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Australians love sport, they also have a quiet love affair with the arts. From cinema, literature and music to theatre, dance and the visual arts, Australia's varied cities all offer a good dose of culture.
A rich mosaic of people make up the Australian nation. The country was one of the main migration destinations of the second half of the 20th century. Since 1945, immigration has almost doubled the Australian population. This influx has permanently altered the Australian character, and has contributed to the multicultural society of modern Australia. Most of the population of Australia is of European descent and Australian aborigines account for less than 1% of the total population. Before World War II more than 90% of the people were of British origin, but since then more than 5 million Europeans from the continent have migrated to Australia. In the 1970s tens of thousands of Southeast Asians were admitted to the country, mainly as refugees. So the make up today is as follows: Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%.
Australians have a unique colloquial language, coined 'strine' by linguist Alastair Morrison in 1966. This combines many long lost cockney and Irish sayings of the early convicts with words from Aboriginal languages. We often abbreviate words and then add an 'o' or 'ie' on the end as in 'bring your cossie to the barbie this arvo'. According to the 2001 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Chinese (2.1%), Italian (1.9%), and Greek (1.4%).
Australians believe in mateship and a 'fair go' and have a strong affection for the underdog or 'battler'. These values stem from convicts and early colonialists who struggled against a harsh and unfamiliar land and often unjust authority. Australia's most famous bushranger Ned Kelly protested against the poverty and injustice of a British class system shipped here along with the convicts. This flawed hero's fight for 'justice and liberty' and 'innocent people' has been embraced as part of the national culture and inspired countless books and movies.
With more than 80 per cent of Australians living within 50 kilometres of the coast, the beach has become an integral part of Australia's famous laid-back lifestyle. This has helped Australia to become a leading nation in water sports especially surfing and swimming. Other sports Australians play include Rugby, Aussie Rules, Cricket, and Netball.
BBQs known as barbies are a popular way to enjoy food and a beer. People often get together for a weekend barbie as a social occasion which is often accompanied with a social game of cricket or other sport.
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