An Introduction to Australia
Before European colonization, Aboriginal clans lived a self-sufficient lifestyle on Sydney harbor’s shorelines. Hunting, fishing, gathering food from nature as well as growing many Eucalyptus trees with unique species such as dingoes and kangaroos was key.
All major Australian cities feature airports, with most smaller towns also featuring them. Many bus companies provide unlimited pass packages.
Table of Contents
Geography
Australia is an impressively varied continent that covers an area roughly equivalent to that of the United States. It consists of deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grasslands and more – an endless combination of diverse environments!
Australia is predominantly an arid continent with semi-desert regions, yet Western Australia’s south-western corner features lush rainforests like Karri forest which produces some of the finest timber in the world. These dense wooded areas have their origin in proximity to cool, moisture-bearing winds as well as high elevation.
Oceania is a continent comprising Australia and Tasmania; Micronesia (the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Palau, Kiribati and Nauru), as well as Polynesia which includes Cook Islands Tokelau Tuvalu Samoa Niue all being commonwealths within New Zealand’s political union; American Samoa Wake Island being both United States territories.
Climate
Due to its vast size and latitude, Australia boasts multiple climate zones. Northern areas tend to experience tropical influences with hot, humid summer months followed by mild to cool winters.
Melbourne and Canberra in Australia experience cool to freezing winters and mild-to-warm summers. Meanwhile, the Great Dividing Range experiences moderate to cold winters and summers, with occasional extremes at either end.
El Nino-Southern Oscillation affects weather worldwide, and Australia is no different, experiencing long droughts alongside considerable wet periods that often produce dust storms, mudflows and even tornadoes. Hobart in Tasmania and the Australian Alps experience typical mountain weather with frosty winters and snowfall – creating conditions ideal for mountain resort towns like Hobart.
Culture
Australians take great pride in their nation’s longstanding legacy of egalitarianism and progress, valuing sincerity, humor and informality over pretentiousness. Australian culture can often be seen reflected in lifestyle and popular entertainment depictions as friendly and casual; one example being their famous greeting of “G’day!”
They form fast friendships and cherish family life, as well as being known for their quick wit, which may range from sarcasm and irony to self-deprecation and even ridicule.
Australia is home to a strong parliamentary democracy and boasts one of the world’s highest multiculturalism rates, boasting millions of immigrants from Asia, Africa and Europe who have all helped shape its national culture through languages, food and art – contributing to creating its distinct Australian cultural identity.
Languages
Australia boasts more than 300 languages spoken natively or by migrants from worldwide cultures, reflecting its vibrant diversity. Mandarin Chinese is among the most commonly spoken, thanks to large immigrant populations from China.
Linguists refer to many Australian Aboriginal languages as “mother-in-law languages,” meaning they employ special avoidance speech when encountering certain close relatives, using similar grammar and sound systems but different words, often to avoid breaking any taboos regarding speech.
Australian languages share many features in common, though this could be down to proximity or language contact rather than shared ancestry. Examples include free word order and inflecting verbs to mark different grammatical categories like tense.
Religion
Australia’s religious diversity can be seen through its diversity in practices in daily life. Religion plays an integral role for some Australians and provides meaning and identity; others may identify as atheist, agnostic or nonreligious.
The Church of England and other Christian denominations play an important role in Australian society, through historic landmarks, community programs and charitable activities – contributing significantly to Australia’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
Australian society boasts hundreds of religious groups that represent various faith traditions, creating an intricate tapestry of faiths in an otherwise secular country. This diversity can be seen when Russian Orthodox priests bless worshippers at their church in Cabramatta or Buddhist monks make offerings at temples in western Sydney; generally though, religious influence in Australia has been diminishing over the decades.
