Australia

Australia is the world's smallest continent and largest island. It is equal in size to mainland United States, but has a far smaller population (18 million).

From one viewpoint, Australia is a young country having been settled by the British 200 years ago. Now, people from Great Britain and 120 other nationalities live in Australia. However, Australia is also a very old country because it has been inhabited by the native Aboriginal people for over 50,000 years. They are one of the oldest cultures in the world.

The climate in Australia is very mild. The only extremes are in the southeast mountains (snow June – October) and in the tropical north during summer (hot and humid November – March).

Because of the mild climate, Australia is an outdoor country. With nearly 30,000 miles of coastline and 3,000 national parks, Aussies (as the locals are called) are nature lovers. From the beaches, to the mountains, locals and tourists alike enjoy activities such as boating, diving, bush walking and camping. The Great Barrier Reef, a 1,400 mile-long underwater playground of corals and fish, draws travelers from around the world to its unique beauty.

While playing outdoors, people share nature with a variety of strange and wonderful animals. Kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingos, kookaburras, and the odd platypus all call Australia home.