Australia is full of amazing new discoveries. You might have heard stories about Australians being great cricket players and how Australian toilets swirl in the other direction. We’re here to add to the list of interesting facts you know about Australia.
1. Kangaroos outnumber people in Australia.
2. Australia is a home for countless different species of animals.
3. The largest carnivore in Australia is the size of a cat.
4. Australia houses 21 species of venomous snakes.
5. Australia has a cockroach racing championship.
6. Australia’s history has a black mark, and it’s known as the Emu War.
7. There are more camels in Australia than in Egypt.
Nature Facts
Don’t hit the snooze button yet, we’re not about to tell you about how much percentage of Australia is land and water. We’re going to share with you some interesting facts about Australia.
8. Clean Air
Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world! If you live in a crowded city and you can’t even fathom the idea of breathing in air that isn’t chock-full of smog particles and dust, then you might want to book a plane ticket.
9. They Have a Pink Lake
Remember that time when you couldn’t find the blue crayon and decided to color the water in pink instead? Well that’s what Lake Hillier is like. These candy pink waters are truly one of nature’s mysteries because even scientists have yet to figure out exactly how the water is so naturally pink.
10. The Great Barrier Reef is the Largest Reef in the World
You might have heard stories about the Great Barrier Reef. Not only is it a spectacular place to go scuba diving, but it’s so massive that it can even be seen from outer space!
11. The Australian Alps are Snowier than the Swiss Alps!
Everyone’s always talking about the Swiss Alps, but no one ever mentions the Australian Alps which receive more snowfall than the Swiss Alps and the entire range is over 3,000 kilometers long.
12. It Has Endless Beaches
You might have guessed a hundred, but Australia actually has 10,000 beaches so for all those people who love the sound of the waves and the glow of the Sun, you’ll have a new beach to visit every day for many years to come. It comes as no surprise that out of every 5 citizens, 4 of them live within a 50-kilometer distance from the coastline. Every day is a beach day when you’re in Australia.
13. They Have a Place called Mount Disappointment
You know that time, when you were working on a group project and you wanted to call your team “The Disappointments” but decided against it because it didn’t seem professional? Well, Australia has a mountain called Mount Disappointment because of the boring view from the top.
Australian Culture Facts
Enough about wildlife and nature, Australians and their culture is equally fascinating. Here are some fascinating facts about Australian culture.
14. They’ve invented a Brand New Religion
In 2001, around 0.4% of the Australians were found to be following the Jedi Knight Religion and considered themselves to be the Star Wars Jedi Knights. Talk about taking a movie series too seriously.
15. It’s a Great Place for Women!
Since 1902, Australia is the second country in the world to give voting rights to women. Sounds like they’ve developed a progressive culture from the start!
16. Australians are Keen on Gambling
With nearly 18 million Australian dollars lost in gambling, Australia has one of the highest gambling populations worldwide. This gambling habit is probably aided by the fact that around 20% of the world’s slot machines can be found in Australia!
17. Culture is Very Diverse
Even though the native language is English, there are over 200 languages spoken in the country. Apart from common languages like Greek, Italian and Arabic, the majority are the languages of the natives. There used to be more languages, including that of the aborigines, but over time, these have become extinct.
18. Everyone Loves to Eat
Around 60% of the Australian population was found to be overweight in 2012. If you’ve been following MasterChef on television, and are aware of the growing food scene in the country, then you can probably guess why that is. Given that the country has one of the lowest poverty rates worldwide, it looks like everyone loves a good meal in Australia.
19. It’s a Great Tourist Spot!
Every week, around 60 plus tourists overstay their visit in Australia past their visa expiration. Looks like they found some great places to explore apart from Mount Disappointment!
20. Australians Love Vegemite
This yeasty, sludgy stuff in a jar is a popular item in Australia, whether you pair it with your toast at breakfast or anything else. Some say it has a taste that remotely resembles soy sauce. Whatever the flavor, this gooey spread is much loved by Australians, sort of like Americans with peanut butter and jelly, or Nutella. Vegemite is actually made from the scraps left behind in the beer-making process and it’s believed that the taste also has some resemblance to beer.
21. Australians Coined the Word “Selfie”
How many times do people around the world click a selfie, not even knowing where the term first came up? The word selfie was the brainchild of an Australian man who used it as an abbreviation for the word “self-portrait”.
22. Australians Take Their Entertainment Very Seriously
An electoral debate on Australian television was delayed because citizens didn’t want it to collide with the finale of the world famous reality television show, MasterChef Australia.
23. Australians Have a Sense of Humor
An Australian man attempted to “sell” New Zealand on eBay! If you’re looking to buy a country, don’t worry about the expense, because the asking price is only 0.01 Australian dollars.
24. Australians are Really Sporty
It’s also known as the sports capital of the world with around 70% or more of the citizens taking part in some sport or sporty recreational activity every week!
We’ve established that Australia seems like a great place to visit! Not only do they have some very interesting wildlife, but even nature seems to be in on some cosmic joke with its pink lakes and disappointing mountains. The people are really friendly and definitely quirky and with one of the lowest homicide rates in the world, you can roam around freely and enjoy your vacation without the fear of someone jumping out and attacking you. Have a great holiday!
