Sydney Travel

Australia

The name Australia derives from Latin australis meaning southern, and dates back to 2nd century legends of an "unknown southern land" (that is terra australis incognita). The explorer Matthew Flinders named the land Terra Australis, which was later abbreviated to the current form. Previously, when the Dutch explored the area they named it Nova Hollandicus or New Holland...more

Australia, island continent located between the Indian and South Pacific oceans south-east of Asia and forming, with the nearby island of Tasmania, the Commonwealth of Australia, a self-governing member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The continent is bounded on the north by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea, and the Torres Strait; on the east by the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea; on the south by the Bass Strait and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Indian Ocean. The Commonwealth of Australia extends about 4,000 km from Cape Byron in the east to Western Australia, and about 3,700 km from Cape York in the north to Tasmania in the south. Its coastline measures some 36,735 km. The area of Australia, including Tasmania, is 7,682,300 sq km...Australia: General Information

Full country name:Commonwealth of Australia
Area: 7.68 million sq km
Population: 19.5 million
Capital City: Canberra
People: 92% Caucasian, 7% Asian, 1% Aboriginal
Language: English
Religion: 75% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.5% Jewish
Government: independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations
Head of State: Governor General Michael Jeffery
Head of Government: Prime Minister John Howard

History of Australia

Australia 's original inhabitants, known as Australian Aborigines, have the longest continuous cultural history in the world, with origins dating back to the last Ice Age. Although mystery and debate shroud many aspects of Australian prehistory, it is generally accepted that the first humans travelled across the sea from Indonesia about 70,000 years ago. The first visitors, called 'Robust' by archaeologists because of their heavy-boned physique, were followed 20,000 years later by the more slender 'Gracile' people, the ancestors of Australian Aborigines...more on history of Australia

Overview of Australian Economy

GDP: US$418 billion
GDP per capita: US$22,000
Annual Growth: 4%
Inflation: 2%
Major Industries: Minerals, oil, coal, gold, wool, cereals, meat, tourism
Major Trading Partners: Japan, ASEAN countries, South Korea, China, New Zealand, USA, EU.

Also Read: An insight on the Economy of Australia

Australia is the Worlds Largest Exporter of: Coal, Wool, Alumina, Diamonds, Sheep, Lead, Refined zinc ores, Mineral sands.
Other Exports Include: Veal, Lamb, Sugar, Nickel, Beef, Mutton, Cereals, Iron Ore.

Australian Geography

- The lowest annual rainfall occurs at Lake Eyre in South Australia, with an annual mean precipitation of about 100mm.
- The highest annual rainfall occurs at Tully in Queensland, with an annual mean precipitation of 4400mm.
- The lowest overnight ground temperatures recorded in Australia were at Canberra with -15.1 degrees, and Stanthorpe in Queensland with -11.0 degrees.
- The foggiest capital city in Australia is Canberra with an annual average of 47 fog days, Brisbane with 20 days, and Darwin with 2 days.
- Melville Island (5698km square), near Darwin, is the largest Island in Australian Waters (apart from Tasmania).
- The highest point in Australia is the top of Mt Kosciusko in New South Wales (2230 metres).
- The lowest point in Australia is 15 metres below sea level at Lake Eyre in South Australia...more on Australian Geography

Political System of Australia

- Foreign Relationship of Australia
- Australia: Defense and Military
- Political System of Australia

Climate, Vegetation and Fauna

Climate of Australia: The 7,686,850 km² Australian landmass is surrounded by the Indian, Southern and Pacific oceans...more.

Flaura and Fauna: Various kind of animals, snakes, trees and birds are found in Australia; some being Acacias, Banksias, Boab, Bunya Pine, Cabbage Palms, Callistemons, Coolabah, Desert Oak, Eucalyptus, Ghost Gum, Grevilleas, Kangaroo Paw, MacDonnell Ranges Cycad, Melaleucas, Mitchell Grass, Norfolk Island Pine, Pencil Pine, River Red Gum, River Sheoak, Saltbush, Spinifex, Wallaby, Tree Kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, Red Kangaroo, Quoll and more...

Culture of Australia: Much of Australia’s culture has developed from European and more recently American roots, but distinctive Australian features...more on Culture of Australia.

Education: Education in Australia is free and primarily the responsibility of the individual states...more on Education system in Australia.

People and Population of Australia: Australia may have been sighted by Portuguese sailors in 1601, and Capt. James Cook claimed it for the United Kingdom...more.

Also Read: Getting Around Australia | List of Public Holidays in Australia

What to See in Australia

Major Tourist Attractions in Australia
- Sydney: Australia’s premier city is the oldest settlement in Australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country’s capital in everything but name...
- Hobart: Hobart is Australia’s southernmost capital city. The fact that it is also the smallest (population 129,000) is a key to its particular charm...
- Adelaide: When the early colonists began building Adelaide they built with stone, constructing a solid...
- Canberra: Canberra is a picturesque 20th-century creation on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin that has struggled...
- Perth: Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is a vibrant and modern city pleasantly sited on the Swan...

Other Tourist Attractions in Australia

Events in Australia

Christmas is part of the long summer school vacation and during December and January you can be forgiven for thinking that half of Australia is on holiday. This is when accommodation is almost always booked out.

Australia's arts festivals attract culture vultures from all over Australia to see mainstream and fringe drama, dance, music and visual arts. The huge Festival of Sydney, which takes up most of January, is the umbrella for a number of events from open air concerts, to street theatre and fireworks. The Adelaide Arts Festival takes place at the beginning of March in even-numbered years. In odd-numbered years, Womadelaide, Adelaide's outdoor festival of world music and dance, takes care of February. Melbourne has a Comedy Festival in February, the world's biggest Writers' Festival in September and the fabulous Melbourne International Festival in October. A couple of festivals to celebrate Aboriginal arts and culture include the Stompen Ground Festival, which is held in Broome in October and the Barunga Wugularr Sports & Cultural Festival, held near Katherine in June.

Sporty fun includes Darwin's Beer Can Regatta in August, when a series of boat races are held for craft constructed entirely of beer cans; Alice Spings holds the Henley-on-Todd, a boat race 'run' on a dry river bed. More mainstream events include the Sydney to Hobart yacht race (from Boxing Day); the Australian Open tennis championship (Melbourne in January); the Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne in March); Australian Rules Football (around the country from March to September); and the country-stopping Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday in November.

Gay festivals include Sydney's massive, outlandish Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, in February/March, and Melbourne's January/February Midsumma Festival.

What to do in Australia

With over 7.5 million sq km of sparsely populated territory, it's not surprising that Australia is an adventure playground. You can chew up the km with a 4WD, or explore smaller regions by foot, horseback or even on the back of a camel. You can also find some fine touring country for cycling, though only the very experienced should tackle the dry centre. There are fabulous walks for hikers in the Northern Territory's MacDonnell Ranges, South Australia's Flinders Ranges, New South Wales' Blue Mountains and Snowy Mountains (straddling the border with Victoria) and Tasmania's vast wilderness. Australia's best skiing and snow-boarding is in the Snowy Mountains, while in the warmer months you can clip-clop along the Snowy's excellent horse riding trails.

There are countless surfing beaches along the Australian coast, some of them in the cities ( Sydney and Perth), some in beach towns (Lorne in Victoria, Byron Bay in New South Wales and the Gold Coast in Queensland) and some in remote areas (the south-west of South Australia and the north-west of West Australia). Apart from the diving mecca which is Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, diving spots include South Australia's Kangaroo Island (where there are several accessible shipwrecks) and West Australia's Esperance, Rottnest Island, and Carnarvon.

Whalewatching is possible at many places; the most popular are Eden in New South Wales, Warrnambool in Victoria, Albany in Western Australia and Fraser Island in Queensland. White-water rafting and/or canoeing are possible at Coffs Harbour on New South Wales' Nymboida River, on the upper Murray near Khancoban also in New South Wales; along Queensland's Tully and North Johnstone rivers between Townsville and Cairns; and in Tasmania.

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