F A C T S & P H O T O S O F A U S T R A L I A
Australia is the seventh largest continent. It is an island continent bordered by the Indian Ocean on the east and the South Pacific Ocean on the west. The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of six states-New South Wales, Queens land, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia-and two territories-the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The Great Barrier Reef to the northeast is the largest coral formation in the world. | 
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| Australia is rich in mineral resources, notably bauxite, coal, gold, iron ore, nickel, and petroleum. Most of the lakes and interior waterways contain saltwater. Australia has become a major agricultural producers by using modern farming techniques to irrigate the dry plains. Australia has a variety of landscapes ranging from tropical rainforest, desert lands, snow-capped mountains, rolling pastures, and coastal beaches. |
Most of the population lives on the east and southeast coast. Canberra is the capital city and is the only state capital not on the coast. The climate ranges from very hot desert conditions in the central interior, to hot, humid, monsoons in the north, to temperate conditions offering four seasons on the east and southeast coast. Tourism is the largest industry. Australia offers many attractions including unique flora and fauna to the area. This includes the native marsupials, unique reptiles, and the wide variety of bird life including penguins. | 
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