Australia is located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
When it is winter in the United States, it can be summer in other countries! One of these countries is Australia.
Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. The capital city is Canberra. Australia is the only country in the world that is also a continent.
The United States and Australia are in different hemispheres, or halves of the Earth. So, the two countries experience spring, summer, fall, and winter at different times.
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The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most famous buildings.
Sydney is a city on the southeastern coast of Australia. There are many things to see there, such as the Sydney Opera House. It has many concerts, plays, and other events.
People visit to see its special design as well. The roof of the Sydney Opera House was designed to look like things you might find on the coast. It was built to look like seashells or sails of ships.
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Many people like to snorkel at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Off Australia’s northeastern coast is the Great Barrier Reef, which is a coral reef. Coral are sea animals that can look like colorful rocks and mostly stay in one place. A barrier reef is a long line of coral that runs off the coast.
The Great Barrier Reef is 1,250 miles, or about 2,011 kilometers, long. It is the largest coral reef on Earth. There are about 300 types of coral on the reef. There are also many other animals that live there, such as snails, jellyfish, giant clams, lobsters, birds, and fish.
Many people like to snorkel there, which means they swim with a small tube so they can breathe while keeping their face underwater. When people snorkel, they might see some of the amazing animals in the Great Barrier Reef.
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A kangaroo is an animal that is found in different parts of Australia. Kangaroos hop on their back legs to move. They can move about 30 feet in one jump. This can be about the length of a school bus!
Baby kangaroos are called joeys. When joeys are born, they are only about one inch long. Female kangaroos have a pouch on their front. They keep joeys in the pouch while they grow. When joeys are about 10 months old, they are old enough to leave the pouch.
Kangaroos often live in groups of at least 50. Some live in the Australian Outback. The Outback is a very large area, which is inland. This means it is away from the coastal cities. It has mountains, deserts, and many types of wildlife and plants.
What Do You Think? What about Australia would you like to learn more about? Why?
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