Australia

False-color satellite image shows a portion of the Kimberley Plateau, situated north of the Great Sandy Desert in a remote stretch of the province of Western Australia. In this scene, the Durack, Chamberlain, and Ord Rivers wind their way northward to the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. The long elongated water bodies in the north are backwaters from the Timor Sea. The reddish brown patches are fire scars in the otherwise densely-vegetated (green) area. During the summer months, lightning strikes can quickly spark dozens of wildfires across Australia's Western and Northern Territories, giving the landscape its mottled appearance. Image courtesy of NASA.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands lie in the eastern Indian Ocean, about 2,900 km (1,800 mi) northwest of the Australian city of Perth. Comprised of coral atolls and islands, the archipelago includes North Keeling Island and the South Keeling Islands. This natural-color satellite image of the South Keeling Islands dates to 31 July 2009. Coral atolls - which are largely composed of huge colonies of tiny animals - form atop islands. Over time the islands may subside, but the coral remains growing upward and generally forming complete or partial rings. Only some parts of the South Keeling Islands still stand above the water surface. In the north, the ocean overtops the coral. Along the southern rim of this coral atoll, the shallow water appears aquamarine. The water darkens to navy blue as it deepens toward the central lagoon. Above the water line, coconut palms and other plants form a thick carpet of vegetation. In 2005, the Australian Government issued a report on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, summarizing field research conducted between 1997 and 2005. Overall, the report noted, "the coral reef community at Cocos (Keeling) Islands is very healthy and in a stable period, with little impact from anthropogenic activities." Image courtesy of NASA.

Camel caravan at sunset on Cable Beach, 7 km (4 mi) from Broome, Western Australia. Founded in 1883, Broome's first industry was pearling - carried out by Japanese divers. Today the pearling industry has given way to oyster harvesting, mining, and tourism.

This "blue marble" image of the globe merges data from multiple satellite missions (not all collected at the same time). The focus in this view is the Indian Ocean and its surrounding land masses. Notice the city lights on the night side of the globe, in Japan in the north and in eastern Australia in the south. Image courtesy of NASA.

View of Sydney's Harbor and skyline from a boat.

Sydney's Opera House is an iconic symbol of the city.