AUSTRALIA is the smallest continent (or the largest island!) in the world, and is the driest land on Earth. It lies in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Arafura and Timor seas to the North, the Coral and Tasman seas of the South Pacific to the East, the Southern Ocean to the South, and the Indian Ocean to the West.

The terrain is varied, ranging from red deserts (in the North) to lush rainforests (in the Northeast), and glorious beaches. It is the land of the Kangaroo, the Koala Bear, and the Great Barrier Reef, a 2000km (1200 mile) strip of coral off the Northeast coast.

The landscape consists mainly of a low plateau, skirted by coastal mountain ranges, the highest of which is the Great Dividing Range in the East.

The country is divided into 8 states; the Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, The Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia.

The country has 2 climatic zones: - the tropical one in the North has a wet summer and a dry winter, while the Southern zone has a temperate climate with 4 seasons.