Australia

Australia is an island with most of its population living around its coastline. The coastline has many beaches and reefs that are popular with surfers and divers such as the Great Barrier Reef, Bondi Beach and Surfers Paradise. The centre of Australia is mostly desert with very little water. The famous Ayres Rock or Uluru is found here and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Australian Alps are on the south-east side of Australia. The highest mountain, Mount Kosciusko is a great place to go during the summer for hiking and skiing during the winter months.

In the North of Australia you can find rainforests and warmer weather as it is close to the tropics. The Daintree Rainforest is famous for its beauty and hiking trails.

Australia has a long history of farming and crop growing. In the outback, there are many farms that grow rice, wheat, and many vegetables. There are also many dairy and cattle farms that produce milk and beef for local use and to send overseas.

Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1952)

Land Area: 2,941,283 sq mi (7,617,931 sq km); Total Area:2,967,893 sq mi (7,686,850 sq km)

Population (2014 est.): 22,507,617 (growth rate: 1.09%); Birth Rate: 12.19/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.43/1000; life expectancy: 82.07

Capital (2011 est.): Canberra, 399,000

Largest Cities: Sydney 4.543 million; Melbourne 3.961 million; Brisbane 2.039 million; Perth 1.649 million; Adelaide 1.198 million; CANBERRA (capital) 399,000 (2011)

Monetary Unit: Australian Dollar