Overview of Australia

Australia is the only country in the world to occupy a single continent. It is a land of contrasts containing many different climates with unique flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth. Australia also enjoys an international reputation for being safe and friendly, English is the spoken language and the good exchange rate to the Australian dollar means you will get value for money when you come here.

Map of Australia Australia is situated below Asia, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Tasman Sea, the Coral Sea and the Arafura Sea. The nearest country is not New Zealand but Papua New Guinea. However New Zealand and Australia combined make up the area called Australasia or Oceania.

Australia's unique geographical location means that it is isolated from the rest of the Western World. But Australia is ideally suited to trading with Asia more so than Europe or North America. About half of Australian exports currently go to Asia.

Australia is about the same size in area as the United States excluding Alaska. But the population is much smaller. With around 20 million inhabitants it is the most sparsely populated continent after the Antarctica.

The climate in Australia is varied and ranges from tropical to sub alpine. Australia is also the oldest land mass on earth and the most eroded of all continents, with some notable exceptions. This vast land mass is also the most stable of all continents, with few major fault lines. This means that Australia lacks high mountains ranges such as what you find in neighboring New Zealand. However all the eons of erosion have formed some of the strangest geographical features on earth, such as Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory, or the Bungle Bungles Mountains, and The Pinnacles of Western Australia. All this erosion has also given Australia many spectacular sandy beaches, in fact Australia has more beaches than any other nation on earth.

Australia is also the driest inhabited continent on earth, but the eastern seaboard where the majority of the population is concentrated, is a lush and fertile area, with a climate ranging from temperate to tropical. The main mountain range is known as the Great Dividing Range or Eastern Highlands. This long mountain chain separates the green eastern seaboard from the barren Outback. The southern end of the Great Dividing Range has an area known as the Snowy Mountains, or otherwise known as the the Australian Alps. This area actually receives more snow than Switzerland, and is the only area suitable for skiing in Australia. Australia also contains many pockets of tropical and temperate rain forest on the eastern coast, but the predominate forest in Australia is Eucalyptus.

The south west corner of Western Australia has a Mediterranean climate and the Northern regions of this continent have areas of rain forest and below that are large areas of savanna grasslands. Tasmania the island state in the south has large areas of temperate wilderness and steep mountains.

The vast interior of Australia is known as the Outback. This term describes the vast deserts in the centre of the Australian continent. However it is very hard to define exactly where the Outback starts and finishes. The Outback is best described as a feeling rather than a physical location. When you have traveled for hundreds of miles from civilization, and when you realize that you are in the middle of nowhere, or you are just struck with awe at the sheer size and emptiness of the landscape, then you know that you are in the Outback. The Outback is a harsh and sparsely populated environment, so you need to be prepared if you decide to travel through there. Travelers are expected to notify authorities when making such trips and it is also wise to carry spare petrol and water in case you break down. The Outback for all its dangers is a beautiful place and is one of the few places in the world where one can experience true solitude.

We will now take a quick tour through the different States of Australia.

The Northern Territory, appropriately situated in the north, is a tropical area that runs into desert in the south. The State is very sparsely populated, and is mainly made up of wilderness areas and stations (huge farms). In the extreme north lies the biggest city, Darwin. It is not a big city by Australian standards, but Darwin is the main gateway to this vast state, and is also the closest city to Asia. The other main city is Alice Springs. This city lies in the heart of the Australian Outback, and is the departure point to Ayers Rock and the Olgas.

Queensland is situated in the north eastern corner of Australia, and lies in the tropical and subtropical climatic zones. The largest city is Brisbane which has a population of 1.2 million people. South of Brisbane lies the famous Gold Coast, another major populated area. The eastern coastline of this state contains the best beaches in Australia. Queensland also contains areas of rainforest, including the worlds oldest, at Daintree National Park. Inland Queensland consists of large tracts of desert. The most impressive geographical feature in Queensland is the Great Barrier Reef which is the worlds largest reef and also the worlds largest structure made from living organisms. It is just over 2000 km in length. This area contains hundreds of tropical islands and is one of the best diving areas on earth.

New South Wales is Australia's most populous state, located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria and south of Queensland. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand. New South Wales is renowned for the picturesque Port Jackson, the main harbour in the capital city Sydney, where approximately two thirds of the state's population resides and various rural towns such as Tamworth, Australia's 'home of country music'. The New South Wales coastline is blessed with many superb beaches, and contains many famous surf breaks such as Byron Bay. There are also many gorges and canyons within the Great Dividing Range to the west to explore.

Further to the south again and within the State of New South Wales, lies the Australian Capital Territory, which is home to the nations capital city Canberra. Canberra was planned before the first stone was laid, and was chosen as the sight of the new capital city as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, who both competed for this title.

Across the New South Wales border lies the state of Victoria. Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia, but has the highest density of population. Australia's second largest city, Melbourne is located near the south coast of this state. Melbourne is quite different from other Australian cities, as many parts of the city look like they belong in Europe rather than Australia. In fact Melbourne has the worlds largest Greek population outside of Athens, and a very large Italian population. Melbourne doesn't have an abundance of beaches close to the city like Sydney or Perth, but St Kildas beach is worth a visit, and within a few hours you can also visit some spectacular coastline to the west toward the Great Ocean Road, and also to the east there are some secluded beaches. Inland Victoria is mainly parched farmland. Much of this land is irrigated, and supports a large fruit growing industry. Northern Victoria runs into the Australian Alps, an area that is ideal for skiing in the winter. The Australian Alps or Snowy Mountains as they are commonly known, are part of the Great Dividing Range.

If you continue west from Victoria you will eventually cross the border into South Australia. South Australia is bordered by the Southern Ocean and all the other mainland states. South Australia is sometimes referred to as the driest state in the driest continent on earth. This is true as there are vast tracts of desert, but the southern tip of the state has a Mediterranean climate and receives enough rainfall to support a reasonably large population. It is precisely here that you will find Adelaide the capital city of South Australia.
To the north-east of Adelaide lies the Barrossa Valley a famous wine producing region. Further north lies the scenic Flinders Ranges.

Western Australia is Australia's largest state in area, covering the western third of the mainland, and is bordered by South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is, after the Sakha Republic in Russia, the largest subnational entity (statoid) in the world. The capital city, Perth, is one of the most isolated cities of its size on the planet, being closer to Jakarta, Indonesia (3,007 km/1,868 miles) than to Sydney (3,284 km/2,041 miles). Western Australia is still very much a frontier state, yet Perth is a modern city. When you first visit Perth you notice straight away that the city is well organized and clean; when you explore the city further, you will also notice that there are also many fine beaches and beautiful parks. Couple this with the fact that Perth is also Australia's sunniest city, and you realize why many consider this city to be the most beautiful in Australia.

Rainforest The only State in Australia that is not found on the mainland, is the island state of Tasmania. Tasmania is south of Victoria, and sits on the same latitude as central New Zealand. The State is roughly the size of Ireland, or Sri Lanka, and is one of the most mountainous islands on earth. About one quarter of the island is protected wilderness, this includes the worlds largest tract of temperate rain forest

Australians are amongst the most urbanized people in the world, but Australia's rugged landscape has helped shape the unique Aussie character. The famous Outback character, or Crocodile Dundee type is still alive and well, living in the Australian Outback.

About 94% of Australia's population are of European decent, with 4% Asian, and 1.5% the native Aboriginal people. Christianity is the most popular belief system with 75% of Australians being Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist and 0.5% Jewish.

Australians are lovers of sports and are highly competitive. Popular games that are played here include, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Aussie Rules, Cricket and Netball. Because most Australians live near the sea, sports such as swimming and surfing are incredibly popular, and are as much a part of the Aussie Culture, as BBQs and Holden Cars.

Overall, this unique Great Southern Land known as Australia, is a huge land mass of great contrasts. There are many types of climate and landscape, from rain forests to deserts, from sophisticated cities to the remote Outback. The flora and fauna are unique, and when you consider that Australia is the oldest continent on earth, with an Aboriginal history many thousands of years in the making, it lies in direct contrast to just over 200 years of European history.

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