Australia

Australia Country Basics

Australia is slightly smaller than the mainland of the United States. However, the population is much smaller with nearly 25.7 million people. About 90% of the people live on the coastlines of the country. Offland are the Indian, Southern and Pacific Oceans. The Great Barrier Reef off the east coast is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and is visible from space.

On the mainland, the country’s terrain is mostly low plateau with deserts throughout the interior and fertile plains in the southeast. Canberra in the southeast is the capital. It was chosen as a compromise between rival parties in Melbourne and Sydney.

Brief History of Australia

It is believed that Aborigines from Southeast Asia migrated to Australia over 50,000 years ago.

By the time European settlers reached the continent in 1788, approximately one million Aborigines lived on the land. They were scattered in over 300 different hunter-gatherer tribes and spoke 230 different languages.

In 1770, Captain James Cook landed in Australia and declared the east coast of the continent under British control. Britain built their new colonies using convicts.

From the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, over 160,000 male and female convicts were sent to live in Australia. By the 1800s, adventurous British families began to flock to Australia to set up farms on the inexpensive land.

Gold was discovered in 1851, bringing more and more settlers from Europe, China, and British colonies. The island remained colonized under six states until 1901 when they united and officially became a nation as the Commonwealth of Australia.

While Australia was very connected with Europe in the early 1900s (joining both World Wars in support of Britain) in the later 1900s the government began to focus on relations with neighboring Asia.

By 1986, Australia had ended its constitutional ties with Britain, although it still remains a part of the British Commonwealth to this day.

Language

Australia does not have an official language, but English is its national language. The country’s language breakdown in 2021 was:

English 72%, Mandarin 2.7%, Arabic 1.4%, Vietnamese 1.3%, Cantonese 1.2%, other 15.7%, unspecified 5.7%

You’ll find that Australia has some of its own distinct vocabulary in English.

Here are some everyday phrases and words.

• G’day: Quintessential Australian greeting
• Mate: What you call everybody you meet, know, and like
• Stoked!: When you’re very happy about something
• Bloody: Another way to say “very” and add emphasis
• Bloke: man/guy
• Roo: kangaroo
• Snags: sausages
• She’ll be right: Everything will be fine

Advanced Expressions

• Pull your head in: Get your act together/do a better job
• Fair dinkum: Genuine, true, authentic
• Crack onto: Hit on someone (romantically)
• Deadset: Without a doubt
• A different kettle of fish: A whole different story
• Chuck a sickie: Call in sick to work when you’re not sick
• Carked it: Died (people, cars, etc.)
• Meat wagon: Ambulance
• Sticky beak: Nosey person

Aussies also love to shorten words, often ending them in “ie,” “y,” or “o”

• Cuppa: Cup of tea
• Boardies: Board shorts (swim trunks)
• Barbie: Barbecue
• Telly: Television
• Arvo: Afternoon
• Brekkie: Breakfast
• Servo: Service station (gas station)
• Rellies: Relatives
• Esky: Water cooler (for drinks, ice, etc.)
• Mozzie: Mosquito
• Sunnies: Sunglasses

Social Norms & Expectations

Life in Australia is rather relaxed. You can expect to be greeted with an informal “G’day” or “G’day mate.” While on your program, the locals will expect you to be respectful of the environment and to speak politely. Just like in the United States you should say “please” and “thank you.”

Food & Drink

Here are some foods you may experience in Australia:

• Vegemite – a spread often used on sandwiches
• Pavlova – meringue cake
• Meat pie
• Lamingtons – chocolate and coconut cake
• Damper – soda bread
• Emu
• Iced vovo – Australian cookie
• Dagwood dog – corn dog
• Chiko roll – snack inspired by the egg roll
• Crocodile
• Grilled kangaroo
• Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass)
• Hamburger with beetroot

Currency

The local currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD). One AUD equals about 70 U.S. cents, depending on the exchange rate.

Cultural Expectations

While in Australia, you can expect… 
to be greeted with an informal “G’day” or “G’day mate,” to see lots of wildlife, and to experience a generally relaxed lifestyle.

While in Australia, locals will expect you… 
to be respectful of the environment and to speak politely. When asking for something, it is expected that you say “please” and “thank you.”

Cultural Icon: 
Steve Irwin (1962 – 2006), nicknamed “The Crocodile Hunter,” was an Australian wildlife expert, television personality, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series “The Crocodile Hunter,” but he considered conservation to be the most important part of his work.

Australia Weather

Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world. Only Antarctica is drier. 70% of Australia is either arid or semi-arid, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain in places like Sydney. June is the first winter month and the rainiest in Sydney, but overall the weather is rather pleasant. Here are the average weather conditions in Sydney from June – August.

Religion in Australia

Here is a breakdown of religions in 2021 based on the CIA World Factbook:

Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant 18.1% (Anglican 9.8%, Uniting Church 2.6%, Presbyterian and Reformed 1.6%, Baptist 1.4%, Pentecostal 1%, other Protestant 1.7%), other Christian 3.5%,

Muslim 3.2%, Hindu 2.7%, Buddhist 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3% (Eastern Orthodox 2.1%, Oriental Orthodox 0.2%), other 2.1%, none 38.4%, unspecified 7.3%

Ethnic Groups in Australia

The Aborigines in Australia were part of 300 different hunter-gatherer tribes with 230 different languages. In the early to mid 1900s, Aboriginal children were separated from their families and taught western norms and traditions. During this time period, the number of Aborigines fell drastically but the numbers have climbed back up in recent decades.

Here is the 2021 breakdown of ethnic groups when Australians were given the option of reporting two ancestries:

English 33%, Australian 29.9%, Irish 9.5%, Scottish 8.6%, Chinese 5.5%, Italian 4.4%, German 4%, Indian 3.1%, Australian Aboriginal 2.9%, Greek 1.7%, unspecified 4.7%

Animals inAustralia

One of the highlights of Australia is its wildlife. It’s estimated that about 80% of the flora and fauna in the country are unique to Australia. This includes about 28,500 species. Among them are koalas, wombats, wallabies, platypuses, emus, kookaburras and kangaroos.

Emus and kangaroos are featured in the official emblem on Australia’s coat of arms because they cannot walk backwards. They help symbolize the desire to keep moving forward.

Aside from endemic species, Australia has more than 150 million sheep, many multiples more than the population of people. Australia also has more than 6,000 species of flies, about 4,000 species of ants, and about 350 species of termites.

Australia’s most famous wildlife expert was Steve Irwin, nicknamed “The Crocodile Hunter.” Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series “The Crocodile Hunter,” but he considered conservation to be the most important part of his work.

Other Fun Facts About Australia

• The longest fence in the world is in Australia. It runs for more than 5,530 kilometers and is designed to keep dingoes away from sheep pastures.
• The world’s first international surfing competition was held in Sydney’s Manly Beach in 1964.
• The city of Melbourne was originally named Batmania after its founder John Batman.
• Perth has more cafés per capita than any other city in the world.
• The Australian Alps receive more snow than Switzerland.
• Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano.
• An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay. The price reached $3,000 before eBay took it down.
• About 2.5 km of the famous Uluru rock formation is underground. It is so impressive it is listed twice as a UNESCO World Heritage site, both on the cultural and natural lists.

Hot Topics in Australia

• Since British colonization, Aboriginal Australians have been subjected to widespread discrimination and prejudice throughout the country. In the early and mid 1900s, Aboriginal children were separated from their families and taught to inhabit more western norms and traditions. While the indigenous population was estimated at one million before colonization, they now only account for 2.5% of the total population. In 2008, the Australian government made a formal apology for the treatment of the indigenous people. However, they still face lingering social and cultural discrimination throughout the country.
• Immigration is a politically sensitive issue in Australia. In 1992 the government introduced a mandatory detention policy, whereby asylum seekers were held in detention camps until their visa applications were processed. In November 2015 there were more than 2,000 people in detention centers. As of January 31, 2024, the number of individuals held in detention facilities has decreased to 872. This decline reflects a landmark decision by the High Court on November 8, 2023, addressing the constitutionality of detention practices.
• Climate change is a central issue for the Australian government. In December 2007, Prime Minister Rudd ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing Australia to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. On September 8, 2022, the Australian Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2022. This legislation seeks to establish Australia’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for a 43% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.