Animals in Australia

Australia is a country located in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. The country is divided into six states—New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia—and two territories—the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Australia is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighboring countries are Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.

The Australian mainland is divided into two major land regions: the low-lying, arid interior of the continent known as the Outback, and the eastern coastal region comprising fertile plains, rainforests, and mountains. The Australian Alps, located in the southeast of the country, are the highest peak in Australia.

The economy of Australia is one of the largest mixed market economies in the world, with a GDP of US$1.69 trillion as of 2016. The country was ranked as the world's second-largest economy behind the United States by nominal GDP and third-largest economy by PPP in 2015. Australia is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G20, and has the world's thirteenth-largest banking system and fifteenth-largest stock market.

Australia has a high Human Development Index of 0.955, ranking fourth in the world. The country ranks highly in quality of life, education, economic freedom, and civil liberties and political rights. Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a federal parliamentary democracy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, represented by a governor-general. The prime minister is the head of government and is appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the parliament.

Australia has a population of 24 million as of 2016, and its capital city is Canberra. The country's largest city is Sydney. Other major cities include Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Indigenous Australians are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia, who are believed to have arrived on the continent 50,000 to 60,000 years ago.

Australia is a multicultural society and has a diverse population including Greeks, Italians, Chinese, Indians, Lebanese, and Vietnamese. The country's official language is English, but more than 200 languages are spoken. The predominant religion is Christianity, followed by Islam and Buddhism.

Australia is a popular tourist destination, with over 31 million international tourists visiting the country in 2016. The most popular destinations are Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Cairns, and Perth.

Four out of five animals that live in Australia can only be found there.

Among the animal species that can only be found in Australia are the monotremes, which are mammals that lay eggs! The platypus and two species of echidna are the world's only egg-laying mammals, so called monotremes.

Australia has almost 400 mammal species and about 140 species of marsupials. Marsupials are animals that carry their young in their pouches.

Half of the birds that live in Australia, can only be found there. Among the typical Australian bird species are the kookaburras and the emu.

A number of dangerous spiders call Australia home.