Australia at a glance

Australia , the island continent is one of the most beautiful land masses in the world covering almost 7.7 million square kilometres. It spans several climatic zones from the tropics in the far north to the cool temperate conditions of the south.

 

Australia boasts some of the world's last great wilderness areas, from the tropical rainforest of Cape York to the deserts of the Red Centre, and from the temperate forests of Tasmania to the magnificent Great Barrier Reef and its islands which stretch hundreds of kilometres up the eastern coastline. Many of these areas are now preserved as national parks for the benefit of present and future generations of Australians.

 

More than one-third of Australia is in the tropics and much of the country enjoys a near-Mediterranean climate for much of the year - perfect conditions for camping, bushwalking and water sports.  Australians are keen outdoor enthusiasts and virtually every activity is open to them. Australian families have both the wealth and the time to enjoy an easy-going outdoor lifestyle, Suburban communities are dotted with swimming pools, backyard barbecues, parks, playing fields and tennis courts - and beaches are rarely far away.

 

With 36,000 km of coastline and most major cities situated along the coast, Australia has a population of 20.4 million. 86 per cent of Australians are urban dwellers, and 65 per cent live in cities of more than 250,000 people - mostly on the fertile coastal plains.

 

Over seven and a quarter million people (around 40 per cent of the entire population) live in Sydney and Melbourne. Other major cities - Adelaide , Brisbane and Perth - all have populations of about a million. Wherever they choose to live, Australian families can find the right kind of community for their lifestyle, with comfortable living standards and excellent schools, hospitals, transport and other community services.

 

No two cities are alike, perhaps because of their independent development due to the distances between them. Perth is 3,984 kilometres from Sydney , about the distance from London to Moscow , or Hong Kong to Jakarta . Even the two closest state capitals, Adelaide and Melbourne , are 650 kilometres apart. But efficient transport provides fast links across the nation. Travel throughout the nation is unrestricted. No check is made of people passing from one state to another.

 

The Australian lifestyle is the envy of the world and the vast and beautiful country offers excellent rewards to those willing to set goals and put in the effort to achieve them.