Facts:

Full country name: Commonwealth of Australia
Area: 7,682,300 sq km
Population: 19.5 million
Capital city: Canberra (pop: 313,000)
People: 94% European descent, 4% Asian, 1.5% Aboriginal
Languages: English, Aboriginal languages (plus numerous other European, Arabic and Asian languages)
Religion: 75% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.5% Jewish
Government: Independent member of the British Commonwealth
Prime Minister: John Howard
Governor-General: Dr Peter Hollingworth

Population:

Australia is as big as the USA, but there only live 19 million people. That means that there are only two people per square kilometer. 85 percent of the population lives in cities. 80 percent of the population lives in areas near to the sea, and those areas are only 3 percent of the total country size. Like you can see in ‘facts’ most people in Australia are of European origin (95 percent). 4 percent is of Asian origin. The aborigines make up 1 percent of the population. Sport is a very important thing in Australia. They are very successful in international sport events.
The main religion in Australia Christian church, but there are also other religions.

Weather:

The Australian climate varies from region to region. In the North the climate is tropical with a hot wet summer and a warm dry in winter.
In the middle of the continent is too less rainfall, there is a great dessert. Around the dessert we find the savannah grasslands.
The South, Southeast and East regions near to the sea have a warm temperate climate. That means in the hottest month the temperature lies between 18° and 21°C and in the coldest months about 10°C.
Australia's seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere - summer officially starts in December and winter in June.
Australia's climate and the fact that it is the driest continent on earth makes it a great holiday destination all year round. In the Australian winter you can ski in the southern states one day and be diving the next.

How is Australia today?

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50 per cent larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world.
Australia is divided into six states and two territories. (you can see them on the map next page)
The six states: (tussen haakjes= hoofdstad)
• Western Australia (Perth)
• Northern Territory (Darwin)
• Queensland (brisbane)
• South Australia (Adelaide)
• New South Wales (Sydney)
• Victoria (Melbourne)

The difference in time:

There are three difference timezones (Eastern Standard Time; Central Time and Western Time) + summer- and wintertime. What makes it difficult to find out what time it is in Australia. But we can say it’s about 7 to 10 hours later than in Belgium.

How can you get there:

Actually the only way to get there is by plane. by boat is only possible when you are on a cruise. From Belgium to Australia is about 23 hours flying. That can be less or more, depending where you take a stop and where you land. Flights to Australia are often full, so it can be smart to book your flight a half year before going. You need a visa and a passport.

What’s the best way to travel around?

The best way to travel around Australia is to become a backpacker. There are organisations who makes it possible for young people to work and travel in Australia. They supply work and keep in contact with you and your relations back home.
The best way to travel is to buy a car and sell it when you leave the country, or to travel by greyhound bus.
You sleep in a tent or in a youth-hostels.
Work is possible all year around, in picking fruit, working on farms or working in restaurants.

When to go?:

Any time is a good time to be in Australia. Summer (December to February) can get uncomfortably hot just about anywhere, even sometimes in Tasmania. If you're in the southern states during these months it's great beach weather and great melanoma weather. Up north, this is the wet season, when it's very, very humid and when the sea is swarming with box jellyfish. On the upside, the Top End is beautifully green and free of tourists at this time.
From June until August things have cooled down a little and dried up a lot up north. This is a good time to visit Queensland or the outback. If you're here for the skiing, now's the time to head for the snowfields of NSW and Victoria. Overall, spring and autumn are probably the safest bets - the weather is reasonably mild wherever you are, and spring brings out the wildflowers in the outback, while autumn is particularly beautiful around Canberra and in the Victorian Alps. If you want to avoid holiday road chaos, don't arrive in Australia at Easter or just before Christmas.

Where will you money be spend on?

If you're coming from Europe or the USA, Australia is going to look pretty cheap. Food, in particular, is great value. Accommodation is also reasonably priced, and if you're staying in hostels or on-site caravans or camping, and mostly making your own meals you will save a lot of money! Travel will be your biggest expense, because the distances are long. You'll have no problems changing foreign currencies or cash at almost any bank or exchange bureau. Travellers cheques generally get a better rate than cash, though banks take out a commission. Credit cards (particularly Visa and MasterCard) are widely accepted.

Cities:

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. Built on the shores of the stunning Port Jackson, you would have to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular setting for a city. It's a vital, self-regarding metropolis, exuding both a devil-may-care urbanity and a slavish obsession with global fads. The Olympic Games, held in Sydney in 2000, confirmed the city's reputation as a civilised, fun-loving and friendly place to be.
Keep in mind that to prove you've been in Australia, you'll have to take a photo of the Sydney Opera House, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. The ability to pronounce Bondi will add an extra dash of authenticity.

Melbourne
Australia's second city is a place of contradictions and hidden charms. A leafy, bayside community on the 'upside-down', brown Yarra River, it is open minded yet suburban, cultivated yet football crazy, conservative yet a haeven for the avant-garde. Visitors come for its shopping, restaurants, nightlife and sporting calendar, encouraging many Melburnians to believe that they live in one of the most civilised cities in the world.
Some pleasant excursions from Melbourne include Phillip Island, with its fairy penguins, the pristine Wilsons Promontory and the Great Ocean Road.

Cairns
Cairns is the tourist 'capital' of the Far North and one of Australia's top travellers' destinations. Not long ago, it was just a sleepy tropical backwater. Unfortunately, much of its allure and tropical languor has vanished amid the rapid growth of tourist infrastructure, but it is still one of the best bases for exploring the riches of tropical Queensland. From Cairns, you can arrange trips to the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island and Fitzroy Island, the beautiful Atherton Tableland, the market town of Kuranda, the string of enchanting beaches stretching 50km (30mi) north to Port Douglas, and the spectacular rainforest and coastal scenery of Cape Tribulation and the Daintree River.

Darwin
The 'capital' of northern Australia is closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney, and closer to Singapore than it is to Melbourne, so it's no surprise that it looks outward to Asia as much as it looks inland to the rest of Australia. This proximity and familiarity with Australia's northern neighbours is reflected in the town's relaxed, cosmopolitan, tropical atmosphere. Nearby Kakadu National Park shouldn't be missed.
Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Uluru is a site of deep cultural significance to the local Anangu Aboriginals and the most famous icon of the Australian outback. A pilgrimage to Uluru and the coronary-inducing scramble to the top was an entrenched Australian ritual, but the Aboriginal owners would prefer visitors not to climb the rock and many visitors are now respecting their wishes. The 3.6km (2.2mi) long rock rises a towering 348m (1141ft) from the pancake-flat surrounding scrub, smack in the middle of the country, and is especially impressive at dawn and sunset when the red rock spectacularly changes hue. There are walks around the base of the rock which pass caves, rock art and sacred Aboriginal sites. Nearby Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), 32km (20mi) west of Uluru, are equally impressive monoliths and Mt Olga is actually much higher than Uluru. The Valley of the Winds is a worthy 6km (4mi) walking circuit.

Brisbane
Brisbane is Australia's third largest city and the state capital of Queensland. Not so long ago, the rest of Australia considered it little more than an overgrown country town, but it has shirked off this unwelcome reputation to become one of the country's most progressive centres. Since playing host to a string of major international events in the 80s, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Expo 88, Brisbane has developed into a lively, world-wise city with several interesting districts, a good street cafe scene, a great riverside park, a busy cultural calendar and decent nightlife.

Perth
Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is a vibrant and modern city pleasantly sited on the Swan and Canning rivers, with the cerulean Indian Ocean to the west (providing some fine beaches) and the ancient Darling Ranges to the east. It claims to be the sunniest state capital in Australia, though more striking is its isolation from the rest of the country. Try to visit the historical port town of Fremantle.

Canberra
Canberra is a picturesque 20th-century creation on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin that has struggled to establish itself as the focus of Australia's national history, pride and identity. Canberra has long been perceived as the 'fat cat' of Australian cities, a town of politicians and bureaucrats living off the hard work of their countryfolk. Step outside the Parliamentary Triangle and you'll soon find it isn't true. Canberra has grown from a Federation baby into an adult city with all the problems and delights that being a grown-up brings. Sights to see include the new Parliament House and the National Museum of Australia.

Adelaide
When the early colonists began building Adelaide they built with stone, constructing a solid, dignified city that is civilised and calm in a way that no other Australian state capital can match. The solidity goes further than architecture, for Adelaide was once regarded as a city of wowsers (read: puritan spoilsports) and was renowned chiefly for its disproportionately large number of churches. These days the churches are outnumbered by pubs and nightclubs, and there is no denying that the city has a superb setting - the centre is surrounded by green parkland, and the metropolitan area is bound by the hills of the Mt Lofty Ranges and the waters of the Gulf St Vincent. Nearby is the Barossa Valley wine region.

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. A riverside city with a busy harbour, its mountain backdrop offers fine views over the compact suburbs below. Its beautiful Georgian buildings (even the harbourside warehouses are picturesque), relaxed atmosphere, numerous parks and attractive homes make Hobart one of the most enjoyable and engaging of Australia's cities. Regarded as conservative and provincial by many mainlanders, Hobart has a thriving arts and crafts scene and a real sense of history, and for walking, eating and just soaking in the atmosphere it can't be better.

History:

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.
Europeans began to encroach on Australia in the 16th century: Portuguese navigators were followed by Dutch explorers and the enterprising English pirate William Dampier. Captain James Cook sailed the entire length of the eastern coast in 1770, stopping at Botany Bay on the way. After rounding Cape York, he claimed the continent for the British and named it New South Wales.
In 1779, Joseph Banks (a naturalist on Cook's voyage) suggested that Britain could solve overcrowding problems in its prisons by transporting convicts to New South Wales. In 1787, the First Fleet set sail for Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Philip, who was to become the colony's first governor. The fleet comprised 11 ships, 750 male and female convicts, four companies of marines and supplies for two years. Philip arrived in Botany Bay on 26 January 1788, but soon moved north to Sydney Cove, where there was better land and water. For the new arrivals, New South Wales was a harsh and horrible place, and the threat of starvation hung over the colony for at least 16 years.
Free settlers began to be attracted to Australia over the next decades, but it was the discovery of gold in the 1850s that changed the face of the colony. The huge influx of migrants and several large finds boosted the economy and irrevocably changed the colonial social structures. Aborigines were ruthlessly pushed off their tribal lands as new settlers took up land for farming or mining. The Industrial Revolution in England required plenty of raw materials, and Australia's agricultural and mineral resources expanded to meet the demand.
Australia became a nation when federation of the separate colonies took place on 1 January 1901 (although many of the legal and cultural ties with England remained). Australian troops fought alongside the British in the Boer War, WWI and WWII. However, the USA's role in protecting Australia from Japanese invasion during WWII marked the beginning of a shift in allegiance. Australia subsequently followed the USA into both the Korean and Vietnam wars in Asia.
Post WWII immigration brought a flood of European immigrants, many of them non-British. The immigrants have since made an enormous contribution to the country, enlivening its culture and broadening its vision. The post-war era was a boom time in Australia as its raw materials were once again in great demand. In the 1980s, Australia accepted large numbers of Asian refugees, especially from Vietnam. Socially and economically, Australia is still trying to come to terms with its place in Asia. Issues of the day include republicanism, universal acceptance of the Native Title Act passed in 1993, policies regarding refugees and a push for an official govenment apology for the injustices suffered by the stolen generation of Aborigines. Unfortunately, many Aborigines continue to live in deplorable conditions.


Bronnen:

www.google.nl/www.google.au
www.kennisnet.nl
www.scholieren.nl
australie.pagina.nl
australie.startkabel.nl
www.sydney.com.au
www.systerbox.com
www.bol.com
www.melborn.com.au
www.australia.com.au