Important & Interesting Facts About Australia

 

Australia (officially the Commonwealth of Australia) is a country in the Southern Hemisphere. Here are some interesting facts about Australia.

• Australia is the sixth largest country by total area. However, the population is relatively small. Only 21.7 million people live in Australia.
• 60% of the population is concentrated in five capital cities- Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
• Australia was originally called ‘New South Wales’.
• Australia is well known for its strong international sporting teams. Australians have very strong teams in cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, cycling, rowing and swimming.
• The most popular sports in Australia are Australian Rules Football, rugby league and soccer (football).
• Well known Australian actors include Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackson, Heath Ledger, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett.
• Sydney is the most populous city in Australia.
• Almost 800,000 Australians live outside Australia.
• English is the most spoken language in Australia. It is the only language spoken in over 80% of Australian homes.
• In the 2006 census, 64% of the population were listed as ‘Christian’. However, weekly attendance in church services is very low. Only 7.5% of the population attend church services weekly.
• Australia largest export markets are Japan, China, the United States, South Korea and New Zealand.
• Australia has 755 species of reptiles.
• Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions per person is one of the highest in the world.
• The armed forces of Australia- the Australian Defence Force (ADF)- consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
• Australia is one of the founding members of the United Nations.
• There are six states and two territories in Australia. Each state and territory has its own parliament that makes laws.
• Voting in elections is compulsory for all Australians that are 18 years or older.
• The High Court of Australia is the highest court in Australia.
• The official currency is the Australian dollar.
• There are about 500,000 indigenous Australians (also called Aboriginals) living in Australia.