30 facts about Australia

From a war fought against emus to a mountain that’s actually the world’s largest rock, Australia is a land of incredible surprises. 

Here are 30 facts to get you acquainted with the true character of this vast and unique continent.

Of course, here are the facts about Australia reformatted as requested.

Australia is an entire continent

It’s the only country in the world that is also a continent. Despite its massive size—it’s the sixth-largest country in the world—its population is relatively small, with only about 26 million people.

More kangaroos than people

The kangaroo is Australia’s national animal, and for good reason. It’s estimated that the kangaroo population is nearly 50 million, meaning they outnumber humans by almost two to one.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure

Visible from space, the Great Barrier Reef is the planet’s largest single structure made by living organisms. It’s composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers.

It’s home to the world’s most venomous creatures

While beautiful, Australia is home to some of the deadliest animals on Earth. This includes the box jellyfish, the inland taipan (the most venomous snake), and the Sydney funnel-web spider.

Canberra was a compromise capital

For years, Sydney and Melbourne fought over which should be the nation’s capital. In a classic compromise, a new capital, Canberra, was built in 1908 on neutral ground roughly halfway between the two rival cities.

Voting is compulsory

In Australia, it is mandatory for every citizen aged 18 and over to vote in federal and state elections. If you don’t show up to the polls (or vote by mail), you can be fined.

Australia has over 10,000 beaches

With so much coastline, Australia is a beach lover’s paradise. The country has 10,685 beaches in total. If you visited one new beach every day, it would take you over 29 years to see them all.

Wi-Fi technology was an Australian invention

Every time you use Wi-Fi, you can thank Australian scientists. In the 1990s, the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) developed the technology that underpins modern wireless networking.

The world’s longest fence is in Australia

The Dingo Fence, or Dog Fence, was built to keep dingoes and other wild pests out of the fertile southeast part of the continent and protect sheep flocks. At 5,614 kilometers, it’s longer than the Great Wall of China.

The Australian Alps get more snow than Switzerland

It might be famous for its deserts and hot climate, but the Australian Alps, a mountain range in the southeast, receive more annual snowfall than the whole of Switzerland.

The “selfie” is an Australian invention

The term “selfie” was first documented in Australia. In 2002, an Australian man posted a photo of his stitched-up lip on a forum and apologized for the focus being off because it was a “selfie.” The term was born.

There’s a pink lake you can’t sink in

Lake Hillier in Western Australia is famous for its vibrant, natural pink color, which is caused by algae. Like the Dead Sea, its high salt content makes it incredibly buoyant, allowing swimmers to float effortlessly.

A former Prime Minister holds a beer-drinking world record

Before his political career, Bob Hawke, who served as Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991, set a world record in 1954 for sculling (chugging) 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds.

Koalas sleep for up to 22 hours a day

These iconic marsupials have a diet that consists almost entirely of eucalyptus leaves. Because the leaves are low in nutrients and toxic, koalas have a slow metabolism and conserve energy by sleeping for most of the day.

Australia once declared war on emus… and lost

In 1932, the Australian military waged a “war” on the emu population in Western Australia, as the birds were destroying crops. Armed with machine guns, the soldiers were outmaneuvered by the fast-running emus. The emus won, and the military withdrew.

The Black Box flight recorder was invented here

Dr. David Warren, an Australian scientist, invented the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder (the “black box”) in the 1950s to help investigators determine the cause of airplane crashes.

Vegemite is a national obsession

This thick, black, salty food spread made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract is a staple in Australian households. While it’s an acquired taste for many foreigners, Australians often enjoy it on toast with butter.

Over 80% of the animals are unique to Australia

Thanks to its long period of isolation as a continent, most of Australia’s plants, mammals, reptiles, and frogs are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.

It’s illegal to walk on the right-hand side of a footpath

In the state of Queensland, a quirky old law dictates that you must walk on the left-hand side of a footpath, or you could face a fine.

The world’s largest rock is not Uluru

While Uluru (Ayers Rock) is famous, the world’s largest single rock monolith is actually Mount Augustus in Western Australia. It’s more than twice the size of Uluru.

Australia has the world’s cleanest air

The island state of Tasmania is known for having some of the cleanest air in the world, on par with Antarctica, thanks to its remote location and lack of pollution.

It has the longest straight section of railway track

The Trans-Australian Railway features a stretch of track that is completely straight for 478 kilometers (297 miles) as it crosses the vast and flat Nullarbor Plain.

“No worries” is more than a saying

This phrase is a fundamental part of the Australian national character. It’s used to say “you’re welcome,” “don’t worry about it,” and to express a general sense of easy-going friendliness.

The platypus is one of nature’s strangest creatures

This uniquely Australian animal is one of only two types of mammals that lay eggs (the other being the echidna). It’s a semi-aquatic creature with a duck-like bill, a beaver-like tail, and venomous spurs on its hind legs.

Over 90% of Australians live on the coast

Despite having a massive interior (known as the Outback), the vast majority of the population lives in urban areas along the coastline, due to the harsh, arid conditions inland.

It was the second country to give women the vote

Australia was a pioneer in women’s suffrage. In 1902, it became the second country in the world (after New Zealand) to grant women the right to vote in federal elections.

The world’s largest cattle station is bigger than Israel

Anna Creek Station, a massive cattle ranch in South Australia, covers an area of 23,677 square kilometers (9,142 square miles), making it the largest working cattle station on the planet.

The first police force was made up of convicts

In 1789, the first police force in the colony of New South Wales, the Night Watch, was formed from a group of the most well-behaved convicts.

There are more than 60 designated wine regions

Australia is a world-renowned wine producer. From the Barossa Valley in South Australia to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, the country has a diverse range of climates perfect for growing a wide variety of grapes.

Aboriginal culture is the oldest on Earth

Indigenous Australians have lived on the continent for over 65,000 years, making their culture the oldest living culture in the world. Their art, stories, and traditions are a vital part of Australia’s national identity.