Australia….

Australia is estimated to be 22,126,799 making it the 51st most populous country in the world.

Australia’s National anthem is ‘Advance Australia Fair’, however, until 1984 ‘God save the Queen’ was the National anthem.

The kangaroo and the Emu are present on the coat of arms of Australia.

Australia is also known as the The Land Down Under because it’s the only permanent populated continent that is entirely below the equator.

Australia was the second country to give women the vote.

Australia has been known as the lucky country.  It is the world’s largest iron ore exporter and largest producer of bauxite and alumina.  It is also the largest exporter of sheep wool and meat.

Australia is the only country in the world to occupy a single continent.

Australia is the 6th largest country, area wise, in the world.

One third of Australia’s land is desert.

Since 1945, over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers.

Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations.

Australia is the only continent without an active volcano.

Australians drive on the left side of the road.

The oldest skeleton found in Australia is more than 40,000 years old.

The kangaroo, emu, koala bear and kookaburra are animal species found only in Australia.

There are six states and two territories in Australia.

Western Australia is the largest state in the country and is almost the same size as Western Europe.

Tasmania was once part of mainland Australia, before the melting of ice caps 12,000 years ago.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world, measuring over 2,012.5km.

Ayers Rock is 348 metres high.

New South Wales, with 6.8 million people has the largest population of any of Australia’s states.

Sidney is the oldest as well as the largest city, population wise, in Australia.

Sydney’s Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and it’s roof weigh more than 161,000 tons. 

The Opera House is one of the most popular World Heritage Sites in the world.

Melbourne was formerly known as Batmania, after one of its founders John Batman.

Melbourne has the largest remaining tram public transport in the world.

Melbourne founded the world’s first gay/lesbian radio station in 1993.

After Athens, Melbourne is the second most Greek populated city in the world.

The black box flight recorder for aircraft was invented in Australia in 1958 by the Aeronautical research scientist David Warren.

The first official world surfing championships were held in Sydney in 1964.

Australia day, also known as Anniversary Day and Foundation Day, celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.

Happy Australia Day!