40 Things You Should Know About Australia

1. We have a population of 21 million people.
2. We call them thongs, not flip flops.
3. We are sick of Kangaroos - they overrun some parts of the country.
4. Our national anthem is Advance Australia Fair.
5. We have big cities here too - some with millions of people.
6. The slang name for an Australian is an Aussie.
7. We like a good backyard barbecue.
8. Indigenous Australians are called Aborigines. 
9. We don't (usually) give tips in restaurants. 
10. Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Heath Ledger and Hugh Jackman are all famous Australian actors.

11. Australia is the driest continent in the world.

12. It's mandatory to vote in Australia.

13. We have 7 states. One is an island.

14. We drive on the left side of the road.

15. Our national sport is cricket.

16. The kangaroo and the emu are on our national emblem because neither can walk backwards.

17. Ned Kelly was one of our most famous bushrangers (or outlaw)

18. Australia is a continent, an island and a country.

19. Vegemite is considered a national icon. We don't all like the taste though.

20. We have a wide range of unique animals including kangaroos, wombats, platypus and koala.

21. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches.

22. We have the longest fence in the world - a movie was made about it.

23. Our money is made of a plastic material so it is longer lasting than paper money.

24. The legal drinking age is 18.

25. Our primary language is English.

26. We have a big banana and a big pineapple.

27. We have some gorgeous plant life including kangaroo paw, wattle and eucalyptus.

27. Meat pies and lamingtons are Australian staples.

28. Our postcodes are four digits.

29. Australia was the second country to give women a vote.

30. In 1954 Bob Hawke made a record by sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. He later became the prime minister of Australia.

31. Australians love sport.

32. We don't all act like Mick "Crocodile" Dundee.

33. We have a big rock in the middle of our country called Uluru (Ayers Rock)

34. We have beautiful rainforests.

35. A large part of Australia is desert.

36. Unlike the movies - most of our beaches aren't nude.

37. Australians don't always go around calling their hot girls "bonza sheilas".

38. Most of us agree that Americans assume way too much about us.

39. Our current Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd.

40. Despite best attempts to turn us into a republic we are still a constitutional monarchy.