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A U S T R A L I A

Australia is the flattest continent, and the driest after Antarctica. Large parts of Australia’s interior are made up of desert, and just a small portion of the country is suitable for growing crops. Australia’s major cities ring its long coastline on the Indian, Southern, and South Pacific Oceans. About 80 percent of the country’s roughly 24 million people live within 60 miles (96 km) of the shore. Australia’s longest river, theMurray, is just over 1,500miles (2,414 km) long and flows through parts of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia.

The Murray River flows through southeastern Australia and includes several placid sections popular with boaters.

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