Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country. Australia is the oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with the least fertile soils.
Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, and home to the world's oldest continuing culture. We have a highly skilled workforce and a proud history of democracy and stable government.
Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal (35% of international trade), iron ore, lead, diamonds, rutile, zinc and zirconium, second largest of gold and uranium, and third largest of aluminium.
The culture of Australia is primarily a Western culture, originally derived from Britain but also influenced by the unique geography of Australia and the cultural input of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other Australian people.
Australian values based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity are central to our community remaining a secure, prosperous and peaceful place to live. Our values define and shape our country and they are a reason why so many people want to become Australian citizens.
Australians (or Aussies) have been inventive in adapting their cultural roots to suit the new environment, climate and resources of the country. Modern society is asserting a confident and unique identity through its diversity, language(s), architecture, 'Australianised' cuisine, bush identity and sporting prowess.
Among other things, it has been used in reference to Australia's natural resources, weather, history, its early dependency of the British system, distance from problems elsewhere in the world, and other sorts of supposed prosperity.
Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural.
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources. For a long time, commodities have made up a sizeable share of our exports.
Australia is considered a wealthy nation with a market-based economy that has a comparatively high gross domestic product and per capita income. Its economy is driven by the service sector and the export of commodities. [Explore the top universities in Australia.]
What Does Australia Export? Australia's main export is iron ore, followed by their other most valuables exports coal, gold, and petroleum.
Australians think that the lifestyle, climate and landscape, and way of life are what make Australia such a great place to live. It was clear that the warm climate, wide open spaces and laid back, friendly people work together to set Australia apart from the rest of the world.
Australia ranks amongst the highest in the world for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.
Australia has over 750 different reptile species, more than any other country in the world. Australia is as wide as the distance between London to Moscow. The biggest property in Australia is bigger than Belgium. The world's oldest fossil, which is about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia.
Australia is the only nation that takes up a whole continent. It is known for its vast Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and its unique wildlife. The capital of Australia is Canberra.
Australian English arose from a dialectal melting pot created by the intermingling of early settlers who were from a variety of dialectal regions of Great Britain and Ireland, though its most significant influences were the dialects of Southeast England.
After Dutch navigators charted the northern, western and southern coasts of Australia during the 17th Century this newly found continent became known as 'New Holland'.
The Chinese name for Australia has four characters (澳大利亚) and is written in Pinyin and pronounced using Mandarin (or “Putonghua”) as Aodaliya.
Colloquial names for Australia include “Oz” and “the Land Down Under” (usually shortened to just “Down Under”). Other epithets include “the Great Southern Land”, “the Lucky Country”, “the Sunburnt Country”, and “the Wide Brown Land”.
There are also a number of terms for Australia, such as: Aussie, Oz, Lucky Country, and land of the long weekend. Names for regions include: dead heart, top end, the mallee, and the mulga.