Capital : Canberra 

Population : 19,357,594

Area: total 7,686,850 sq km

Location Australia is located in southern hemisphere between

the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean country called Australia is on a continent which is

also called Australia  

Money : Australian Dollar (AUD) 

Climate: Generally arid to semiarid 

LanguagesEnglish and native languages

Australia is called the land down under because it is below the equator. It is one of the seven continents of the world. It is also a country

The first people to live in Australia were aborigines. Aboriginal means first. They were like our Native Americans. Today there are still aborigines in Australia. Some live on reservations, some live on ranches (called stations or property) or in cities.

Most people live in or near cities.They speak English. They work in buildings like your parents

Australia is made up of six states and two territories. 18.3 million people live there.Canberra is the capital of Australia.

The weather in Australia is warm and pleasant. The warmest weather in Australia happens in December.

The middle part of the country is called the outback. The outback does not get very much rain and is very dry. Not very many people live in the outback.

In the outback, there are some sheep and cattle ranches. There are about ten times more sheep than people in Australia. Sheep are raised for wool and for meat. Stations are very big. Some stations are so big they have to use planes to keep track of the animals.

There are not many schools in the outback. Children who live on stations and can not get to school use a two way radio to hear their teachers' lessons

The most famous animals in Australia are marsupials.A marsupial is a mammal that has a pouch to carry its young. Some kangaroos can jump 30 feet. The koala sometimes stays in the same tree for days and is endangered.

Kangaroo Koala Wallaby

http://youtu.be/ZLvLUugwvH0 http://youtu.be/82FRBsF-R5Y http://youtu.be/DLcuZ-HnHZc

There are many other interesting animals in Australia. When the kookaburra calls, it sounds like a laugh.

Duck-billed Platypus Emu Kookaburra

http://youtu.be/S0ZbykXlg6Qhttp://youtu.be/GzgI6Us1S0chttp://youtu.be/nDsI-ExAcBA

The Great Barrier Reef is also in Australia. It is made up of coral and algae. Coral are tiny invertebrate animals. The Great Barrier Reef is about 1250 miles long.It is the largest deposit of coral in the world. It is also the world's largest living structure.

http://youtu.be/wbNeIn3vVKM

Today Sydney is Australia's largest city. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most unique buildings in the world.

http://youtu.be/-prNqoXLQus

Australia's national sport is Cricket. Cricket is a little bit like baseball but it is played with eleven players and wickets. Another favourite sport in Australia is football and rugby. Australia is also famous for the boomerang. The aborigines used the boomerang as a weapon.

http://youtu.be/LQ5dW5pHPYk

http://youtu.be/5DQzhUX-FQQ

http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/cameras_large.aspx?cam=120&state=QLD&camName=Port%20Douglas

http://youtu.be/7Ozl-ud1zTo

http://maps.google.com