Australia is geographically isolated and has a unique climate, with winter in July and summer in December. It is home to many unusual animals found nowhere else, like kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, and echidnas. Though most of the continent is dry, the northern and coastal areas have humid forests and rivers like the Murray River. Australia also contains diverse landscapes and ecosystems, and is particularly known for the Great Barrier Reef off its northeast coast.

1. Climate and Wildlife of Australia

2. A satellite photo of Earth shows the country-continent of Australia, at center-right. Australia is geographically isolated from the other continents.

4. Eroded sandstone formations of the Bungle Bungle Range rise behind a dry creek bed, in Western Australia's Purnululu National Park.

5. The Murray River is the principal river of Australia. It flows through southeastern Australia.

7. Baobabs, characteristic trees of tropical Northern Australia, are famous for their huge bottle-like trunks, which vary greatly in shape

10. Australia is the home of two of the world’s most primitive mammals – the duckbill or platypus and the echidna or spiny anteater. They are the only mammals that lay eggs.

11. There are more than 40 different types of kangaroos in Australia, in many different colours and sizes.

13. Eucalyptus forest Australia has more than 600 species of eucalypts.

14. Among other animals found in Australia is the dingo, a wild dog, the crocodile, the cuscus, the wombat and the frilled lizard.

15. A very curious bird is the kookaburra that is often called the “laughing jackass” The bushy country rings with its laughter.

16. Other Australian birds are graceful lyrebirds, black swans, pelicans, brilliantly coloured parrots and the great white cockatoo.

17. Two animals were brought to the country by the Europeans and have become wild in Australia. These are the buffalo, brought from India, and the European rabbit.

18. The Great Barrier Reef is the eighth wonder of the world. it is a magnificent assembly of nearly 3000 individual coral reefs and home of 400 different sorts of corals and about 1500 species of fish and many other creatures.