Facts About Australia

Facts about Australia covers information regarding some of the questions people ask about our remote continent.

We are an isolated region which means that the geography, history, animals and plants of this country have taken a shape of their own. Their evolution was different and that has made Australia a special and amazing place in the world.

The isolation also means that facts about Australia or news about it do not come up too often in the media. Or when they do, it is about something unusual.

This is why we have compiled some handy and interesting information about the land down under.

Browse the following pages and learn about this country's diversity and uniqueness. Or discover some of the more unusual or fun facts about Australia here.

Australian Facts - The Environment

Did you know that Australia is the oldest and flattest land in the world? Read about Australia geography to find how diverse is its landscape, arid in the middle and leafy along the coasts.
Did you know that the continent has different climate zones? They vary from equatorial in the very far north, to tropical and subtropical a bit further down, to barren regions in the middle, and temperate ones in the south.
But weather in Sydney Australia is generally pleasant all year round. See here what the weather is right now.
Australia is also the driest continent. Drought and water shortage are major issues, but people have learnt to manage them.
To know more about travelling in Australia, here are a couple of reviews of travel books that we recommend. And if you want a good belly-laugh, Bill Bryson's Down Under is an excellent read. Get it now.

Facts About Australia - The Animals

Did you know that our native animals are unique: monotreme mammals, which are living fossils and marsupials.
A large number don't live anywhere else in the world. Like the kangaroo on the right.
And did you know that foxes can fly? Well they are not exactly foxes, they are bats, but we call them flying foxes.
And while "foxes" fly there are birds that don't. Like the emu or cassowary. You can also get some facts here about the laughing kookaburra bird and the Australian dingo.

Australian Facts - History and Population

Captain Cook's monument in Hyde Park, Sydney

Did you know that Australia has a long history of continuous human presence, but it was only in 1770 that James Cook discovered it?
Here is more about its history in the 20th century.
Do you know how big our population is and where they live? And that the population has tripled in the last 60 years? How about the fact that 25% were born overseas and have come from about 200 countries?
And that Australia population is predicted to add another 13 million by 2050?
Do you know that Australian Aboriginals had a strong social and cultural organisation long before white settlement?
How about the flag of Australia? What is it like and when was it first flown?

If you are in a rush and want the big picture and some quick statistics, read the interesting facts section.

The Australian outback is a great destination off the beaten track. Not many tourists dare to include it in their travel plans. To see it through the eyes of a person who did just that and then created a website about it, visit Rita's Australian Outback Guide.