Think of a country with a large area compared to all other continents in the world, and at the same time, a place that hosts a variety of cultures and biological creatures. That’s Australia! What is going on inside this country or this whole continent? Dangerous animals, different natural wonders, odd decisions, familiar value judgments and even new types of coffee… Every part of this country, which is spread over such a large area and where there are so many different humans, animal and nature species, is a different world. It continues to offer different experiences with its wildlife and the stunning fact that Australia is even bigger than the North American continent. It has interesting information that is very enjoyable and thought-provoking. Keep reading to find out 15 fun facts about things you might encounter all over the world, or maybe just on the continent of Australia.
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1. Australia has pink beaches
We know that the colors in nature are usually blue and green. But have you ever heard of a lake and its surrounding coastal road being pink? Yes, the color of a lake in Australia is completely pink and it turns into pink tones during the year. Its color turns pink due to the Halobacteria and Dunaliella salina algae and it contains salt as much as the salt in the Dead Sea. Therefore, it is obvious that it is a visual feast, even if it is not preferred to swim in it or drink its water.
2. Camels of the Middle East are exported from Australia
The first continent that comes to mind when it comes to camels may come directly to the Middle East, but the truth is that the country that exports camels to countries in the Middle East is Australia itself. Since camels are used for both breeding and food consumption in Saudi Arabia, reductions in the number of camels can be observed. Therefore, although the camels seem to belong to the Middle East region symbolically, in fact, the supplier of the Middle East is Australia itself.
3. The election debate was rescheduled just because it was at the same time as the Masterchef finale
It is understandable that Australian people are different people because they live in a different place like Australia, but do they behave like this when there is a political or serious event? Yeah. The whole continent of Australia is a strange place as the day of the election debate was postponed because Masterchef was on the TV screen on that day.
4. Straight women are banned from a gay bar in Melbourne by a legal order
Gender positions and issues in Australia may sound like a parallel universe, but yes, straight women are completely banned from a place named Sircuit Bar in Melbourne. The reason for this is that women claim that they can change the sexual preference of gay people to hetero. Since gay individuals are uncomfortable with this situation, women cannot go to this bar for legal reasons!
5. Marsupials, kangaroos and quokkas cannot be found anywhere else in the world than Australia
No one doubts what a diverse natural habitat Australia is, but what do you think about the fact that certain animals are found nowhere outside of the Australian continent? Quokkas, kangaroos, marsupials – these animals which we hear about so often are not found anywhere else than this continent surrounded by sea on all four sides.
6. Over 80% of Aussies engaged in some form of gaming
Everyone knows the reputation of Las Vegas with gambling. So how is the gambling culture progressing in Australia? Apparently, 80% of the Australian population or more are gambling!
7. The origin of selfies comes from Australia
Did you know that the word selfie originated in Australia? Yes, after being used as a self-portrait photo in 2013, the word “selfie” has become a widely spread term. The word selfie was even officially included in Oxford Dictionaries. It is said that the foundations of the word selfie were laid when a person took a photo of themself under the name of self-portrait for the first time in 2002, before 2013.
8. Switzerland has less snow than Australia
When we say Australia, we may think of desert climate and scorching heat, but nothing is as it seems. Did you know that due to the heights of the Alps in Australia, Australia gets more snow than Switzerland receives yearly?
9. The city Melbourne has more Greek people is than Athens in Greece
Of course, we all know that Australia is famous for interesting facts and interesting lifestyles. It is also a fact that most Australians are not Indigenous Australians, that is, they are individuals who have migrated from other places. So, is it predictable that the Greek population in Australia is larger than the Greek capital, Athens? Oddly enough, more Greeks reside in Australia than Greeks in Athens.
10. Australia claims to have the world’s highest literacy rate
It is also a fact that the literacy rate of Australia, which is intertwined with nature and which is very comprehensive as an ecosystem, is higher than any other person in the world. It may sound strange, but we can say that the very slow internet speed in this country, where everything is so big and exaggerated, may also be the reason for the high literacy rate. Maybe that’s why people dedicate themselves to books instead of social media.
11. The earliest Australian police force was formed of the best-behaved convicts
What is the best way to stop a crime? To think like a criminal. That’s why in choosing the Australian Government’s first Police Force, they chose the best-behaved people out of the convicts.
12. Kangaroos cannot jump or walk backwards
Known as the symbol of Australia, kangaroos cannot jump or walk backwards. Aussies apply this symbolic idea to themselves, claiming that they similarly never look back or turn back.
13. Australian coffee is known as “flat white”
Australians like to distinguish a coffee as black and white when milky, rather than having more than one type of coffee like the Italians do. That’s why, instead of the foamy shape and the very milky taste of the latte, they came up with the term “flat white”, which is the middle of the two, without foam, but with a high percentage of coffee.
14. There are many venomous spiders in Australia
We know that Australia is famous for its spiders. These spiders can be about the size of a mouse or even a rat, and there are dozens of different varieties. Although it is a little difficult to determine which is poisonous or non-poisonous, it is obvious that spiders wandering in places where people live do not cause any harm to humans. Even, in the last 40 years, only one person died from being bitten by a spider.
15. Australia is among the countries with the slowest internet speed in the world
Did you know that Australia’s internet speed is very, very slow compared to other countries? Yes, it may come as a surprise, but the internet speed of the whole continent and country is considerably lower than in most countries. Perhaps this is the reason why they are at the forefront of literacy rates.
If you enjoyed reading the 15 fun facts about Australia and…
It is quite obvious that Australia, in which it has such diverse and different characteristics, is so interesting, or that there is a much more marvelous culture apart from the 15 fun facts we have mentioned here. It is an inevitable fact that this country, which looks like a secluded place and is full of opportunities where you will encounter something different in every area, is very rich in new experiences. People who want to go to Australia and experience this interesting information closely also need to apply for an Australian visa. So make sure you have everything ready for your visa application and see for yourself this unique experience! Don’t waste your time and get detailed information about the Australian Visa and the application process.
Michal Jonca is an experienced author of articles concerning biometric photography. He is a travel, food, and trail running passionate who visited 40+ countries on four continents. He is a Travel Leader for the adventurous travel company Solisci and the Community Manager at Passport-Photo.Online. Only this year, he enjoyed his workation in Thailand, Turkey, and the Caucasus mountains.
