Many fascinating facts about Australia may escape your notice, from how the Sydney Opera House was designed to look like an orange to how baby kangaroos are only 2 centimetres in size at birth; and Vegemite being created from leftover yeast from beer production!
1. Kangaroos
Kangaroos are one of Australia’s most iconic mammals and a great symbol for our country. You’re likely to spot one wherever you travel throughout Australia; their long back legs and tail help them jump; their short front legs provide support while jumping. Kangaroos belong to the Macropod family of marsupials which includes wallabies, wallaroos, quokkas and pademelons among many others.
Macropus, the scientific name for kangaroos, comes from two Greek words meaning large foot. This refers to their long hind feet which provide support while they hop along.
Kangaroos are large tree-dwelling mammals that live exclusively in Australia. This social species lives in close-knit family groups called mobs; older males and alpha females teach the young kangaroos everything they need to know from an earlier generation. Intelligent creatures with strong moral codes that display empathy when one of their members die.
When being pursued by predators, kangaroos tend to head toward water as an avenue for escape. Not only are these amazing swimmers adept at submerging underwater in order to outwit their pursuers but their massive tails provide them with another tool in fighting back against these dangers.
Kangaroos are well-known for their remarkable hopping ability at 35 miles per hour and leaping six feet off of the ground at once, covering 25 feet in one bound. Hopping helps kangaroos navigate Australia’s arid environment efficiently by using less energy in stride length than running or walking, saving both energy and stride length when traversing long distances.
The Kangaroo became the official symbol of Australia when its coat of arms included it as part of their colony’s coat of arms in 1908. Since then it has become popular merchandise like T-shirts as well as sporting event mascots. Hunting kangaroos may be legal in certain states with annual hunting quotas being set and hunters required to shine a bright light before shooting one.
2. Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders and an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and should be on everyone’s itinerary when visiting Australia. As one of the world’s largest coral reefs spanning an amazing 344,400 km2, this breathtaking underwater paradise hosts diverse marine life that boasts abundant diversity. Plus it spans 344,400 km2, or larger than Britain, Holland and Switzerland combined! Comprised of 2,900 individual reef systems as well as islands and cays – making for an amazing underwater paradise which should definitely not be missed by visitors!
The Great Barrier Reef is also an economic boon to Australia, generating over $6.4 billion per year in tourism revenue alone – this figure exceeds Tasmania’s entire economy!
Tourism to the Reef has seen unprecedented growth over recent years, attracting over two million visitors annually and providing local communities with much-needed employment opportunities and full-time job support.
As well as its natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef is also home to some incredible animals! Over 1,500 fish species, 300 types of coral species and other beautiful creatures call the Reef home – you can meet some of them during a snorkelling or diving expedition!
Some of the fish that you’ll see include squid, dugongs, eagle rays, black marlin, green sea turtles and many more! In fact, The Reef was used as a filming location in Pixar’s Finding Nemo movie with many corals featured still visible today!
There are also some outstanding birding spots on the Great Barrier Reef, with over 280 bird species to be seen, such as wandering albatrosses, white-bellied sea eagles, red-tailed tropicbirds, herald petrels and roseate terns – just to name a few!
The Great Barrier Reef provides essential habitat to many plants and animals – such as endangered southern right whales – so protecting and conserving this ecosystem is of utmost importance.
3. Cleanest Air in the World
Australia is one of the world’s most captivating and unique countries, boasting breathtaking natural landscapes, ancient Aboriginal culture, bustling cities and some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth – not to mention an intriguing food culture!
Australia boasts some of the cleanest air in the world thanks to its expansive forests and southern location on the continent. Additionally, Australia is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable development initiatives that create cleaner air for its people to breathe – making Australia an excellent choice for people wanting a fresher breath of air.
Australia is home to one of the world’s largest coral systems – The Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, Australia boasts some of the most stunning beaches around.
Australia is also famous for boasting some of the tallest termite mounds in the world – Cathedral termite mounds that reach up to 8 meters are impressive sights! Built of sand with small tunnels hidden within, they’re quite fascinating to view!
Australian landscapes boast some of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders, while also playing host to some of the world’s most remarkable animals – such as kangaroos – an icon of Australia – and emus, similar to raccoons in appearance, but completely separate species altogether. Additionally, Australia is home to unique species such as platypuses and koalas which both lay eggs.
Australia will surprise you with many fascinating facts. From its exotic wildlife to cutting-edge inventions, there’s so much more you can learn about this incredible country! Whether planning your trip or simply intrigued by its history, these fun facts will provide a deeper understanding of this captivating nation. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring it now!
4. Dingo Fence
Australia is home to vast landscapes and ecosystems of diverse vegetation types, but one aspect stands out: dingoes. Beginning in Queensland’s green fields and stretching across thousands of kilometers of desert to end at Great Australian Bight’s cliffs above it, Australia’s longest fence (5614km long) has had an enormous effect on both animal and plant populations living either side.
The Wild Dog Barrier Fence was first installed in Australia during the 1880s to keep dingoes away from sheep grazing lands in southern Australia, where they were considered major threats to livestock. Since then, Australia’s arid lands have become patchwork exclusion zones designed to keep out dingoes, kangaroos, foxes, cats and wolves.
Dingoes may be known for being vicious predators, but research has demonstrated that dingoes actually play an essential role in supporting native wildlife by killing or driving away smaller introduced predators such as foxes and domestic dogs that pose greater threats to small animals and reptiles. Furthermore, dingoes also assist native fauna by killing or driving away introduced predators such as foxes and domestic dogs that pose greater threats than expected to native creatures like reptiles and amphibians. They even kill or drive away kangaroos that damage vegetation – meaning numbers have dramatically increased inside fenced-inside while populations on either side remain more stable despite dingoes being present to control them!
Researchers have recently identified potential costs to this “dingo-free” landscape. Through satellite imagery analysis, they found that without dingoes around to control them, kangaroos munch away at native vegetation at an accelerated rate; leading to woody shrubs dominating desert scapes that can have far reaching consequences on other forms of wildlife and vegetation.
Newsome and his team wish to assess whether these changes could be reversed by reinstating dingoes to southeastern Australia, but face several political barriers in doing so. He and his colleagues are unable to secure land along the dingo fence that they can use for controlled experiments because “wild dog” in Australia refers to all three forms – dingoes, feral domestic dogs and hybrid descendants from both groups.