The world's sixth largest country, Australia has over 500 national parks for its numerous rainforests, deserts, mountain ranges and coastal dunes. It is home to the famous Great Barrier Reef as well as the Great Dividing Range that separates the flat barren interior country from the fertile eastern coastal plain. Australia has many unique animals including the emu, platypus, wombat and dingo. Fighting for Australia's gold in this year's AnimOlympics are Sydney Kangaroo and a Koala Crew team.
The world's second largest country, Canada is home to a variety of landscapes and animal species. Although the land is mostly lake and river-filled forest, it does give way to the great Rocky Mountains in the west, prairies, desert, the northern arctic region and the famous Niagra Falls in the east. The animal species that reside in Canada range from a variety of bear species including the grizzly, black, brown and polar bear, the buffalo, coyote, and lynx. Their great AnimOlympic competitors this year include a crew team of Canada Geese and the great all-around athlete Zev Wolf.
The world's third largest country, China has one of the world's largest human populations. Once outside the densely populated cities, one can find mountainous countryside speckled with historic temples and monasteries. Throughout the Yunnan-Guizhbon Plateau, one can find grand waterfalls and amazing underground caverns. Many animal species call China home, including snow leopards, Asian elephants, wild yaks, reindeer, moose, and tigers. China is looking to Flat Panda to bring home the gold in this year's AnimOlympics.
A newly recognized team, International Waters is home to the many species which previously had to take several measures before being allowed to participate in the games. The biggest problem for these competitors was gaining residency in a country that was already recognized by the AnimOlympic board. As of the 2000 AnimOlympics, however, the animal species of the world's vast oceans will compose the International Waters team and will no longer have these obstacles to tackle. This year's IW competitors include Pegasus Seahorse, Miami Dolphin, and a team of seahorses in the Quarter Mile Crew.
Home to the games this year, Namibia is the land of 300 days of sun a year and the vast Namib Desert. Etosha National Park includes scrubby grasslands in the west giving way to mixed woodlands in the east. Namibia is home to many protected species including the black-faced impala and black rhino. Other Namibian animal species include African elephants, giraffe, lions and the world's largest cheetah population. Logadima Cheetah is this year's Namibian gold hopeful, participating in both the 100 Meter Freestyle and the 100 Meter Dash.
Neighboring Canada to the south, the United States has a plethora of diversity and awe-inspiring landscapes. From the rain forests in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains in the west, the Great Plains of the mid-west to the Smokey and Appalachian mountains in the east, the US has a variety of environments for many different animal species to call home. This year, the US is looking to Stanford University's black squirrel crew team, and their track star "Gimpy", to bring home the gold.
