var arrayFacts = [ "Australia is the smallest continent, but one of the largest countries, in the world.

Australia is the smallest continent, but since the entire main island is one country, it remains the sixth largest country in the world, being slightly smaller than Brazil but larger than Argentina.", "Australia has a coral reef longer than the state of California.

The Great Barrier Reef, which runs off the coast, stretches more than 1,250 miles from north to south.", "New Zealand was where The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was filmed.

These great movies were shot in New Zealand because its amazing natural beauty and undisturbed countryside gave the feeling of a fantasy world.", "The Tasmanian Devil is named for the Australian island of Tasmania, the only place in the world they are found.

The Tasmanian devil is vaguely bear-like in appearance, though much smaller, and is an animal that found fame with children thanks to 'Taz,' a Tasmanian devil from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.", "Australia's nicknames include 'the Oldest Continent,' 'The Last of Lands,' and 'The Last Frontier.'

'The Last of Lands' and 'The Last Frontier' are both to Australia's relatively late discovery and exploration. 'The Oldest Continent' is because Australia's surface rock is older than any other continent, but also ironic since scientists believe Australia was actually the last continent to break away from Antarctica. ", "he Aboriginals (native Australians) once had an estimated population of over a million people.

Largely nomadic hunters and gatherers, contrary to common European perceptions, Aboriginals had established robust, semi-permanent settlements in well-favored locations.", "The great wilderness, known as the outback, or bush, is known by Australians as the 'Never Never.'

Though the official language is English, like the difference between British English and American English, Australian English contains a lot of slang and local words.", "The Great Divide of Australia is 2,300 miles long.

The Great Divide is actually a series of mountains and plateaus and is the base of much of Australia's main watersheds. ", "Australia is renowned for its unique wildlife.

Its unique plant life includes hundreds of types of eucalyptus trees, and the only two egg-laying mammals on Earth, the platypus and echidna.", "'Land Down Under' is Australia's most popular nickname.

It is the only continent, other than Antarctica, that is completely south of the equator, hence the name.", "Australia was the last continent attached to Antarctica, and is slowly drifting towards Asia.

According to geologists, Australia is extremely young, at least compared to the other continents.", "Australia is both the flattest continent and, except for Antarctica, the driest.

Australia is over 2/3 desert or semi-desert, and has only two mountain ranges, both near each coast.", "Australia is very sparsely populated.

One can fly the roughly 2,000 miles from Sydney to Darwin in the north or to Sydney from Perth in the west without seeing a town or any sign of human habitation.", "Two islands hold 90% of Fiji's population.

The Republic of Fiji has 322 islands, with over 106 permanently settled, but 9 out of 10 people living in Fiji inhabit the two islands.", "The Ayers Rock is one of the largest monoliths (giant isolated rocks in the desert) in the world.

The Aboriginals of the region call it Uluru, and is made of sandstone that changes color depending on where the sun is in the sky. The Ayers Rock is oval in shape, 2.2 miles long and 1.5 miles wide.", "Fiji has a surprisingly strong and effective military force.

Despite its diminutive (very small) size, Fiji soldiers have been renowned for their ability and help with U.N. missions world wide.", "Australia is a very arid (dry) continent.

Fully one-third of its area is occupied by desert and another third is steppe or semi desert.", "Vanuatu is home of some of the oldest known settlements in Oceania.

Many of the islands of Vanuatu were inhabited for thousands of years. Some evidence has settlers there as far back as 2000 BC.", "Guam, a U.S. territory, is home to a major U.S. military base.

Its inhabitants are largely Chamorros, the natives who first settled on the island almost 3,500 years ago.", "Australia has several extremely large deserts.

A large part of the entire continent is actually desert. Four of the largest deserts include the Gibson Desert, Great Victoria desert, Great Sandy Desert, and the Simpson Desert.", "The Republic of Nauru is the only nation in the world without a capital.

Formerly known as Pleasant Island, and it is the smallest non-European country in the world.", "The Republic of Palau is one of the world's youngest nations.

Palau is a borderless country in the Pacific Ocean, located 300 miles east of the Philippines. Palau became a nation only in 1994.", "Midway Island was the site of a major World War II battle.

This battle was fought completely with ships and aircraft, and the U.S. victory was seen as a major turning point in the war for the Allied powers.", "The original settlers of the Pitcairn Islands were sailors who committed mutiny.

They are the only remaining British colony in the Pacific, and they are also famed for being the least populated country in the world (although it is not a sovereign nation).", "Australia's native tree is the Eucalyptus.

The eucalyptus is actually more than 400 related species of trees and range in size from tiny, smaller than a person, to forest giants that are among the world's largest plants.", "The majority of land on Christmas Island is national park.

There are about 1,500 full time residents who mostly live on the northern tip of the island. Large areas of the national park are ancient rainforest.", "Australia probably has an amazing 200,000 and 300,000 species of animals.

Only about 100,000 have been identified and studied. There are over 250 species of native mammals, 550 species of birds, 680 species of reptiles, 190 species of frogs, and more than 2,000 species of fish.", "The wallaby, kangaroo, duck billed platypus, koala, and salt water crocodile are all unique animals native to Australia.

Australia has one of the most diverse collections of natural wildlife in the world, which is part of what attracts so many tourists.", "Australia is home to some of the most dangerous animals in the world.

Australia is home to the large saltwater crocodile, elapid snakes, taipans, smooth snakes, tiger snakes, brown snakes, and death adders. Australia also has many poisonous spiders, the best-known are the funnel-web spider and the red-back. All these animals are ", "Fewer born and they live longer: Why Australia's population grows slowly.

Australia's overall growth rate is less than half the world average, and its death and birth rates are also less than the world average. Life expectancy is very high-over 75 years for men and 80 years for women.", "Despite being known for the Outback and its wilderness, Australia is one of the most urban countries in the world.

A full 7/8, or 88% of the population lives in cities, and the percentage is actually growing!", "Australia is the second largest gold producer in the world.

Australia produces an average of over 280 tons (or 560,000 pounds) a year!!", "New Zealand occupied Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

Samoa was called Western Samoa back then, and ruled by the Germans. In 1962 Samoa became the first Polynesian country to become independent.", "A single mine in Australia supplies over 1/3 of the entire world's diamonds.

Australia is also the world's leading supplier of gems and is also known for its sapphires and topaz. ", "A Temple in Samoa commemorates over 150 cases of war.

Samoa has a rich history of voyages across the ocean, conquests of different islands, and inter-island war with the other Polynesian empires. Robert Louis Stevenson, a famous Scottish author who spent his last years in Samoa would later make the statement: 'War is Samoa's favorite pastime'.", "American Samoa is producing many great college and pro football players.

American football is extremely popular in Samoa, and the physical, competitive sport to many natives, has kept the 'warrior tradition' alive. Junior Seau is one of many now famous NFL players from Samoa.", "Australia has a form of football where no one wears pads.

Australian Rules Football is a type of cross between Rugby and American football, with a few unique twists that makes it different from both. Australia has a professional league, much like the NFL in the United States.", "New Zealand is one of the most recently settled areas anywhere.

Polynesian settlers arrived only 600-800 years ago and became the Maori culture. They were the first to arrive, which means before 1200 it was an empty island!", "Tourism makes up 5% of Australia's economy.

Most tourists come from Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Australia's wild outback and interesting culture seems to attract more and more people; Australia even hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney.", "Australian barbecues, or 'barbies' will often include exotic meats such as kangaroo, wombat, snake, emu, and turtle.

'Barbies' are a common traditional Australian pastime, and a great way for friends and family to get together. ", "Australia has many festivals, which often attract a wide international audience.

These include, but are not limited to: the Sydney Festival (January), Adelaide Festival of Arts (March), and the Melbourne Festival (October). Aboriginal arts festivals include the Barunga and Cultural Sports Festival (June) and Stomping Ground (October), held in Broome. ", "Easter Island has stone statues that weigh over 100,000 pounds!

Most of the statues are 10 to 20 feet high, but the biggest found so far is 32 feet tall, and consisted of a single block weighing about 82 tons (164,000 pounds!!).", "One of Australia's greatest folk heroes was very similar to the United States' Billy the Kid.

Ned Kelly, a cowboy-type outlaw in the Australian wilds, is one of the most enduing and beloved folk heroes in the entire country, and his life has been made into several books and movies.", "An Australian writer won the Nobel Prize.

Patrick White, considered by most to be Australia's greatest writer, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1973, and most of his work was about Australia, and its attempt to find its own identity.", "Many movies and actors popular in the United States are based around Australia.

Australian film, Mad Max movies with Mel Gibson, Quigley Down Under, Paul Hogan Crocodile Dundee, etc., Russell Crowe", "Australia was used by Great Britain as a penal colony (place to hold prisoners).

Great Britain sent ships full of prisoners to Australia, and used the continent as a place to hold them, since it gave very little chance of escaping all the way back.", "Tonga is one of the last nations in the world ruled by a true king.

Tonga, once known as 'The Friendly Islands' was a British colony for seventy years, before it became independent in 1970, and is the only monarchy (kingdom) in the Pacific. ", "The tallest mountain in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, which is only 1/3 as tall as Mount McKinley, Alaska.

Mount Kosciuszko is 7,310 feet tall. It is located in southeast Australia, near Canberra, the capital. ", "The longest river in Australia is the Murray-Darling River.

The Murray-Darling River is over 2,900 miles long and connects to the Indian Ocean. Because of concerns for the environment, the government made a deal with farmers to limit irrigation from this river. ", "The lowest point in Australia is Lake Eyre.

It is 53 feet below sea level. Lake Eyre is in South Australia and is also the largest body of water in Australia. Lake Eyre is a salt water lake that covers over 3,430 square miles, although it is located in the desert and usually dry."];