Australia: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts
The capital of Australia is Canberra.
About Australia
Australia is a huge country between the Indian and Pacific oceans that covers a whole continent. Most people live near the coasts, while the dry centre, called the Outback, has deserts and red rocks. It is famous for kangaroos, koalas, beaches and the Great Barrier Reef.
About Canberra
Canberra is a planned city in the Australian Capital Territory, chosen as a compromise between rival cities Sydney and Melbourne. It was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin around the man-made Lake Burley Griffin.
Fun facts about Australia
- The Great Barrier Reef off Queensland is the world's largest coral reef system, with about 2,500 separate reefs.
- Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent.
- The platypus of eastern Australia is one of the very few mammals in the world that lay eggs.
- Uluru, a giant sandstone rock in central Australia, rises more than 300 metres above the surrounding plains.
- The Sydney Opera House, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, opened in 1973 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Dingo Fence stretches about 5,600 kilometres and is one of the longest structures in the world.
