Fact #1 - Gambling
Australians love gambling. Per capita, they spend more money on gambling than any other country in the world. No wonder that 20% of all poker machines are located in Australia.
Fact #2 - Capital
Canberra was named the capital of Australia in 1908. But the appointment was only a compromise, as both Sydney and Melbourne wanted to become the capital.
Fact #3 - Emu War
In 1932 the Australian army fought against a herd of over 20,000 emus. However, because too much ammunition was being fired, the government ended the war and the emus won.
Fact #4 - Beaches
Australia is known for its variety of beaches. If you visit a beach every day, you will have seen all the beaches only after more than 27 years.
Fact #5 - Selfie
Selfie' was first used by an Australian in a forum in 2002. He described a blurred picture with "Sorry for the focus, it was a selfie".
Fact #6 - The first police unit
Australia used to be a penal colony for criminals from England. The criminals who behaved best later formed the first police unit.
Fact #7 - Space junk
The Esperance Shire community sent a bill to NASA for $400 in 1979. The bill was for the disposal of parts of a space station that crashed here.
Fact #8 - Camels
Australia has the highest number of camels in the world and now even exports them to the Arab world. Originally they were imported to help build the railway.
Fact #9 - Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke was formerly the Prime Minister of Australia. The special thing? He also held the world record for drinking beer, 1.4 liters in just 11 seconds.
Fact #10 - Precipitation
Australia is regularly hit by forest fires because it is a very dry continent. Only Antarctica has less rainfall.