TheGreat Barrier Reefis the world's largestcoral reefsystemcomposed of over 2,900 individual reefsand 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000sqmi). Thereef is located in theCoral Sea, off the coast ofQueensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen fromouter spaceand is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known ascoralpolyps.It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as aWorld Heritage Sitein 1981.CNNlabelled it one of theseven natural wonders of the world.The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.
The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by theAboriginal AustralianandTorres Strait Islanderpeoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in theWhitsunday IslandsandCairnsregions.