Next Stop: Australia - A Wild and Fascinating Country Full of Beauty

As you may already know, every Friday here at Mega Curioso we pick a country and talk about it, its main features and its curiosities - this is our fixed frame called Next Stop.

Today, we chose Australia, this great country in Oceania that is famous for its extremely exotic wildlife, beautiful, developed cities and many beaches of clear water. So get ready to embark with us through the landscapes of this beautiful place, at least virtually. And remember: Everything, just everything, can happen on Australian land.

A quick historical overview

Australians often call their country simply "Aussie", a loving nickname - the official language is English. Etymologically speaking, the word Australia originates from the term "austral", which refers to the south of the world. Due to its large proportions, Australia is often called the island continent.

Prior to European colonization, which began in the 18th century, hundreds of Aboriginal tribes inhabited the entire territory. These are called local Indians and are descended from Africans when they migrated thousands of years ago to Asian territories. There are currently approximately 40, 000 mestizos - they have suffered a large population decrease with the beginning of the European invasion in 1770.

The foundation of Australia

Australian territory was claimed by the British in 1770, and the site was initially colonized for the transport of prisoners who were exiled from the United Kingdom. However, in subsequent years, the population steadily increased and the five self-governing territories were established. Today, the country has more than 23 million inhabitants, and approximately 60% of them are located in the coastal regions of the country.

The most important cities are Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which are also respectively the largest in the country. Contrary to popular belief, the capital is not Sydney, but the city of Canberra. Today Australia is a multicultural, rich, developed and technologically advanced country. It has excellent rates in aspects such as health, education, HDI, safety, economy, and other fields. Below is a time-lapse video of the city of Gold Coast, a popular destination in the country:

Simply insane temperatures

Australia is the driest continent in the world, with very flat areas and poor fertile soils. Much of the country is formed by deserts, especially in the central region, places where temperatures easily reach 45ºC. And we're talking about desert regions, without the water or moisture coming from the ocean to soften the weather - so the thermal sensation can be much greater.

In 2013, a strong heat wave occurred and certain cities had temperatures around 50 ° C. To be aware, in summer more than 70% of the continent registers averages higher than 40 ºC. Despite the high summer temperatures, you may be surprised to learn that it snows in some places in Australia during the winter. In the mountains of the Victoria region, skiing and snowboarding can be practiced between June and September if winter is severe.

The Mysteries of Mount Uluru

Mount Uluru (or Ayers Rock) is one of Australia's typical adventurer destinations. This is the second largest monolith (geological structure consisting of a single stone or rock) in the world behind Mount Augustos, also located in Australia. It is 318 meters high and eight kilometers in circumference, and extends 2.5 kilometers below the ground. It is a sacred place for Aboriginal people and has numerous caves and historical paintings.

Aboriginal people tell tourists not to go up the hill, something not advised for religious reasons. However, several people have already climbed the scene - including many died of cardiac arrest. Australian park management says it receives orders almost every day from tourists returning parts of Mount Uluru, such as stones they took as a souvenir when they arrived. The reason? They say that taking any piece of the hill, however small, will bring bad luck forever.

The Beauties of the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef stretches nearly 3, 000 kilometers to the northeast of Australia, covering 1, 900 reefs, 60 islands and 100 coral atolls. It can even be seen from space and is the largest structure in the world, composed solely of living organisms. Millions of rare living things inhabit this place full of biodiversity, but are threatened with extinction due to climate change, as the Great Barrier Reef is very sensitive to warming water temperatures.

The intense wildlife of the country

Although the country is predominantly desert, there are many habitat types in Australia. And, as you may know, this is one of the most bizarre, aggressive and impressive ecosystems in the world - mainly due to the isolation of the island continent. That is, much of what we see in Australia can only be found there. We have already talked about some of those wild bizarre things in Mega Curious, as you can see here.

Australia has the largest number of reptiles in the world (over 755 species), the Australian crocodile being one of the best known and most feared. Besides crocodiles, another animal symbol of the country is the kangaroo, as well as other marsupials, such as the koala. The platypus is also quite famous, especially as one of the few mammals in the world that lays eggs. Australia is also home to many dangerous animals, such as some of the most venomous snakes and spiders on the planet - not to mention stonefish, one of the world's deadliest fish from the country.

Other curiosities about Australia

• Among Australia's famous actors, we can list Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, and Geoffrey Rush;
• Rugby and cricket are among the most popular sports in the country;
• Although many feel that Outback restaurant is from Australia, it was created by Americans - including the dishes served cannot be classified as typical of the country;
• It is the sixth largest country in the world;
• Much of the country's fauna and flora can only be found exclusively within its territory;
• It is one of the countries with the largest number of immigrants in the world. Approximately 25% of nationalized Australians were not born in the country. Therefore, the ethnic and cultural diversity is very large. It is estimated that there are immigrants from over 200 countries in the territory;
• Australia was the second country in the world to grant women the vote as early as 1902;
• The so-called "Australia Day" was created to celebrate all the ethnic diversity of the country's society, as well as tolerance to different races;
• Kangaroo meat is very common to find in restaurants, supermarkets and even the simplest neighborhood markers;
• Unfortunately, Australia is considered one of the most obese countries in the world - they make up almost 20% of the population;
• Although UK inmates were sent to colonize the country, Australia is one of the most peaceful nations in the world. At the beginning of colonization, more than 150, 000 prisoners were sent to the new nation. An estimated 25% of Australians have an ancestor who was an English prisoner;
• People usually sleep early at about 9 pm, and all trade (even in big cities) is closed at 5 pm;
• Australians spend more money on betting (of all kinds) than all other nations in the world;
• Australia has the highest rate of people with skin cancer in the world. With the routine intense sun, many Australians do not usually wear sunscreen every day;
• People drink a lot in Australia. Every party, whether it's business meetings or with friends, is an excuse for them to fill their cups - and plenty.