest and
largest city in Australia. A small distance inland is
Canberra, Australia’s capital.
• British settlers founded Sydney in 1788 as a
prison colony. At that time, Britain sent many of
its criminals away to distant lands. The colony’s
first governor named the settlement for a British
politician. Today, Sydney is a bustling city of 4
million people.
• On Sydney Harbour is the Opera House, the city’s
most famous landmark. The building has tall,
white concrete towers that resemble shells or the
sails of a ship.
11. • THE FIRST AUSTRALIANS
• Native peoples lived in Australia long before British settlers
arrived. They are known as Aborigines.
• Aborigines hunted wild animals and gathered wild plants
for food. They practiced “firestick farming.” They burned
dry grass so that new grass would grow back. Then they
hunted the animals that came to eat the fresh grass.
• Aborigines used a famous hunting weapon called the
boomerang. A boomerang is a curved, flat piece of wood
that spins when thrown.
• Aborigines painted beautiful designs on rocks and bark,
made music, and told stories. They played a unique musical
instrument called the didjeridu. It’s a long, decorated horn
made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites.
• British settlers caused great hardships for the Aborigines.
Many Aborigines died fighting the settlers. Many more
were killed by diseases brought from Europe. Today, few
Aborigines maintain their traditional way of life. Most live
in cities and towns.
12. • AUSTRALIA BECOMES A NATION
• After the founding of Sydney, British settlers
built several new colonies in Australia. In
1901, these colonies joined together and
became an independent country.
• Today, Australia has six states. They are New
South Wales, Queensland, South Australia,
Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.
Australia also has two territories. They are the
Australian Capital Territory and the Northern
Territory.
13. • WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA?
• Most of Australia’s people have British
ancestors. Australia still keeps some ties
to Britain, and many British customs
remain popular. Like the British,
Australians love to drink tea. They drive
their cars on the left-hand side of the
road, as people do in Britain. The
Australian flag even sports a Union Jack,
a famous British symbol.
14. • The End
• I hope you liked learning about
Australia
