About australia
Australia is massive, and very sparsely peopled: in size it rivals the USA, yet its population is just over eighteen million - little more than that of the Netherlands. Australia has six self-governing states and two mainland territories. It also
administers a number of island territories (Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Norfolk Island) as well as the Australian Antarctic Territory and the subantarctic Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Island.This is an ancient land, and often looks it: in places, it's the most eroded, denuded and driest of continents, with much of central and western Australia - the bulk of the country - overwhelmingly arid and flat. In contrast, its cities - most of which
were founded as recently as the mid-nineteenth century - express a youthful energy.
The most memorable scenery is in the Outback, the vast desert in the interior of the country west of the Great Dividing Range. Here, vivid blue skies, cinnamon-red earth, deserted gorges and other striking geological features as well as bizarre wildlife
comprise a unique ecology - one that has played host to the oldest surviving human culture for at least fifty thousand years.
The harshness of the interior has forced modern Australia to become a coastal country. Most of the population lives within 20km of the ocean, occupying a suburban, southeastern arc extending from southern Queensland to Adelaide. These urban Australians
celebrate the typical New World values of material self-improvement through hard work and hard play, with an easy-going vitality that visitors, especially Europeans, often find refreshingly hedonistic. A sunny climate also contributes to this exuberance, with
an outdoor life in which a thriving beach culture and the congenial backyard "barbie" are central.
Australia's climate
Australia's climate has become less predictable in recent times, although like the rest of the planet the country has rarely had stable weather patterns over the last few thousand years. Recently observed phenomena, such as an extended drought in the eastern
Outback, the cyclic El Niño effect, and even the hole in the ozone layer - which is disturbingly close to the country - are probably part of a long-term pattern.
Visitors from the northern hemisphere should remember that, as early colonials observed, in Australia "nature is horribly reversed": when it's winter or summer in the northern hemisphere, the opposite season prevails Down Under. Although this is
easy to remember, the principle becomes harder to apply to the transitional seasons of spring and autumn. To confuse things further, the four seasons only really exist outside of the tropics in the southern half of the country. Here, you'll find reliably warm
summers at the coast with regular, but thankfully brief, heatwaves in excess of 40°C. Head inland, and the temperatures rise further. Winters, on the other hand, can be miserable, particularly in Victoria, where the short days add to the gloom. Tasmania's
highlands make for unpredictable weather all year round, although summer is the best time to explore the island's outdoor attractions.
Australia has one of the highest incidences of melanomas (malignant skin cancer) in the world. This is partly due to the intensity of the sun, and partly due to the Australian lifestyle. |
