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Commonwealth of Australia - Coggle Diagram
Commonwealth of Australia
Currency
Australian dollars
Government
Legislative
Parliament
House of Representatives
Senate
Governor General
Executive
Ministry
Government Departments
Judicial
High Court
Other Federal Courts
Fauna
Mammals
Marsupials
They are certainly the most famous Australian animals! A distinctive characteristic is that most of the young are carried in a pouch. That is of course the case of kangaroos.
Monotremes
They are probably the most exotic animals of Australia, a transitory group between mammals and reptils! You have certainly heard about the platypus, this crazy mammal with a duck beak.
Placentals
There are only a few native placental mammals in Australia. Dingoes are one of them. For many Australians, the dingo is a cultural icon.
Reptils and Batracians
Snakes
Australia is home to 140 species of snakes. Uniquely, Australia has more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes!
Crocodiles
Saltwater crocodiles can be find along the Northern coast of Australia. They are the largest of all living reptiles. Males can reach sizes up to 6.30m! The saltwater crocodiles are carnivorous predators, that are dangerous for humans.
Other species
Lizards, turtles and frogs are well represented in Australia. The country features the highest diversity of lizards in the world, with over 360 species.
Fish and marine animals
About 25% of the world's species of fish can be found in the Australian waters. The Great Barrier Reef is listed as a UNESCO world natural site since 1981. Australia is home to 1700 species of corals, and is therefore a paradise for divers and snorkelers!
Birds
There are over 800 species of birds in Australia. Half of them are endemic. The best spots to watch them are the Broome Bird Observatory and the Kakadu National Park.
Flora
Australia has a huge diversity of plants (27 700 plant species according to the last studies), due to the fact that the country is huge and the climate is different from one region to another.
Eucalyptus
One of the best known Australian tree is the Eucalyptus. More than 2 500 species of Eucalyptus are represented in Australia! On warm days, eucalyptus forests are sometimes shrouded in a smog-like haze. The Blue Mountains, 70kms west of Sydney, take their name from this haze.
Acacia
Australia also has around 1 000 species of acacia, that they call "wattles".
If you want to see Australia's tallest trees and some of the world's Giants, you should go to the south-west of the country, in the Valley of Giants. Some of them are more than 60m high!
If you are fond of nature, you should also not leave Australia without going to the Daintree Rainforest. Located in North Queensland, this forest is the oldest tropical rainforest on earth, dating back 135 million years!
National holidays
New Year's Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Jackson in New South Wales.
Good Friday
Many Christians around the world observe Good Friday on the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates Jesus Christ's Passion, crucifixion, and death, which is told in the Christian Bible. It is the day after Maundy Thursday. Good Friday commemorates Jesus' death on the cross.
Easter Monday
People might head to Mass at their local church, gather for a meal with family, or catch up with friends. A common tradition for children (but you can enjoy it, too!) involves embarking on hunts in the park or backyards to find chocolate eggs delivered by the mythical Easter bunny or bilby.
Anzac Day
A typical Anzac Day ceremony may include the following features: an introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying of wreaths, a recitation, the Last Post, a period of silence, either the Rouse or the Reveille, and the national anthem.
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.
National flag
The flag has three elements on a blue background: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.
Location
Australia is situated entirely in the southern hemisphere, between the Indian and the Pacific ocean, south of Maritime Southeast Asia and north of the Antarctic.
Religion
Australia's major religion is Christianity with the major denominations including Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Presbyterian and Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, Baptist and Lutheran. The two major denominations, Anglican and Catholic, account for 36% of the Australian population.
Special facts
90% of Australians live on the coast
Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest eco-system in the world
Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world
Indian Pacific train has the longest straight section of train track in the world
80% of the animals are unique to Australia
2.5 km of Uluru is underground