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Where is the continent of Oceania? Find out more with Bitesize KS1 Geography.

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Australia: the continent where you're guaranteed to hear the phrase 'g'day!' wherever you go and home to a hopping animal, around twice as common as humans.

Commonly called 'the land down under', Australia is at the heart of the fourth episode of Seven Worlds, One Planet. It is the fastest moving continent on Earth, shifting so fast that its coordinates need to be realigned every so often.

We take a look at some of the unique wildlife and natural wonders of the smallest continent on Earth.

However, kangaroos don't have the easiest of starts to life. About the size of a jellybean, blind and hairless, eastern grey kangaroos climb up through their mothers fur to her pouch where they attach themselves to a teat. This journey is very difficult for young joeys (the name of baby kangaroos and other marsupial young) and it ensures only the strongest will survive. They grow quickly in their mother's pouch before emerging after six months.

Eastern grey kangaroos don't run - they hop along on their powerful hind legs. In one single leap they can jump over a standard-sized car and have top speeds similar to that of racehorses. The downside... they can't go backwards. Well, you can't win them all.

The Uluru rock in the Northern Territory state of central Australia is one of the continent's natural wonders, sacred to Aboriginal Australians. It is a large single sandstone rock called a monolith, and at a height taller than the Eiffel Tower, it is the largest monolith in the world. The rock is famous for its rock art carvings by the ancient people of Anangu, a group of Aboriginal Australians who own the rock, but lease it to the Australian government.

It's difficult to say exactly how far back the carvings date but the Anangu people have lived in the area for more than 30,000 years. The rock art is an important historical and scientific record of human occupation in this area. Uluru is sacred to the Anangu people. In October 2019, a ban was introduced on climbing the sacred rock because of the spiritual significance of the site, as well as for safety and environmental reasons.

Although they are important in helping control the populations of kangaroos, rabbits and small rodents, they are known to hunt domestic animals and farm livestock when native species are scarce. Dingoes either hunt alone or in groups of two to 12 individuals and can travel up to 20 km (12 mi) in one day.

The reef lies close to Australia's shore - this is called a fringing reef. It's the largest of its kind in the world. It's so close to the shore that in many places, you can simply walk from the beach into the water to admire its beauty. In 2011, the Ningaloo reef was recognised as one of the most biologically diverse marine environments on the planet with a Unesco world heritage listing.

The Tasmanian devil got its name from European settlers, who upon hearing unearthly screams from the dog-like animal with big sharp teeth, decided to call it 'the devil'. The 'devil' is found on the island of Tasmania, off the coast of southeast Australia, and it became extinct on mainland Australia some 3,000 years ago. The devils are known to fly into a rage when threatened by a predator, defending a meal or competing for a mate.

Like the Eastern grey kangaroo, the Tasmanian devil doesn't have an easy start to life and has to compete to survive. Mothers give birth to between 20-40 joeys at once, but they have to race to her pouch where only four teats are available.

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From the hopping kangaroo to beautiful reefs, we take a look at some of Australia's wildlife and natural wonders.

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Grab your suncream, shades and snorkels, gang - because we're heading Down Under with these fab Australia facts!

Australia facts

OFFICIAL NAME: Commonwealth of Australia
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary democracy
CAPITAL: Canberra
POPULATION: 23, 856, 103
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: English
MONEY: Australian dollar
AREA: 7,692,024 square kilometres
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Great Dividing Range, Macdonnell Ranges
MAJOR RIVERS: Murray-Darling, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan

Australian flag

Map of Australia

Australia: geography and landscape

Australia is one of the largest countries on Earth, and the only country that covers an entire continent. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert.

Most Australian cities and farms are located in the southwest and southeast, where the climate is more comfortable. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country's largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water and almost no vegetation. In the northeast, there are dense rainforests where lush vegetation grows.

Running around the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia is the Great Dividing Range. This 3,700-kilometre stretch of mountain sends water down into Australia's most important rivers and the Great Artesian Basin, the largest groundwater source in the world.

Australia's amazing nature!

Australia's ecosystem is an unusual one. Because of its remote location, many animal species that occur here are found nowhere else on Earth, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its unique plants and animals.

There are several types of rainforests in Australia. Tropical rainforests, mainly found in the northeast, are the richest in plant and animal species. Subtropical rainforests are found near the mid-eastern coast, and broadleaf rainforests grow in the southeast and on the island of Tasmania.

Australia also boasts the world's largest sand island, Fraser Island, which stretches over 120km along the southern coast of Queensland. You can check out our cool fascinating Fraser Island facts, here!

One of Australia's most amazing sites is called Uluru (or Ayers Rock) - a sacred natural rock which rises like an enormous whale's back from a flat red-soil desert called the Red Centre. Standing a massive 335 metres tall, it's one of the largest rocks in the world!

Did you know Australia is home to many of the deadliest species of animals on the planet? There are 36 species of poisonous funnel-web spiders found in this incredible country and 20 species of venomous snakes, including the world's most venomous snake - the taipan. This slithery reptile releases enough venom in one bite to kill 100 people. Yikes!

Australian history

Aboriginal people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. It's believed they travelled from Asia across land bridges that were exposed when sea levels were lower. The hardy Aborigines have learned to live in the harsh conditions of the outback.

Dutch explorers first landed in Australia in 1606, and the British began to settle there in 1788. Many settlers were criminals sent to live in Australia as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people. But soon, fighting broke out over who owned the land.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches came as a result, bringing thousands of new immigrants to the country. By 1859 six separate colonies existed, and in 1901 these colonies joined to form the Federation of Australia.

Australia: people and culture

Australia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly a quarter of the people who live in Australia were born in other countries. Many come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, as well as from China, Vietnam, North Africa and the Middle East.

Australia's warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces give the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby and their own invention - Australian rules football!

Australia's government and economy

As a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Australia's head of state is the British monarch. Many Australians think the country should end its ties to Britain and become a republic. In a vote in 1999, Australians decided against separating from the UK, but the vote was close and the debate continues.

Australia is an important exporter of agricultural goods like wool, wheat, beef and fruit. The country is also rich in minerals and metals and is the world's fourth largest producer of gold.

Picture Credits: Opera House in Sydney Harbour, Australia: Xvaldes, Dreamstime. People swimming at Bondi Beach, Australia: Dan Breckwoldt, Dreamstime. Picture of people snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: Liverbird, Dreamstime. All other images: Getty Images UK

What do you think of these cool facts about Australia? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Australia facts for kids: let's head down under! | National Geographic Kids

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Learn fascinating facts about Australia, from Australian history, culture, wildlife and geography, stunning pictures plus, see a map of Australia!

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Koalas are marsupials, related to kangaroos.

OFFICIAL NAME: Commonwealth of Australia

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal parliamentary democracy; Commonwealth realm

CAPITAL: Canberra

POPULATION: 23,470,145

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: English

MONEY: Australian dollar

AREA: 2,969,906 square miles (7,692,024 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Great Dividing Range, Macdonnell Ranges

MAJOR RIVERS: Murray-Darling, Murrumbidgee, Lachlan

Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is one of the largest countries on Earth. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert.

Most Australian cities and farms are located in the southwest and southeast, where the climate is more comfortable. There are dense rain forests in the northeast. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country's largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water, and almost no vegetation.

Running around the eastern and southeastern edge of Australia is the Great Dividing Range. This 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) stretch of mountain sends water down into Australia's most important rivers and the Great Artesian Basin, the largest groundwater source in the world.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Australia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly a quarter of the people who live in Australia were born in other countries. They come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also from China, Vietnam, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Australia's warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces gives the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, and their own invention, Australian rules football.

Australia's ecosystem is an unusual one because of its remote location. As a result, there are many animal species that occur here and nowhere else in the world, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna, and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its unique plants and animals.

One of Australia's most amazing sites rises like an enormous whale's back from a flat red-soil desert called the Red Center. This site is called Uluru, and it is a sacred natural formation at the heart of the country. Rising 1,100 feet (335 meters) tall, it is the largest rock in the world!

Australia is home to many of the deadliest species of animals on the planet. There are 36 species of poisonous funnel-web spiders in eastern Australia. There are also 20 types of venomous snakes, including the taipan, which attacks without warning and bites repeatedly, killing its victim in minutes.

There are several types of rain forests in Australia. Tropical rain forests, mainly found in the northeast, are the richest in plant and animal species. Subtropical rain forests are found near the mid-eastern coast, and broadleaf rain forests grow in the southeast and on the island of Tasmania.

GOVERNMENT

As a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, Australia's head of state is the British monarch. Many Australians think the country should end its ties to Britain and become a republic. In a vote in 1999, Australians decided against separating from the UK, but the vote was close, and the debate continues.

Australia is an important exporter of agricultural goods like wool, wheat, beef, fruit, and wine. The country is also rich in minerals and metals and is the world's fourth largest producer of gold.

Aboriginal people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. They may have traveled from Asia across land bridges that were exposed when sea levels were lower. The hardy Aborigines have learned to live in the harsh conditions of the outback.

Dutch explorers first landed in Australia in 1606, and the British began to settle there in 1788. Many settlers were criminals sent to live in Australia as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people. But soon, fighting broke out over who owned the land.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches brought thousands of new immigrants, and by 1859, six separate colonies existed. In 1901, these colonies joined to form a British commonwealth.

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Australia Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is one of the largest countries on Earth.

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The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef on Earth. A barrier reef is a long, narrow coral formation that lies parallel to the shoreline of a landmass and is mostly underwater. The Great Barrier Reef is in the Coral Sea, off the northeastern coast of Australia. It extends 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) from north to south.

The Great Barrier Reef is a tourist attraction and a protected marine environment. The sea life of the reef is extraordinary. The reef has been formed over millions of years from the skeletons of millions of tiny corals. There are at least 300 types of hard coral on the reef. Other animals include sponges, anemones, worms, snails, lobsters, crayfish, prawns, jellyfish, and giant clams. Certain types of algae give the reef a purplish red rim. There are also more than 200 types of birds and more than 1,500 types of fish, many with brilliant colors and unusual shapes. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Great Barrier Reef a World Heritage site in 1981.

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The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef on Earth. A barrier reef is a long, narrow coral formation that lies parallel to the shoreline of a landmass and is mostly...

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Sydney is a major city in Australia, a country in Oceania. The greater Sydney area is Australia’s largest metropolitan area. Sydney has a huge and magnificent harbor. It is…

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Perth is the capital of the state of Western Australia. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, on the Swan River.

Visitors to Perth can learn about the history and natural features of the area at the Western Australian Museum. Perth's outdoor attractions include the Kings Park and Botanic Garden. This is a large stretch of parkland along the river.

Most of the people who are employed in Perth work in offices rather than in factories or on farms. They work in service areas, including banking, health care, and jobs related to tourism. Mining is an important industry in the state, and several of the mining companies have offices in Perth. The surrounding suburbs have factories that produce paints, sheet metal, cement, chemicals, and other products.

The Nyoongar, or Noongar, people were the first inhabitants of the land that is now Perth. British explorers established the first European settlement at what is now Perth in 1829. It was named after the county of Perth in Scotland.

The settlement grew slowly. It became a city in 1856. In 1877 it was linked to Adelaide (in South Australia) by telegraph. In 1901 Australia gained its independence from Great Britain. Western Australia became a state with Perth as its capital. In 1917 Perth was connected to the other major cities of Australia by rail for the first time.

In the late 1900s the city prospered because of income from oil and other minerals that were discovered in the surrounding area. By the end of the century it was the fourth largest city in Australia. Population (2016 census), urban area, 1,907,833.

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Perth is the capital of the state of Western Australia. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, on the Swan River. Visitors to Perth can learn about the history and natural features of the area at the Western Australian Museum. Perth's outdoor attractions include the Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

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Gold Coast Facts & Figures | Gold Coast Australia

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Read some interesting facts and statistics about the Gold Coast including population, area, weather and more.