This week on Statesman Ties we’re featuring some fun facts about the land down under – Australia, the country that inspired our Australia tie.

Fun Fact 1: Australia is huge. It’s the sixth largest country in the world and the distance from coast to coast is as far as the distance between London in England and Moscow all the way over in Russia. While the landmass of Australia is huge, 85% of Australians live within 30 miles of the coast, which means that the interior of Australia is largely untouched and wild.

Fun Fact 2: The world’s oldest fossil, clocking in at over 3.4 billion years old was found on an ancient beach in Australia. Billions of years ago, the Earth did not resemble the Earth we live on today. The oceans were likely 113 degrees Fahrenheit and there was much less oxygen, which means that most creatures lived on sulfur and the fossil found was a cluster of cells that show they likely depended on sulfur for fuel.

My favorite fun fact is that the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure. It stretches for 1,429 miles over an area of 133,000 square miles. It is so big, it can be seen from space. In fact, it has its own post box on a platform made for divers, snorkelers, and tourists to experience the Great Barrier Reef up close and personal.

In the comments, please tell us your favorite fact about Australia and don’t forget to take a look at our Australia tie.