About Australia

Australia is the largest island and the smallest continent in the world. It lies between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean. It is about 11,000 kilometers southwest of North America and 3,200 kilometers southeast of mainland Asia.

Australia boasts a fantastic temperate climate. It is a land of bright sunshine, surf beaches, tropical rivers, rain forests, mountain ranges, red deserts and rich green coastal plains. The flora and fauna are interesting and unique, with kangaroos, koalas and wombats included in the array of wildlife.

The population of Australia is almost nineteen million. More than four-fifths of the people live in cities and towns that are generally in coastal areas near the mouth of a river and as close as possible to a good ocean harbour. The main cities are Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra and are all State Capital cities.

Most Australians enjoy an excellent standard of living, good educational opportunities and a relaxed lifestyle made possible by the outstanding natural and economic features of the country.

There are a range of climate types with the north being tropical, the centre being desert and the southern coastal areas being temperate. The seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere. January/February is generally the hottest time of year and the months around July are usually the coldest. In the tropical north it is warm to hot all year around, with the seasons being simply referred to as ‘wet’ or ‘dry’. The majority of the population live around Australia’s coastal edges, due to the harsh environmental conditions of the centre.

Despite the great age of the Australian continent, its recorded history is only very recent. It is usually held that the earliest human population arrived over 50,000 years ago when Australia’s indigenous tribes migrated from an unknown region of Asia.

European exploration of Australia began in 1606 when a Spanish navigator sailed through the Torres Strait, which separates Australia from Papua New Guinea. He was soon followed by Dutch, French and English explorers who began to chart the continent.

The settlement of Australia began in 1788 when a British penal colony was established at Botany Bay, in what was to become the city of Sydney in New South Wales. The colony grew rapidly as free settlers, hoping to make a better life for themselves, followed convicts, and soon Australia started making its mark in the world.

Since Australia’s beginning there has been a steady flow of migrants from all around the world, making for a diverse and multicultural population. There is representation of multiple food and dress styles, religions and languages. The official language may be English but there is a huge proportion of Australian society which is multilingual.

Australia is a secular country, meaning there is no official religion and the population has the freedom to choose and practice their own belief systems. Religious laws and practices must, however, fall within Australian law and have no legal precedence of their own. Places of worship for most international faiths are represented in the major cities.

Culture

Australian art

Australian contemporary arts reflect the world’s oldest continuous cultural traditions and also a diverse, multicultural society. Our visual and performing arts communities receive international acclaim for their vibrancy, originality and cutting-edge work in the arts, literature, stage and cinema, dance, classical music and contemporary Australian rock music.

The National Museum of Australia opened as part of Australia’s Centenary of Federation celebrations in 2001. It is co-located with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the nation’s capital city of Canberra and adds to more than 1000 museums throughout Australia

Multiculturalism

More than 100 ethnic groups are represented in Australia, making Australia one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Australia’s dynamic multiculturalism can be attributed to its unique combination of Indigenous cultures, early European settlement and immigration from all parts of the world.

Australians born in another country : 25%
Australians with at least one parent who was born overseas: 25%
Australian migrants are from more than 140 countries
Asian-born Australians : 1 million
Australians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent: 2%

Australians value the wealth of cultural diversity and social sophistication that international students bring to our campuses and our communities. We take great care in looking after international students and helping them to adjust to the Australian way of life. International students also gain great benefits from their education in Australia and make lifelong friendships.

Language

Although English is the official language, a host of other languages are spoken in Australia. As one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world many Australians are naturally fluent in other languages. More than 2.4 million Australians speak a language other than English at home. Within the education and training system about 15 per cent of those of working age studying for an educational qualification have English as a second language. More than 800,000 Australians speak a European Union language, apart from English, in the home. Another 800,000 Australians speak an Asian language in the home.

In Australia not only is there the opportunity to improve your English through specialist study in an English-speaking environment but all sectors of Australian education and training provide tuition in many other languages as well.

English as it is spoken in Australia is very easily understood by nearly all people from other English-speaking nations. While there are some minor differences in accent between the cities and country areas the difference is much less than you will find in America, Britain and Canada where French is also spoken. As you improve your English in Australia you will learn some of our slang, and have much fun explaining the meanings to your friends and relatives at home.

Religion

Australia is predominantly a Christian country; however, all religions are represented in our multicultural society. Australians respect the freedom of people to practice their choice of religion. Churches, mosques, temples and synagogues are located in most major cities. Some universities have their own spiritual groups on campus.

The government is divided into three levels: Federal, State and Local. The Federal government is the national system and is headed by the Prime Minister. Its responsibilities are defined in the Australian Constitution.

Each state/territory also has its own government system, headed by the Premier. The state government provides leadership for areas not covered at the federal level, although the two work together when it is agreed there needs to be national co-operation.

Apart from the Australian Capital Territory, which is wholly governed by the federal and state governments, each other state and territory is divided into different regions, which form the local government. This level takes care of domestic issues in each area, such as rubbish collection, public and community services.

While traditionally Australia has exploited its abundant natural resources and great mineral wealth, the largest area of export growth is now in manufactured goods. However, it is still a major supplier of wool, cereals, dairy produce, meat, sugar and fruit along with metals, minerals and gems to the world.

Australia, island continent located southeast of Asia and forming, with the nearby island of Tasmania, the Commonwealth of Australia, a self-governing member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The continent is bounded on the north by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea, and the Torres Strait; on the east by the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea; on the south by the Bass Strait and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Indian Ocean. The commonwealth extends for about 4,000 km (about 2,500 mi) from east to west and for about 3,700 km (about 2,300 mi) from north to south. Its coastline measures some 25,760 km (about 16,010 mi). The area of the commonwealth is 7,682,300 sq km (2,966,200 sq mi), and the area of the continent alone is 7,614,500 sq km (2,939,974 sq mi), making Australia the smallest continent in the world, but the sixth largest country

Australian Flag

The official Australian flag was designed in 1901 when Australia became an independent nation. There is also wide recognition of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander emblems, which are also proclaimed as Flags of Australia. There is also an official design for the Australian Defence Force. The national anthem is called ‘Advance Australia Fair’. Australia’s national colours are green and gold, the floral emblem is the golden wattle (Latin name Acacia pycnantha Benth) and the gemstone is the opal.

Australian Geography

Australia is a land of contrasts: sweeping golden beaches, coral reefs rich with marine life, tropical rainforests, mountain ranges, vast grazing lands and sparse deserts.

One of the oldest continents, Australia is as wide as the distance from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei and as long as the distance from Singapore to Manila. It is the only country to occupy an entire continent.

Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Australia has many animals and plants, which are unique on the planet. The surface geology is typically old and flat.

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Victoria
• Tasmania
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Northen Territory
• Western Australia