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 kilometres southwest of North America and 3,200 kilometres southeast of mainland Asia.
Australia boasts a fantastic temperate climate. It is a land of bright sunshine, surf beaches, tropical rivers, rainforests, 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. |
| Australia was originally settled some 40,000 years ago by the descendants of the aboriginals, the word aboriginals meaning “native”. The Aboriginals are divided into many tribes and clans with many different dialects and languages, and their version of creation is called the Dreamtime. They are very spiritual people, They have an extensive knowledge of bush survival skills, and can find water and food in the most barren places, obtaining medicinal plants from the bush.
Their most famous contributions to today’s world from a tourist’s perspective are the didgeridoo and boomerang that make very popular souvenirs. |
