Australia

Australia forms part of the continent of Australia (Oceania region), it is classed as an island country and is positioned in the Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, Indian Ocean, Tasman Sea and Timor Sea in Central Australia (Oceania region). There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Australia (plus Oceania) is the smallest continent in the world, it has 14 countries, stretches across a total area size of 9,008,500 km2 and forms 5.9% of the landmass of the world. Oceania is a geographical region that includes the continent of Australia. The continent of Australia comprises of mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, New Britain, and numerous small adjacent islands. New Zealand is not located on the continent of Australia. However, Australasia is a region of Oceania that includes New Zealand, Australia and Melanesia. Many of the Pacific island countries are located in subregions of Oceania. The subregions are defined as Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Australia is an island country that stretches over a total area of approximately 7,692,060 km2. It is the largest country in the region of Oceania, the sixth largest country in the world and the largest country located completely within the Southern Hemisphere.

The coastline of Australia is approximately 25,760 km. Australia is the largest country in the world without any land borders at all.

The climatic conditions of Australia can be described as arid to semiarid. The country is very big so the weather conditions differ across the land. Southern and eastern regions generally experience a temperate climate where as northern regions receive a more tropical climate. Extreme weather conditions in Australia have been known to result in cyclones along the coast, severe periods of droughts and raging forest fires. The Fremantle Doctor can be defined as a powerful sea breeze that impacts the city of Perth on the west coast of Australia. The Fremantle Doctor is one of the world's most consistent winds. The geography of Australia is formed majorly of low plateau with deserts, and plains in the south-eastern regions. The lowest point of Australia is the Lake Eyre at -15m, and the highest point of elevation is Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228m.

The official language of Australia is English. Other languages that are used as a primary form of communication but on a smaller scale include Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Arabic, Cantones and Vietnamese.

The main religion of Australia is Protestant at approximately 23% of the population. Around 22% are Roman Catholic, 4% The rest of the population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all. Christian, 2% Muslim, 2% Buddhist, 2% Orthodox and 1% Hindu. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources can be described as materials and substances found naturally occurring on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of resources that occur naturally in an individual country are influenced by varying factors such as the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries are very rich in natural resources, where as others have limited to none. Countries that have particularly rich resources include Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Three of the primary uses of natural resources are food, transport and construction. The following examples provide information on the everyday uses of natural resources: Fish occurs naturally in many bodies of water and can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into various fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests and used to construct houses and furniture. The natural resources of Australia include bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, gold, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare elements, mineral sands, zinc, lead, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum.

Each country across the world has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, mottos, anthems and songs are used to symbolize the pride and individuality of a nation. These national symbols are created through the unique history of a nation and can portray both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, songs, mottos and colors reflect the past, present and future hopes of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can include a mixture of things that are symbolic to a nation such as wildlife, plants, geographical features, crops, tools of agriculture, and tools of war. Here are some important facts on the symbols, songs and colors of Australia: