Australia is the smallest continent in terms of land mass and population, only being surpassed by Antarctica, which has no permanent occupants. Despite its tiny size in comparison to other continents, Australia is the world's sixth biggest country by land mass. Australia has a population of around 23 million people. Sydney is Australia's most populous city, closely followed by Melbourne.

HISTORY

The earliest Australians are considered to have arrived from New Guinea and Indonesia some 40,000 to 60,000 years ago, forming a population of at least 350 thousand people before European contact. The Dutch, headed by Willem Jaszoon, were the first to chronicle their encounter with Australia. The Spanish, commanded by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, arrived after the Dutch. Australia is named from Terra Australis, which means "land of the south" in Latin. Captain Matthew Flinders, who published "A Voyage to Terra Australis" in 1814, is said to be the first person to originate the word. The British landed about fifty years later, and Australia was claimed ninety years later.

GEOGRAPHY

The bulk of Australia's population lives along its southern and eastern shores, whereas the remainder of the nation is sparsely populated: vegetation covers 91% of the country. Australia is one of the world's most urbanized countries due to its population density. The climate of Australia is quite varied, with equatorial, tropical, desert, and grassland climates all present. Much of Australia's native plant and animal life is unique to the continent. Mount Kosciuszko, in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales' Kosciuszko National Park, is Australia's highest peak, reaching 2,228 meters above sea level. Lake Eyre, one of the world's biggest natural inland drainage systems, is Australia's lowest point, at 15 meters below sea level. Australia is surrounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean and on the west by the Indian Ocean.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Australia has a capitalist economy that ranks among the world's largest. Australia ranks third in the world in terms of life expectancy, after only Iceland and Switzerland. Around 25% of Australians were born in another nation, with the United Kingdom providing the highest migration. In Australia, English is the most widely spoken language, followed by Italian and Greek. Despite the fact that English is the most widely used language in Australia, the country lacks an official national language. The most common religion is Protestantism, which is followed by Roman Catholicism.

LANDMARKS

One of Australia's most well-known sites is the Sydney Opera House. It first opened to the public in 1973 and has since become the world's busiest arena. Every ear, the opera house hosts three thousand events. The Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Queensland, is another Australian monument. This reef, which is made up of around three thousand separate reefs, is the world's largest coral reef and home to numerous endangered species. Kangaroo Island also has a diverse range of animals. Kangaroo Island is Australia's third biggest island, including animal excursions, native vegetation, and beaches.

FUN FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIA

Swimming at public beaches during the day was prohibited from 1838 until 1902.
In Australia, there are more sheep than people.
The world's longest fence may be found in Australia.

Australian farmers designed Ugg boots to keep warm.

Marree Man, a four-kilometer desert sculpture of an Indigenous man, has no known creator.

There are 1500 different spider species in Australia.

From the Australian outback, roughly 5780 stars may be seen under ideal conditions.

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