Largest, Biggest and the Smallest- All About Australia 0 Likes

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia-Charles M. Schulz

Do you know Australia is highly developed country and one of the wealthiest country! With a population of more than 20 million, it is one of the world’s most urbanised countries, with about 70 per cent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the south-eastern corner of the continent. Australia’s lifestyle reflects its mainly Western origins.
There are many Interesting Facts about Australia and is most commonly known for Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue, kangaroos, koalas, cricket, swimming, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach, Aborigines, Minerals, wine and vegemite to Aussies and foreigners.

Here are some of the more amazing, unusual and other interesting facts about Australia.

·It is the 6th largest country in the world, occupying an entire continent of some 7.6 million square kilometres.

·It has the world's 3rd largest ocean territory, spanning three oceans and covering around 12 million square kilometres.

·Vegetation covers nearly 7 million square kilometres or 91 percent of Australia.

·The largest Greek population in the world beside Athens in Greece can be found in Melbourne Victoria.

·Most of Australia's exotic flora and fauna cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

·The Indigenous 'Dream Time' is the foundation for tens of thousands of years of spiritual aboriginal art, traditions, legends, myths, folklore and culture.

·The wattle was adopted as the national floral emblem in 1912.

·The first Australian Friendly Society with the motto of 'Advance Australia' was the Australian Natives' Association (ANA) formed in Victoria in 1871.

·More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coast making Australia one of the world's most urbanised coastal dwelling populations.

·Over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia including 45 Indigenous languages. The most common non-English spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

·The world's highest proportion of migrant settlers in a developed nation with over 25% of Australians born in another country.

·Australia is very multicultural with Indigenous peoples and migrants from some 200 countries.

·Australia's first small step to a fully multicultural Australia was the result of immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean after 1945.

·It has 16 world heritage listed sites including historic townships, cities and landscapes.

·The longest fence in the world is known as The Dingo Fence, Dog Fence, Wild Dog Fence or Border Fence depending on which state you are in. The fence is approximately 5,614 kilometres long starting at Jimbour in Queensland and continuing on to the Great Australian Bight in South Australia.

·While 1988 was named a 'Year of Mourning' for Aboriginals, it was also regarded as a celebration of survival where the Aboriginal community staged a 5 kilometre march for "Freedom, Justice and Hope" in Sydney.

·The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. It includes the world’s longest stretch of dead-straight railway track, a 478 kilometre (297 mi) length between the 797 km post west of Ooldea and the 1275 km post west of Loongana.

·The Western Australian section of the Eyre Highway lies entirely on the Nullarbor Plain is regarded as the longest straight stretch of road in the world, between Balladonia and Caiguna; the road stretches for 146.6 kilometres (91.1 mi) without turning.

·Australia used to be a beer-drinking nation but its quaffing plunged to a 65-year low in 2010-2011 with only 4.23 litres consumed per person.

·Over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia including 45 Indigenous languages. The most common non-English spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.

·Aboriginal leader, Lowitja O'Donoghue, a recipient of the Order of Australia in 1976 and Australian of the Year in 1984 delivered the first milestone national Australia Day address on 26 January 2000.

·It is believe that the Aboriginal game of Mangrook inspired the rules for Australian Football, while invented in Sydney became popular in Victoria.

· Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902.

·The largest cattle station in the world is Anna Creek Station in South Australia at over 34,000 square kilometres is the world's largest cattle station. It is even larger than Belgium.

·It has the highest rate of gambling in the world with over 80 percent of Australian adults engaging in gambling of some kind and 20 percent of the pokie machines in the world are found in Australia.

·Australia Day is a celebration of diversity and tolerance in Australian society, embracing all ethnic backgrounds, racial differences and political viewpoints.

·Australia is the most obese country in the world as of 2012 with a 26 percent obesity rate despite being a sport loving nation.

·Approximately 1.35 trillion bottles of wine are produced by Australia.

· Australian TV networks love cooking shows, airing one after another upon viewership success of My Kitchen Rules and MasterChef.

·Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.

· Australians refer to English people as Pome, which is actually the acronym for Prisoners of Mother England.

· Ugg boots or as local call them 'very ugly boots' are an Australian design where a sheepskin has been turned inside out and made into a boot.

·Melbourne topped 140 rivals to be crowned the world's most liveable city 2 years in a row since 2011.

· The only place in the world where you can still find the lung fish which is a living fossil from the Triassic period 350 million years ago.

The sports capital of the world has 70 percent of its total population participating at least once a week in a particular recreational activity or sport.

Any more interesting things about Australia! Do share.