© Brain Wrinkles Australia’s • Australia is located in the southern and eastern hemispheres and is the smallest continent on Earth. • It is the only continent that is also a country. • Australia is divided into six states and two territories. • The capital of Australia is Canberra. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles • Massive desert plains (known as the outback) stretch across most of Australia’s middle. • Most of Australia is located on the continent’s mainland, but Australia also includes Tasmania and other small islands located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. • Australia, New Zealand, and thousands of smaller island make up the region known as Oceania. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles • The Coral Sea is located off the northeast coast of Australia and is part of the Pacific Ocean. • When the earth’s crust moved millions of years ago, it created the Coral Sea and the Great Dividing Range • The Coral Sea is named after the many coral reefs found there, including the Great Barrier Reef. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles • There are several small islands located here that are known as the Coral Islands. • Australia claimed the islands as a territory in 1969, although no one lives there except for a small group of weather specialists. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles • The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef. • It is located off Australia’s northeast coast and extends for more than 1,400 miles. • It contains the world’s largest collection of coral, with over 400 different types. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles • The Great Barrier Reef also contains an amazing variety of marine life, including more than 1,500 types of fish and 4,000 types of mollusks. • It is home to rare species like the large green turtle and the sea cow. © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles © Brain Wrinkles