Overview of Australia

Australia is unique. The only country to also be a continent, this great island is the 6th largest nation when measured by land area, yet home to only 20 million people. Perhaps because of this geographic isolation, Australians have become one of the most innovative and technologically advanced people in the world.

Two-thirds of Australia is desert, yet we have one of the richest and most varied ecosystems to be found anywhere. Home to many plants, birds and animals found nowhere else, Australia’s extraordinary natural environment has something to please everyone.

Officially claimed for England in 1770 by Captain James Cook, Ausralia was declared terra nullius (land not belonging to anyone). However, Indigenous Australians (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) had occupied Australia for thousands of years.

As the language of the new English colony began to develop into the form of English we speak today, many words were borrowed from Aboriginal languages. Our nation’s capital Canberra is a local Aboriginal word meaning ‘meeting place’.

Following Federation in 1901, our national emblems were gradually developed to identify us to the rest of the world. You will often see the Australian flag being waved enthusiastically at international sports events. And it is waved as proudly by new Australians as by those who are native-born.

Australia’s population includes migrants from roughly 200 countries. This diverse population has resulted in a rich multicultural community---each migrant group contributing to the nation’s cultural heritage.

Aussies, as we like to be called, are known around the world as friendly, relaxed people with a love of life. With so much to appreciate in this great country of ours, it is easy to see why.