Australia – A Global Player in Many Fields
Australia, known for its beautiful beaches and wide open spaces, is also a global power in many fields. Due to its isolation from other continents, Australia boasts unique flora and fauna such as eucalyptus trees, dingoes and kangaroos that flourish here.
Australian culture has been heavily shaped by British influences as well as popular American culture such as films and music. Australia is widely celebrated for its sense of humor and love of outdoor activities.
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Geography
Australia is an expansive and mostly arid continent that continues to inspire fascination among visitors, due to its vastness and range of landscapes that spans from lush rainforests and sugar plantations lands, through the Outback, numerous sand islands, with permanent flowing rivers found mostly in eastern and southern states as well as Tasmania.
Australia is abundant with minerals such as iron ore and coal, self-sufficient in natural gas supplies and boasts significant agriculture capabilities. Due to its unique geography, Australia boasts an incredible variety of plants and animals such as the kangaroo and koala; mountains include Great Dividing Range and Snowy Mountains which include Australia’s only alpine region dominated by Mount Kosciuszko.
Culture
Australia is defined by its British colonial heritage, Indigenous traditions, and immigration. Australians tend to be casual and laid back – as evidenced by greetings like “g’day mate” or “sheila.” They embrace progress and are proud of having created modern egalitarian society in an inhospitable land; disdain pomposity while showing an endearing dry sense of humor.
Australians enjoy socializing over beer or wine at pubs, cafes and restaurants, placing great importance on relationships – often turning to their friends for support or advice. When communicating with others they tend to use first names.
Language
Australian English is spoken as their primary language by 72% of Australians and is the de facto national language, used throughout schools, government bodies and businesses. Minor differences exist in pronunciation and spelling between Australian English and other varieties, but they usually don’t impair intelligibility – for instance, Australia tends to pronounce affixes such as -ary/ery/ery/bury/berry with full vowels while many English speaking nations use schwa pronunciation instead.
Mandarin Chinese is the second-most spoken language in Australia, due largely to large communities of Chinese immigrants and students settling here. Hindi has also seen increasing use as Australia grows closer with India.
Religion
Australian law protects freedom of religion as a constitutional right and prohibits discrimination on religious grounds. Many prominent Australians hold firm religious convictions; past prime ministers Scott Morrison (Pentecostal) and Tony Abbott (Catholic). Religious figures also play prominent roles in culture and society: Catholic nun Sister Janet Mead, Aboriginal singer Jimmy Little, and country musician Slim Dusty are among them.
Australians identify primarily as Christians, with Catholicism accounting for a considerable portion of this religion’s followers. No religion, which includes subcategories such as agnosticism and atheism, has seen explosive growth as well. Jewish communities in Australia tend to be Orthodox; Sydney saw its first Conservative (Masorti) synagogue opened in 2010 while an increasing number of Sikhs also reside here.
Food
Australian cuisine is an eclectic fusion of international flavors with its own distinct flare. Influenced by British colonization as well as Italians and Greeks who immigrated, its distinctiveness can be found all across Australia.
Should kangaroo meat make its way onto your menu, don’t be taken aback; many locals love this delicacy! Kangaroo meat has similar characteristics to beef in terms of taste and is rich in proteins – perfect for anyone on a vegetarian diet looking for protein rich meals!
Australian classics include the meat pie – a large, flaky chicken pot pie filled with minced meat and gravy – as well as dessert lamingtons: cube-shaped sponge cakes covered with chocolate icing and coconut.
Weather
Australia boasts three distinct climate zones. The Temperate zone encompasses coastal regions in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and parts of South Australia with four-seasons being observed, typically cooler winters and warmer summers.
The Desert zone encompasses the arid regions of Northern Territory and Western Australia, while Sub-Tropical zone encompasses areas north of Murray Darling Basin that experience more variable weather with hotter, drier summers and milder, wetter winters – making IOD’s impactful influence felt most keenly here, particularly during negative IOD events.
