About Australia
Australia is a natural wonderland of beautiful beaches, crystal blue waters, amazing ancient rock formation, pristine rainforests and mysterious deserts. It is a land like no other. Much of Australia’s animals and plants cannot be found anywhere else in the world and the lifestyle is one second to none. Its friendly, multicultural society and the safe and welcoming environment have made Australia one of the most popular countries for new immigrants in the world.Geography
Australia is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the largest island but the smallest, flattest (after Antarctica) continent in the world. Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent. It has a land area of nearly 7.7 Million square kilometers. Australia is about thirty seven hundred kilometers from north to south and four thousand kilometers from east to west. In the land area, Australia is the sixth largest nation in the world; however, it has the lowest population density per square kilometer.
Culture and population
Immigration is an important feature of Australian society and migrants have made a major contribution to shaping modern Australia. Australia’s culturally diverse society includes its Indigenous peoples and settlers from countries all over the world. As at September 2008, Australia has a population of 21.7 million people. About a quarter of the populations were born overseas. Australia is one of the world’s most urbanized countries, with about 70 per cent of the population live in the 10 largest cities.
Language
Australia’s official language is English, by common usage rather than law. However, there are over 200 different languages and dialects spoken in Australia. The most commonly spoken language (other than English) are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin. Many schools in Australia have bilingual programs.
Sates and Territories
Australia is made up of six states and two territories. The six states are: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Two Territories include Northern Territory and Australia capital territory. Western Australia is the largest state of Australia and is about the same size as Western Europe.
Climate and Weather
Australia is a continent that experiences a variety of climates due to its size. Most of the Australia receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. In summer (December to March) the average temperature is 84°F (29°C). The hottest region is the northern two-thirds of the continent, which experiences humid and wet conditions in summer. Further south, summer is warm with occasional hot spells and mild nights. In Winter (June to August), the averages temperature is 56°F (13°C) for the country as a whole, with warm days and mild nights in the northern areas, becoming cool and showery in the south (although there are still plenty of sunny days).
| Average Weather per capital City | |||
| City | The Average Daily Sunshine hours | Summer Average Temperature (Celsius) | Winter Average Temperature (Celsius) |
| Sydney | 6.7 | 22.1 | 12.0 |
| Perth | 8.0 | 24.0 | 13.2 |
| Melbourne | 6.3 | 19.9 | 9.5 |
| Hobart | 5.8 | 16.7 | 8.0 |
| Darwin | 8.5 | 29.2 | 24.9 |
| Canberra | 7.5 | 20.3 | 5.4 |
| Brisbane | 8.0 | 25.0 | 15.0 |
Economy
Australia has one the most outstanding economics of the world in recent years due to its abundant physical resources, efficient government sector, flexible labor market and a very competitive business sector.
Australia is a prosperous multicultural country and is well known to have international comparisons of national performance such as health care, life expectancy, quality-of-life, human development, public education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. 5 of Australian capital cities were elected as the best city for living in the top 10 cities of the 130 cities around the world.
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