Country Profile: 60 Facts & Figures About Australia

Despite sharing the same oral language, British, Irish, Australian and American Sign Language are all completely different languages.

52. Although cannabis is illegal in Australia, there's a town named Nimbin in New South Wales revolving almost only around weed selling and weed tourism where cannabis is both sold and grown openly.

53. The US, Canadian and Australian consumption of cannabis per capita is more than double that of the Dutch, despite it being legal in Netherlands.

54. A border collie (Sophie Tucker) in Australia fell off a boat during a huge storm and swam 5 nautical miles through shark-infested waters and survived a month off wild goats until rescued by the coast guard

55. New Zealand is listed as a state of Australia in the Australian constitution and can join the Australian confederation if they choose to.

There's a stinging tree called the Gympie Gympie in Australia that produces a toxin so painful, it has driven people and animals to suicide. It has been described as being sprayed with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time. A soldier was reported to have shot himself after using the tree as toilet paper.

57. In 2002, while returning to the US, the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier stopped in Australia, where the sailors wore out the local sex workers to the point the brothel had to close down temporarily.

58. Members of the band "Good Charlotte" protested against KFC's treatment of chickens. Then in 2012 and 2013 appeared in a number of KFC commercials in Australia and even tried to set a world record for eating KFC on "Australia's Got Talent."

59. After phasing out the Australian 1 and 2 cent coins in 1991, they were melted down and used in the Sydney 2000 Olympics as Bronze Medals.

60. While playing cricket for Australia, David Boon is said to have consumed 52 cans of beer on a flight from Sydney to London in 1989.