About Australia
Climate
Spending Christmas at the beach or skiing in August may seem strange but the fact is, Australia's seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere - summer starts in December, autumn in March, winter in June and spring in September.
Due to its size, geographical location and the lack of extensive high mountain ranges Australia has a wide range of climates but generally no extremes. The average temperature ranges from 23-26 degrees Celsius above the Tropic of Capricorn with the southern areas more temperate although subject to variations. This and the fact that Australia is the driest continent on earth makes our land a great all-year destination. In fact in our winter you can ski in the southern states one day and be diving at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland the next.
Geography
Australia is the only country occupying a whole continent - albeit the smallest one, lying on and extending north and south from the Tropic of Capricorn. With an area covering 7,682,300 square kms (2,966,136 square miles) it is the sixth largest country of the world after Russia, Canada, China, the US and Brazil.
The coastline consisting of tranquil bays, wonderful beaches with pounding surf, rocky outcrops and dramatic sheer cliffs is 36,735km (22,812 miles) long. Australia is bond by the dark blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Arafura Sea to the north, lapped by the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean to the west, and the mighty Southern Ocean to the south.
Australia occupies one of the oldest landmasses and the flattest of all continents, the highest point, Mt Kosciuszko being 2228m (7,310 feet) in the Australian Alps between NSW and Victoria. The fertile coastal strip hides a dry and inhospitable centre, the Outback.
The longest river, originating in Queensland, is the Darling measuring 2736km (1,700 miles).
Flora & Fauna
Don't be surprised to encounter a hopping kangaroo or running emu - a large flightless bird - while driving along in the countryside.
Australia's isolation for more than 55 million years has created a unique sanctuary of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. Australia's marsupials for example, did’ t have to compete with highly developed mammals and there are still over 100 species which flourish in ideal conditions.
States & Territories
Australia is divided into six states - New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania - and two territories; the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The states and territories each have a capital city, flag, and even their own flora and fauna emblems.
Australia is also responsible for administering seven external territories: Norfolk Island, Cocos (Keeling) Island, Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands Territory, the Territory of Heard Island, Coral Sea Islands Territory, the sub Antarctic McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.
State governments are modelled on the British Westminster system. Each state has a premier who is the leader of the political party on power.
Defence
Australia is defended by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), consisting of the Army, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, and observes various international defence treaties thereby contributing to a securityfocused environment in the South Pacific region.
Australia's support for regional security dialogue, for a strengthened role of the UN, and its advocacy of non-proliferation and international arms control regimes contribute to peace and security regionally and internationally.
Education
The first school in Australia was set up in Sydney by a convict named Isabella Rosson in 1789 and our oldest university, the University of Sydney was established in 1850.
The first system of compulsory education was introduced by Victoria in 1872 and other states followed suit. Education remains the responsibility of state governments and it is compulsory for children to attend school between the ages of five and fifteen. About 72 per cent of school children attend free, government funded schools, mostly coeducational. Australia also has private fee-paying schools, many of them run by religious bodies.
Even children in the Australian Outback, far from any school, are not exempt from education. They receive radio lessons through School of the Air and do their homework by correspondence.
Health System
Public health in Australia is provided at federal, state and local government levels.
All Australians are protected by health insurance. The health system works on two levels - government and private. The government scheme, called Medicare, introduced in 1984, covers basic hospital, medical and optometry fees, available to all Australians, rich or poor. It is partly funded by a levy of 2 per cent of taxable income with low income cut-off points.
Private health funds provide a higher level of medical coverage, with members on the highest rates being entitled to a private hospital room, the doctor of their choice and a greater range of services such as dental care and private nursing.
Australia has about 42,000 doctors in active practice, 7,000 dentists, 190,000 registered nurses, 1,100 hospitals across the country, and 4.5 hospital beds per thousand of population. Water supplies are fluoridated in most parts of Australia to prevent dental decay.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service, a unique service to Australia, founded by the Reverend John Flynn, a Presbyterian clergyman in 1928, provides free of charge medical care for people living in isolated regions. Doctors travel by aircraft from a central base and communicate through two-way radio with their patients.
Transport
About 9 million vehicles use the roads and Australia is among world leaders in road safety. The wearing of seatbelts, safety helmets, strict drink-driving laws, random breath testing of motorists and constant improvement of roads have contributed to the reduction of road accidents.
National Rail, jointly owned by the federal government and the governments of New South Wales and Victoria is providing a nation-wide service.
Australia has about 70 ports of commercial significance and it trades with about 200 countries around the world exporting almost 320 million tonnes of freight by sea annually.
Resources and Energy
Australia is a major producer and exporter of energy resources and is one of the world's biggest producers of minerals and metals. More than 60 different minerals are mined such as bauxite, mineral sands, diamonds, black and brown coal as well as ores containing gold, silver, lead, zinc, iron, copper, nickel, tin, manganese and uranium.
Although Australia imports heavy crude, it exports light crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
Australia is also an important producer of precious and semiprecious stones such as diamonds, sapphire, opal and pearls.
Most electricity is produced using coal fired power plants and the large coal deposits enable Australia to produce electricity at a relatively low cost.
Food and Wine in Australia
Given its climate, fresh produce and diverse ethnic roots, it's no surprise that the sunny, spicy flavours of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia permeate menus.
Meat still plays a vital part in the staple Australian diet and the choice and quality is impressive and still inexpensive by international standards - try juicy beef steaks, lamb, pork, poultry or if you're more adventurous kangaroo, emu, crocodile or even witchetty grub - an Aboriginal delicacy.
Australia has a superb range of succulent seafood - prawns (shrimp), lobsters, octopus, oyster, mudcrabs, Balmain Bugs (a small crustacean), and a huge variety of fresh fish is on offer complemented by vegetables and salad, all grown locally.
To finish off the meal don't go past our wide range of fruit from Tasmanian apples and berry fruit to tropical juicy Queensland mangoes, papayas, lychees, avocados or citrus fruit.
Frequently asked questions
What is Australia's climate like?
Australia's seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere. Summer starts in December, autumn in March, winter in June, and spring in September. It has a wide range of climates due to its size and geographical location, but generally no extremes. The average temperature ranges from 23-26 degrees Celsius above the Tropic of Capricorn, with southern areas more temperate. It is the driest continent on earth.
What is Australia's geography?
Australia is the only country occupying a whole continent. It lies on and extends north and south from the Tropic of Capricorn. Its coastline is 36,735km long, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Arafura Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the west, and the Southern Ocean to the south. It's one of the oldest landmasses and the flattest of all continents. The highest point is Mt Kosciuszko. The longest river is the Darling.
What is unique about Australia's flora and fauna?
Australia's isolation for over 55 million years has created a unique sanctuary of animals and plants found nowhere else in the world, like marsupials.
What are Australia's states and territories?
Australia is divided into six states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. It also has two territories: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. It also administers seven external territories.
How is Australia defended?
Australia is defended by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), consisting of the Army, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force. It observes various international defence treaties and contributes to a security-focused environment in the South Pacific region.
What is the education system like in Australia?
The first school was set up in Sydney in 1789. The first system of compulsory education was introduced by Victoria in 1872. Education is the responsibility of state governments, and it is compulsory for children to attend school between the ages of five and fifteen. Most school children attend free, government funded schools.
How does the health system work in Australia?
Public health is provided at federal, state, and local government levels. All Australians are protected by health insurance. The government scheme, called Medicare, covers basic hospital, medical, and optometry fees. Private health funds provide a higher level of medical coverage.
What is the transport system like in Australia?
About 9 million vehicles use the roads. National Rail provides a nation-wide service. Australia has about 70 ports of commercial significance.
What resources and energy does Australia have?
Australia is a major producer and exporter of energy resources and one of the world's biggest producers of minerals and metals. More than 60 different minerals are mined. It exports light crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Australia is also an important producer of precious and semiprecious stones.
What is Australian food and wine like?
The sunny, spicy flavors of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia permeate menus. Meat is a vital part of the staple Australian diet. Australia has a superb range of succulent seafood and fruit. Wine drinking is increasingly popular, and all states have extensive wine areas.
- Quote paper
- Marcel Brand (Author), 2001, Australia - The same Planet, another World, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/102877
