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About Australia

Australia's quality of life, spectacular natural environment, multicultural communities, and enviable weather make it one of best places in the world to live.

Australia is a young country with a rich heritage that dates many thousands of years. It is also a safe country in which to live, work, study and travel.

Fast facts about Australia

  • Australia covers an area of nearly 7.7 million square kilometers and is the world's sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil.

  • Australia is a culturally diverse society with a population of over 21 million. English is Australia's official language but more than four million residents speak a second language.

  • Australia has an exceptional range of flora and fauna—more than 80 per cent of our mammals, frogs, reptiles and flowering plants aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

  • Climatic zones range from deserts to snow-capped mountains; from tropical rainforests to cool climate forests. The summer months are December to February, autumn months are March to May, winter months are June to August and spring months are September to November.

  • There are three levels of Government in Australia:

    • Commonwealth (also known as 'Australian Government' or 'Federal Government')
    • State
    • Local

  • Under the Australian Constitution, the legislative power of the Commonwealth of Australia is vested in the Parliament of the Commonwealth, which consists of the monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II), the Senate and the House of Representatives.

  • The Australian economy has experienced strong growth in recent years producing a high-growth, low-inflation economy.

  • Sport plays an important part of the Australian lifestyle. Popular sports include Australian Rules Football, cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, swimming and tennis.

  • Australia has a rich and diverse contemporary arts scene which reflects our society, ancient landscape, cultural traditions and mix of migrant cultures. All forms of the performing arts, including music, dance and theatre have a strong following in Australia.

For general information about Australia visit:

www.australia.gov.au,  www.australia.com

Australia is made up of six states and two territories. Please use the links to each state’s government and tourism websites for more information:

        Western Australia (capital Perth) – see www.wa.gov.au,          www.westernaustralia.com

        New South Wales (capital Sydney) – see www.nsw.gov.au,         www.visitnsw.com

        Queensland (capital Brisbane) – see www.qld.gov.au, www.tq.com.au

        Victoria (capital Melbourne) – see www.vic.gov.au, www.tourismvictoria.com

South Australia (capital Adelaide) – see www.sa.gov.au, www.southaustralia.com

Tasmania (capital Hobart) – see www.tas.gov.au, www.discovertasmania.com

Australian Capital Territory (capital Canberra, which is also the national capital) – see www.act.gov.au, www.visitcanberra.com.au

Northern Territory (capital Darwin) – see www.nt.wa.gov.au,  www.tourismnt.com.au

 For dates of public holidays and school holidays in Australia click here