2.  Australia is located in the southern hemisphere.  It is the 6 th largest country as well as the smallest continent in the world. (2,941,299 sq mi)  Australia has six states and two territories.  The capital is Canberra.

3. SydneyMelbourneBrisbaneGold CoastAdelaide

4.  Australia was given it’s independence on January 1, 1901 from the United Kingdom.  It is also known as the Commonwealth of Australia.  They have a Parliamentary Democracy.  The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II.

5.  Blue – truth, loyalty, perseverance & justice  White - peace and honesty  Red – bravery & strength

6.  Major exports include: coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, and machinery.  HDI 2 nd  5.7% of the people are unemployed.  Use of money is the Australian dollar.  Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.

7.  Throughout the majority of Australian history, the cuisine was based on traditional bush food using native berries, fruit, fish, kangaroo and even insects.

8.  Australia has the greatest amount of reptiles than any other country.  consisting of 755 different kinds of species!  Australia has many different types of habitats therefore there are many kinds of animals that live here.

9.  The most popular sports in Australia are cricket, rugby, field hockey, and of course soccer.  About 24% of people over the age of 15 in Australia are active and play a sport.

10.  Australia is the second highest car ownership in the world.  They also have a large railroad system consisting of 33,819km.  Australia has 464 airports, that’s 17 th in the world!

12.  Sydney is the largest city in Australia.  33°51′35.9″S 151°12′40″E  A population of 4.5 million  State capital of New South Wales  Sydney is ranked among the top 10 most livable cities in the world.

13.  The Opera House is a multi- venue performing arts center and one of the most famous in the world.  Completed in 1973 with the architectural design from Jørn Utzon.  About 1,500 performances take place here every year.

14.  http://australian-animals.net/ http://australian-animals.net/  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia  http://www.australia.com/index.aspx http://www.australia.com/index.aspx  http://www.about-australia.com/facts/ http://www.about-australia.com/facts/  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/as.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/as.html