There’s no place like Australia – the land down under, of which the unique geography, flora and fauna, climate, culture, and history boasts of absolute abundance and rich diversity, which cannot be experienced anywhere else on earth.
To give you an interesting view of Australia from a unique perspective, let’s look at some interesting facts about Australia, which might make you think, “Whaaat? Really?”
Australia Facts
here we go!!
1. The Land Down Under
Let’s start with the title of the article itself. Everyone knows that Australia is called “The Land Down Under”. But have you ever wondered ‘why’? In the 18th century, a European explorer named Mathew Finders headed out on an exploration, looking for land located below the Asian continent. And found land which was situated way down on the globe, under Asia, that he did. He was the one who gave Australia its original name – “Terra Australis Incognita”, which means “the unknown southern land”. From his given name, both names – which are “the Land Down Under” and “Australia” have stemmed.
2. The Sand Island
It is common knowledge that Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It’s also the lowest, flattest and the driest (apart from Antarctica) continent as well. But did you know that the world’s biggest sand island is a part of Australia too? Stretching for a length of 123km and spanning at 166 hectares, ‘Fraser Island’ is the world’s biggest sand island. But being a ‘sand island’, it’s not flat and dry as you may imagine. In fact, it’s filled with greenery and biodiversity and it’s officially named as a “World Heritage”. The 75-mile beautiful beach, lush rain forests growing on sand dunes, colorful sands ranging with 72 colors and many more beautiful natural attractions have made this island a top tourist spot in Australia.
3. A True Kingdom of Animals
Whenever you see a picture of a koala, first you go “awww”, then you think of Australia. Similarly, you quickly associate Kangaroos with Australia too, since it’s common knowledge that both these animals are indigenous to the continent. But did you know that 80% of animals in Australia are unique to the continent? They have some of the most unique animals, some of which you may already know, but wouldn’t guess that they are ‘strictly Aussie’. Some such animals are the platypus, wombats and Tasmanian devils. (Nope, they don’t look like the ‘Tuz’ you and I both know, and again, no, they don’t eat trees, rocks and mountains either.)
Kola Bear 
Tasmanian Devil 
Kangaroo 
Lizard Kookaburra
4. Biggest Eco-System in the World
When you think of an enormous ecosystem, you may think of the Amazon rainforest. But what if there’s something bigger and richer? It’s the “Great Barrier Reef”. Filled with an abundance of diverse marine life, it’s comprised of 3000 individual coral reef systems. Did you know that it’s even larger than the Great Wall of China and it’s the only living thing in the world that is visible from space?
5. No Active Volcanoes
Asia’s got Anak Krakatau (Indonesia). Europe’s got Vesuvius (Italy). Africa’s got Nyamuragira (Congo). While North America’s got Kīlauea (Hawaii), South America’s got Llaima (Chile). Even Antarctica’s got Mount Erebus. And those are a few out of many. But the Australian continent has no single active volcano! While it has hundreds of dormant volcanoes, the last known eruption has occurred about 5000 years ago!
6. Beautiful Beaches
The Australian continent has got 10,685 beaches! And yes, that’s the official number! Here’s a fun fact for you. If you absolutely love beaches and if you decide to visit a single Australian beach every day, to visit all of them, it would take you 29+ years!
7. The Australian Alps
When you think of snow and skiing, “Alps” is the first place that comes to your mind, right? And there’s only one “Alps”, and it’s in Europe, right? Wrong! There is a mountain range in Australia named “The Australian Alps” as well. While it only peaks at 2,000 meters, compared to 4,810 meters of the European Alps, Australian Alps is known to receive more snow than Switzerland! Maybe you should change the destination of your next skiing trip?
8. Koalas Vs Camels
Koalas remind you of Australia and camels remind you of the Middle East, right? Would you believe if I say that there are more camels in Australia than koalas? There are around 80,000 koalas and 1.2 million camels in the continent! And here’s the biggie – You’ll be flabbergasted to know that Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia!
9. Highway 1
Australia’s got the world’s longest national highway and it’s called “Highway 1”. It consists of a network of highways with a total length of 9000 miles! And driving around in Highway 1 would at least take 14 days! Road trip, anyone?
10. World’s Longest Fence
In the 1800s, many farmers have complained that their flocks of sheep were attacked by a type of dog called “Dingoes”- a type of dog found in the Outback. Hence a very long fence made of wire mesh was built, connecting two Australian states – Queensland and South Australia, spanning a whopping 5,614 kilometers! It’s not only the world’s longest fence but also one of the longest manmade structures in the world!
These are only a very few interesting facts about Australia, where there literally are hundreds more, which certifies the fact that there is no other place like Australia. Maybe you should plan your next trip to this amazing country?
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