Australia: The Expert Challenge

Explication : The male platypus has a venomous spur on its hind legs, capable of injecting extremely painful venom. This unique trait makes it one of the few venomous mammals, along with some echidna species.

Explication : The Eureka Stockade rebellion in Ballarat in 1854 saw miners revolt against gold extraction taxes. Although suppressed, this rebellion became a symbol of the struggle for democratic rights and equality in Australia.

Explication : The Savanna Fire Management system allows Aboriginal communities to sell carbon credits by practicing traditional controlled burns. This approach combines ancestral knowledge with modern climate concerns, generating income for rural communities.

Explication : The Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) is considered the most dangerous spider in the world for humans. Its venom can kill in 15 minutes, but an effective antivenom was developed in 1981, drastically reducing mortality.

Explication : Robert Menzies was Prime Minister for a total of 18 years and 5 months, but in two terms (1939-1941 and 1949-1966). He remains the longest-serving Prime Minister in Australian history and profoundly shaped the country's politics.

Explication : The stromatolites of Shark Bay, 3.5 billion years old, are among the oldest evidence of life on Earth. These formations created by cyanobacteria offer a unique glimpse into Earth's earliest ecosystems and are UNESCO World Heritage listed.

Explication : The 1959 Antarctic Treaty and the 1991 Madrid Protocol froze territorial claims, but Australia maintains its historical claim to the Australian Antarctic Territory since 1933. This area represents about 5.9 million km², or 42% of the continent.