Australia - facts

Australia - facts

In land area, Australia is the sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. But population is low.

Australia lies between 10˙and 39˙ South latitude and is the only nation to govern an entire continent and its outlying islands. The mainland is the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on Earth.

The highest mount is Mount Kosciuszko which is 2228 meters high. Apart from Antarctica, Australia is the driest continent.

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth. Its interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world and about 3/4 of the land is mainly arid or semi-arid.
Its fertile areas are well-watered, however, and these are used very effectively to help feed the world. Sheep and cattle graze in dry country, but care must be taken with the soil. Some grazing land became desert when the long cycles that influence rainfall in Australia turned to drought.

The Australian federation has six States and two Territories. Most inland borders follow lines of longitude and latitude. The largest State is Western Australia. This state is big like Westeren Europe.

Economy

In recent years Australia has had one of the most outstanding economies of the world.
As a high-growth, low-inflation, low interest rate economy, it is more vibrant than ever before. There is an efficient government sector, a flexible labour market and a very competitive business sector.

With its abundant physical resources, Australia has enjoyed a high standard of living since the nineteenth century. It has made a comparatively large investment in social infrastructure, including education, training, health and transport.

The Australian workforce has seen many improvements over the last decade, leading to the surge in productivity in the 1990s. The complex and centralised award based industrial relations system has given way to a more decentralised one with many employees working under workplace agreements tailored to meet enterprise needs.

Immigration

Australia's culturally diverse society includes its Indigenous peoples and settlers from countries all around the world.

Immigration is an important feature of Australian society. Since 1945, over six million people from 200 countries have come to Australia as new settlers. Migrants have made a major contribution to shaping modern Australia. People born overseas make up almost one quarter of the total population.

The federal government sets immigration intake numbers on a yearly basis. Australia's immigration policies are non-discriminatory and all applicants to migrate must meet the same selection criteria. more

Australia in brief

Australia is an independent Western democracy with a population of more than 20 million. It is one of the world’s most urbanised countries, with about 70 per cent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the south-eastern corner of the continent.

Sports and sport events in Australia

Sports in Australia are very popular and so in Australia most sports are available.
The various climates available around Australia, throughout the year, enables a wide range of activities all year around.
Most popular sports are rugby, soccer, swimming,surfing,...
Some sports events in Austrlia: Australian Grand Prix (formula 1), Australian open (tennis), Gold coast indy,...