annual Elvis festival

5. The big island is surrounded by more than 8,000 smaller islands

Lord Howe Island has the world's southernmost barrier coral reef. courtesy capella lodge

Some people say Australia is the largest island on earth, while others call it a continent because it has its own tectonic plate.

Whichever way you look at it, the island continent is fringed by thousands of smaller islands -- 8,222 to be precise.

It's got an island state (Tasmania), the world's largest sand island (Fraser) and an Antarctic island (Macquarie).

Many islands are named after animals, including Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast, Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef and Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbor.

6. It has a "Greek city"

Melbourne has the largest Greek-speaking population in the world, after Athens and Thessaloniki.

In fact,more than 200 languages and dialects are spoken in Australia.

That's because more than 25% of Australians were born in another country, making Australia a melting pot of multiculturalism.

Melbourne's vibrant Greek quarter around Lonsdale Street is home to Stalactites restaurant, a city institution open 24/7, and the annual Antipodes Festival , which features Zorba dancing and lots of souvlaki.

7. The country's one and only military coup was over rum

Aussies have a desperate love affair with beer, but in the late 18th century, rum was a popular form of payment in the fledgling colony of Sydney.

That is until 1808, when Governor William Bligh decided to stop the practice.

The edict didn't go down well with ringleaders of the rum trade, the New South Wales Corps. The regiment deposed Bligh in a