AUSTRALIA FROM A-Z

A IS FOR AGRICULTURE, ARCHAEOLOGY, & ARCHITECTURE

• AGRICULTURE is an important industry in Australia. Products include wheat, barley, sugarcane, and fruits. The country also raises cattle, sheep, and poultry. Grazing of rangelands is the most extensive land use. Granny Smith apples were originally cultivated by Maria Smith of New South Wales. The largest cattle station in the world is located in Australia.

• The Central Australia ARCHAEOLOGY Project has located and investigated archological sites. National Archaeology Week is celebrated in May. Rock Art in Australia is one of the oldest known artistic images by modern humans. Stone Tools played an important role in Australian Aboriginal Prehistory and can be found throughout the country.

• Australia is a pioneer territory and the ARCHITECTURE expresses the free spirt of the people. The country has several Great Buildings. Sydney Tower is the highest building in the southern hemisphere. Canberra has modern residential architecture. You must register to use the title of "Architect" in Australia.

• Nearly 4,000 species of BIRDS can be found in Australia/Oceania. Australia has over 800 species of birds and nearly half of them are not found anywhere else in the world. Australia does not have an official national bird but the emu is featured on the Coat of Arms and is the largest bird in Australia and the second largest bird in the world. The best-known bird is the kookaburra. Some states and territories have an Official Bird.

• Australia has many BRIDGES including 23 Suspension Bridges. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is known as the "coathanger" and is one of the best known and photographed bridge in Australia.

C IS FOR CAMELS, CAPITAL, COMMUNICATIONS, & CURRENCY

• CAMELS are used for many purposes in Australia. There are nearly fifty camel farms and there are camel races and safaris. Camel rides are available all over the continent. Wool is an important camel by-product.

• Canberra is the CAPITAL of Australia. The name is an aboriginal word which means "meeting place". It is located on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Each state has its own capital.

• Australia has all forms of COMMUNICATIONS including newspapers, radio, television, telephone, and internet. Within the country, telephone and fax numbers are listed with a city code followed by a telephone number. Internet Service Providers are located throughout the continent. The The internet code for the country is .au. Webcams are located throughout the continent. The Australia Communications Authority provides information about communications for consumers.

• The CURRENCY in Australia is the Australian dollar and is represented by coins and notes.

• DAMS have been built in Australia to store water for use during the dry season and to provide hydroelectric power. The biggest water conservation project on the continent is the Snowy Mountain Scheme.

• Australia has 5 large DESERTS distributed throughout the western plateau and interior lowlands. The Great Victoria Desert is the largest.

• Until recently there have been few finds of DINOSAURS in Australia, but many fossils have been found. The Dinosaur Museum in Canbera has tours and activities.

• EARTHQUAKES occur in Australia. There have been large and noteworthy earthquakes

• EDUCATION in Australia is free and compulsory. Children must attend school between the ages of 6 and l5. A certificate is given when student completes their tenth year. Australia has had to improvise to meet the educational needs of children in remote areas. Schools have internet access and many are online.

• Festivals and EVENTS are held throughout Australia during the year including Sporting Events. Australia Day is the biggest day of the year.

• The Australian National FLAG is the only flag to fly over a whole continent. The flag is red white and blue and has a British Union Jack in the upper left corner, five small stars for the constellation Southern Cross, and a large star for Australia. States and territories have their own flag. There are 2 indigenious flags

• Australia has thousands of FLOWERS. The native flowers of Australia are the most diverse and varied in the world and new plants are being discovered every day. The sweet-smelling golden wattle is the national flower of Australia. It belongs to the acacia family and the Australian coat of arms depicts a spray of it. The national colors of green and gold are based on the foliage and flowers of this plant. Some regions of Australia have a floral emblem. Western Australia has a wide range of wildflowers.

• FOOD in Australia has the most diverse range, quality, and inventiveness than most of the rest of the world. Many regions are know for a particualar food and each state has its specialty. The native food is called bush tucker.

• The GLOBAL POSITION of Australia ranges from approximately 12 degrees south latitude to 151 degrees east longitude. The country is located in the southern hemisphere and is the only country that is also a continent. Australia has a very distinctive physical geography. Mount Kosciuszko is the highest point on the continent and Mawson's Peak on Heard Island is the highest point on Australian Territory. Lake Eyre is the lowest point on the continent. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using a Global Positioning Finder. There are many Geocaches in Australia.

• The HISTORY of Australia dates back to nearly 60,000 years ago. Many parts of history in Australia are unique. Aboriginal history was passed on by word of mouth. In 1956, Australia hosted the International Olympics for the first time.

• Tourism is the largest INDUSTRY in Australia and the services industry is the fastest growing industry in the country. Australia is the world's leading producer of sheep's wool It is also the world's leading producer of bauxite.

• Australia has many thousand small fringing ISLANDS and numerous larger ones. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. Western Australian Islands are made up of several small groups of islands. Several islands are dependent areas. Most of Dunk Island is a National Park. Oceania includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island.

• Australia has a wide variety of INSECTS including over 400 species of BUTTERFLIES. The Monarch is the most common and the Richmond Birdwing is endangered. At one time, the Australian Aborigines used insects as food, medicine and as part of their cultural beliefs.

• JAZZ is a popular form of music in Australia and there are many Jazz Clubs. Several Jazz Festivals are held during the year.

• Cape York in northern Australia includes a tropical JUNGLE, waterfalls, and a rainforest. It is a large area of undeveloped land. Daintree Rainforest has one of the greatest concentrations of rare or threatened plant species in the world.

• Several KARST areas can be found in Australia. There are also many Show Caves and Wild Caves on the continent. Naracoorte Caves is a World Heritage Site. New South Wales has over a dozen caves including Baorenore Caves which has a tunnel cave & an arch cave. The archway in Abercrombie cave is its most famous feature. Wombeyan Caves includes several caves.

• Many aspects of life in Australia focus on KIDS. The government provides information about healthy eating. The Australian Woolshed offers school visits to kids. Sydney Childrens Hospital is a special facility for kids.

• KILOMETERS are used to measure distance in Australia. The metric system is used for most other measurements.

• Australia has 6 principal LAKES There are not many natural lakes so many rivers have had dams constructed on them which make lakes and water storage reservoirs. Many of the lakes in Australia are salt lakes and rarely contain any water. Central Australia has several lakes but most rarely contain water except for brief periods after intense rainfall. Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia and the 18th largest lake in the world. The region of Coongie Lakes is a National Heritage site and is only dry on average of every 7 years. Australia has many sites designated as wetlands.

• The official LANGUAGE in Australia is English. Over 200 other languages are spoken in Australia and the country has the largest number of vanished or endangered languages. Half of the 6,000 languages in the world are under threat of extinction. Australians have developed their own accent and have special words and phrases. This unique language is called Strine

• LIBRARIES are located throughout Australia. There are public libraries, school libraries, government libraries, and special libraries. The National Library of Australia has books and magazines. It also has paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, and oral history recordings. The Mortloch Library of South Australia, the State Library of Victoria, and the State Library of Tasmania have major databases about the history of the country.

• There are 12 principal MOUNTAINS in Australia and on the surrounding islands. The highest mountains on the Australian mainland are in an area known as the Snowy Mountains and form a part of the Great Dividing Range which includes the Australian Alps. The Australian Alps are part of the networks of National Parks.

• MUSEUMS are located through Australia featuring a variety of subjects. The National Museum of Australia is in Canberra. A museum in Inverell has a transportation theme. Australia has thousands of War Memorials

• Australia has a variety of MUSIC including Bluegrass, opera, Reggae, and classical. The Country Music Association Australia (CMMA) promotes country music. Music enjoys a long proud history in Australian Defence Forces. The country has hundreds of Folk Songs. The National Anthem is "Advanced Australia Fair", the Royal Anthem is "God Save the Queen", and the most popular song is "Waltzing Matilda".

• The NAME Australia came from Claudius Ptolemy who figured there had to be a land unknown somewhere below the Indian Ocean. Over time this land became known as terra Australis Incognito and was eventually called Australia. Australia is nicknamed "The Land Down Under". Most of the states have nicknames, mottos, and colors.

• National Parks are located throughout Australia. The Royal National Park was the second National Park in the World and all creatures and plants in the park are protected. Hinchinbrook Island is the largest island National Park in the World. There are also many protected areas.

• Australia is located between the South Pacific OCEAN and the Indian Ocean. No part of Australia is further than 1000 kilometres from the sea. The USGS provides information about why the ocean is Salty.

• Australia is the largest producer of OPALS in the world. The opal is the National Gemstome of Australia.

• The interior of Australia is called The OUTBACK. It is a vast largely flat, dry, and sparsely populated area. The Outback has many great ranches known as stations. A well-known town in the Outback is Alice Springs.

• The POPULATION of Australia is nearly 20 million. The Aborigines were the first people to inhabit Australia and many still maintain a tribal life in the Northern Territory. The majority of the people can trace their roots back to Europe and many people are foreign born. Most of the people live in cities and small towns mainly along the eastern and southeastern coast. Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world.

• Australia has 8 PORTS and Tasmania has 5. The largest port in Australia is at Melbourne

• The QUEEN of England is also Queen of Australia and is represented by the governor-general. The prime minister is the head of Australia which is an independent self-governed nation. There are 5 mainland states, 1 island state, 2 mainland territories, several island territories, and territory in the antarctic. Capt. James Cook arrived on the east coast of Australia in 1770 and claimed it for Great Britain.

• Take a QUIZabout Australia. Do a wordsearch about the continent. Do a concentration puzzle about Australia. Do a wordsearch about animals in Australia. Do a kangaroo jigsaw puzzle.

• Australia is divided into several REGIONS. The Southern Region, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, The Western Plateau, and The Central Lowlands.

• Australia's Great Barrier REEF is the world's largest coral reef. A string of multicolored, rock like ridges parallel the northeast coast of the country. The reef provides a habitat for many marine animals including Mollusks which are some of the most well known invertebrate sea creatures.

• About 600 species of REPTILES are found in Australia. The country has 2 types of crocodiles - salt water and freshwater. The rainforest in North Queensland has several species of snakes.

• Australia has 10 principal RIVERS including those in Oceania. The continent of Australia has several rivers. All of them were named after a person. Murray River is the longest river. The Murray-Darling River Basin comprises the major part of the interior lowlands of Australia. The Wild River Project identifies wild rivers and develops guidelines for ther management. The Franklin-Gordon Wild River National Park in Tasmania includes the Franklin, Gordon, and Olga Rivers.

• A wide variety of SEA LIFE can be found in the waters surrounding Australia including sharks, sea lions, whales, and dolphins. The great white shark has received more publicity than any other fish in Australia. New South Wales, and South Australia have an Official Fish.

• Many SPORTS are popular in Australia including football and cricket. The Australian Sports Commission encourages sport and physical activity in all Australians. Bushwalking is sport unique to the country. Deaf Sports Australia is a unique organization that offers the hearing impaired the opportunity to compete in sports. Australia hosted the Olympic Games in 2000.

• Australia is the first country in the world to offer personalized postage STAMPS. It was also the first commonwealth country to issue a stamp for Christmas cards. The first Australian postage stamp was issued in 1850.

• Australia has a National Tartan, and National Tartan Day is celebrated on the Sunday nearest to July 1. At the Bundadoon Highland Games, a new Australian tartan will be launched. Australia has Celtic organizations and games. The Australian-Scottish Community in Brisbane maintains and promotes Scots culture and heritage. The Scottish Gaelic Society of Victoria promotes Gaelic culture especially through the use of the Scottish Gaelic language. A major part of Western Australia Police Pipe Band is dedicated to visiting schools. Scotch College in Adelaide has a strong connection with Scottish culture and tradition and has a pipe band and highland dancers.

• TRANSPORTATION in Australia is by air, land, and water. Land transportation includes trains, cars, and trams. Driving is on the left side of the road. Trains played an important part in the development of Australia. The Nullorbo Plain can be crossed on the Trans-Australian Railway which is the straightest stretch of railway in the world.

• Australia has many species of TREES, and there are more than 500 varieties of eucalyptus trees. National Tree Day is held every year in the interest of "Greening" Australia. Centennial Parkland in Sydney has 150 species of trees. A tree thought to be extinct turned up in a remote Australia Park. Forests are located in Australia and the surrounding islands.

• The United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization UNESCO protects natural and cultural properties around the world. Australia has nearly a dozen World Heritage sites including the Great Barrier Reef which has the largest collection of coral reef in the world, and Fraser Island which is the largest sand island in the world. Ayers Rock is a World Heritage Site and the most visited single spot on the continent. There are several UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Australia. There are also National and Commonwealth Heritage Sites.

• UNIVERSITIES are located throughout the continents. Most public colleges are consolidated in federally run schools. Other higher education institutions include Australia Maritime College and Avondale College.

• Australia has a wide variety of native VEGETATION. Thousands of plants are unique to the country including living fossils such as the cycad palm. Peatlands are found in Australia and New Zealand.

• Australia is the only English-speaking country to have made VOTING compulsory in federal and state elections. The largest electorate in the world is Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The secret ballot box was pioneered in Victoria.

• The continent of Australia has a number of inactive VOLCANOES. Volcanoes are also found in Tasmania, and Big Ben dominates Heard Island in the great Southern Ocean and has erupted several times since 1910.

• WATERFALLS occur on rivers throughout the eastern highlands. Wallaman Falls is the tallest waterfall in Australia. Piemans Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world.

• The WEATHER in Australia is varied. It is the second driest continent and about 35 percent of the continent receives so little rain, it is effectively desert. The northern part of the country is semitropical, the southeast coast is mild, and the center is dry with severe droughts and forest fires. There is very little rainfall except along the coast where cyclones occur. A tropical breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer. Winter begins in June and summer begins in December. The Greenhouse Accounting Center provides information about the Greenhouse Effect in Australia.

• Australia has some unique WILDLIFE including the Tasmanian Devil. The continent also has many unusual animals that are found nowhere else in the world including the platypus which dates back 15-25 millions years ago. Nearly half of the animals in Australia are marsupials. The kangaroo is generally considered the National Mammal of Australia. The koala is the best-loved animal and they are supported by the Australian Koala Federation. Except for Tasmania, every Australian state has an official mammal. The Wildlife Protection Assocation of Australia focuses specifically on wildlife protection issues.

• XMAS stands for Christmas and it is celebrated in Australia much as rest of the world. Australia has many other special holidays including Australia Day, Anzac Day, Boxing Day, and the Queen's birthday.

• Because of its proximity to the International Date line, Australia, was one of the first countries to enter into the Y2K 21st century.

• The YMCA is an active organization throughout Australia. It helps young people grow in mind, body, and spirit.

• Australia has more than 150 YOUTH HOSTELS located throughout the country. They include hotels, guesthouses, farms, and schools. Elderhostel programs are available.

• Australia has 3 time ZONES. Not all of Australia is on daylight savings time.

• Australia has many ZOOS. The city of Botany Bay was the site of the first Zoo in Australia. The Open Range Zoo, offers encounters with animals from Africa, Asia, and Australia. The Sidney Koala Park has koalas, wombats, and dingoes.