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Australia Facts
Home » Australia » Australia Overview and History » Australia Facts• Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world - only two people per square kilometer.
• Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and its outlying islands. The mainland is the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on Earth. It lies between 10° and 39° South latitude.
• Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth. Its interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world and about three-quarters of the land is arid or semi-arid. Its fertile areas are well-watered, however, and these are used very effectively to help feed the world. Australia boasts over 7,000 beaches - more than any other nation.
• The highest point on the mainland, Mount Kosciuszko, is only 2228 meters. Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent.
• Australia produces 95 per cent of the world's precious opals and 99 per cent of black opals.
• Coober Pedy in South Australia is known as the opal capital of the world. Its population is made up of more than 40 nationalities and, with year-round extremes in temperature, more than 50 per cent of the population lives in below-ground 'dugouts'.
• Kalgoorlie in Western Australia is not only Australia's largest producer of gold, but has the world's largest political electorate - covering a mammoth 2.2 million square kilometers.
• The kangaroo is unique to Australia and one of our most easily recognized mammals. There are more kangaroos in Australia now than when Australia was first settled. Estimates suggest around 40 million.
• Australia's 140 million sheep (mostly merinos), found on around 53,000 properties, produce more than 70 per cent of the world's wool.
• With 24 million head of cattle, Australia is the world's largest exporter of beef.
• Sheep and cattle graze in dry country, but care must be taken with the soil. Some grazing land became desert when the long cycles that influence rainfall in Australia turned to drought.
• Australia supports at least 25,000 species of plants, while Europe only supports 17,500.
• The longest stretch of straight railway track in the world crosses the Nullarbor Plain. From Nurina in Western Australia to near Watson in South Australia, the track is dead straight for 478 kilometers.
• The Eyre Highway at Caiguna in Western Australia has the longest stretch of straight road in Australia - 148 kilometers. Crossing the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, it is the only sealed road from Perth to Adelaide, a 2700 kilometer drive.
• The world's longest continuous fence known as the 'dingo fence', runs through central Queensland for 5,531 kilometers. It is 1.8 meters high and is designed to keep sheep safe from Australia's native dog.
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