Australia is the smallest of the seven continents.

The continent of Australia includes the islands,

Tasmania and New Guinea. New Zealand is also a part of the region known as Oceania. It is surrounded
by the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.

The continent of Australia was once a part of Antarctica about 96 million years ago before the plate
began to drift north.

Most of Australia is desert known as the outback. Australia is the flattest continent, with the oldest
and least fertile soils, and is the driest inhabited continent. Only the south-east and south-west corners
of the continent have a temperate climate. The population density is among the lowest in the world,
although a great proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline.

Climate & Wild Life

Australia's climate is influenced by the Indian Ocean Dipole which results in periodic drought and
seasonal tropical low pressure system produced cyclones in northern Australia. Northern Australia has a
tropical climate and features rainforest, woodland, grassland, mangrove swamps and desert.

Australia has lots of unique animals that only live in Australia. The kangaroo, koala, echidna, platypus
and wombat are native to Australia. They also have crocodiles, emu, dingos, tasmanian devils and the
kookaburra. Many plant and animal species became extinct after the first human settlement, others
have become extinct since European settlement.

People

Before the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by around 250 individual nations of indigenous
Australians. The eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770. Currently, Australia is a
developed country and has excellent results in national performance in health care, life expectancy,
public education, economic freedom and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.

Currently, 21,828,704 people live in Australia alone. The Aborigines consist of 2.2 percent of the total
population. English is the national language with its own distinct accent and vocabulary. About 70
languages of the 300 indigenous Australian languages are still around since the first European contact.
Nearly three quarters of Australians live in metropolitan cities and coastal areas. The beach is an integral
part of the Australian identity.

Landmarks
The world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, is a short distance off the north-east coast of
Australia and extends over 1,250 miles. Mount Augustus, is one of the largest monolith's in the world
and located in Western Australia. Mount Kosciuszko and Mawson Peak are the highest mountain in
Australia.

New Zealand, is where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed and the film location for the Hobbiton
was left on the farm and can be seen today.