A Quick Trip Down Under views and is the subject of countless legends and films. (NAPSA)—It’s the only country on the planet to occupy an entire continent, the land where the bionic ear and notepads were invented, and hometo Coober Pedy, a town where 50 percent of the population lives belowgroundto escape theheat.It’s Australia, and these facts about the land down under maysurprise you: Wide-Open Spaces The sixth largest country in the world, but with only about four peo- In The Outback Sometimes described asa “feeling” rather than a place, the Aus- tralian outback is a massive span of wildland, inhabited by a diverse set of animals and populated by a number of unique and friendly communities. It’s also hometo the longest straight railway track in the world, which stretches nearly 300 miles. ple per mile, Australia has the lowest population density on Earth. All That Glitters Kalgoorlie in western Australia is the nation’s largest producer of gold, but the country is better knownfor its precious stones. The land down under produces 95 percent of the world’s precious opals. The Silver Screen The subject or setting of countless films, Australia has long cap- tured moviegoers’ imaginations. The movie “Australia,” now on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, tells the story of an Australian drover (Hugh Jackman) who reluctantly partners with an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) as they drive 2,000 head of cattle across hundreds of miles of Australia’s most unforgiving land. “| a y 4 4 y ' W Legendary Cultures Australia’s native people, Aborigines, are believed to haveset- tled across the continenttensof thousandsof years ago. Theyre credited with a number of developments, including creating the boomerang and what’s thought to be the world’s oldest knownart. For more information, visit www.foxhome.com.
