Australia is a unique country, almost all of whose inhabitants are descendants of immigrants. As a result, traditions typical of European countries are widespread. At the same time, it is an exceptional country that has developed its own culture and customs. In our article, we have collected 50 fascinating facts about this country and its people, which will help you get a first impression and plan your holiday in Australia.
50 interesting facts about Australia and Australians
So let’s begin our journey through the history, traditions and sights of this amazing country.
Historical facts
1. The first people to live in what is now Australia arrived about 70,000 years ago. They were Aboriginal tribes who crossed the sea from south-east Asia.
2. The local Aborigines did not form states because of the relatively small number of tribes. Therefore, the Aborigines remained at a Stone Age level of development until contact with Europeans.
3. Europeans learned of the existence of Australia in 1606 when Dutch navigator Willem Jansson discovered the land, which he named New Holland. It is now the northern part of the state of Queensland.
4. However, the true discoverer of the southern continent is Abel Tasman, who circumnavigated Australia and described the east and west coasts, discovering an island later named Tasmania.
5. On 26 January 1788, a British fleet under Admiral Arthur Phillip landed in Port Jackson Bay. This day marked the beginning of British colonisation and is now celebrated as Australia Day.
6. For a long time the main settlers of the new lands were convicts, but people attracted by the riches of the land also came: miners, gold diggers, farmers.
7. On 1 January 1901, the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia was officially announced. The once-independent colonies were united, but remained a dominion of the British Empire.
8. During the Second World War, Australia sided with the anti-Hitler coalition. Its troops took part in the battles against Japan on the island of New Guinea.
Australia today
9. Modern Australia is a constitutional monarchy, formally ruled by the monarch of Great Britain. The monarch’s power is nominal, but real power lies with Parliament.
10. The name «Australia» was coined by medieval geographers. It means «southern land», but Australians themselves prefer to use the abbreviation Oz to refer to the country.
11. The country’s capital is the city of Canberra. The city was built specifically as the capital of the Union in 1913. Its name means «meeting place» in the local Aboriginal language. There are only 450,000 people living in Canberra.
12. Australia’s largest metropolis is Sydney, the oldest city on the continent. Founded in 1788, it is now home to more than 5.5 million people.
13. Modern Australia has no land borders with other countries. But in the past it owned part of the island of New Guinea and bordered Indonesia.
14. The area of Australia is 7692000 square kilometres. By this measure, it is second only to five countries in the world: Russia, Canada, the USA, China and Brazil. At the same time, only 27 million people live here, making Australia one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.
15. The country’s currency is the Australian dollar. It is one of the most stable currencies in the world and is also used outside the Commonwealth of Australia.
16. The country currently has a developed economy, ranked 19th in the world in terms of GDP. Australia’s economy is based on mining, agriculture and services.
17. The average salary of the population in the country is at the level of 3800 dollars per month. This indicator places the country in first place in the world. A salary of less than $36,000 a year is considered very low here.
18. The official language of the country is English, its Australian dialect. It is spoken by 96% of the population. Aboriginal languages are spoken by 50,000 people.
19. Australia cannot be called a multinational country, although representatives of dozens of peoples live here. Almost all of them consider themselves to be Australian, although they may be English, Irish, Italian, Chinese and so on.
20. Officially, Australia is a secular state. There is no state religion, but followers of Christianity – Catholics and Anglicans – predominate. Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus are represented in insignificant numbers.
21. The Republic has three time zones: +8 UTC, +9.30 UTC and +10 UTC, which are 8, 9.30 and 10 hours ahead of Greenwich time. Some parts of the country switch to summer time and are in the +10.30 UTC and +11 UTC zones.
Attractions in Australia
22. The country’s main tourist attraction is the Great Barrier Reef, a unique natural formation. It stretches for 2500 kilometres along the east coast and consists of 900 islands and almost 3,000 coral reefs. It is for this reason that most tourists come here.
23. Another iconic symbol of the country is the Sydney Opera House. Its roof in the shape of opening sails makes it one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. Over 10 million people visit the Sydney Opera House every year.
24. Understandably, there are no historical monuments in Australia. The only prehistoric monuments are considered to be Aboriginal rock paintings, which can be seen in the Kimberley Mountains and some other places.
25. Popular attractions include the Great Ocean Road, which stretches for 243 kilometres along part of the continent’s southern coast. Travelling along it, you can see such unique places as the Twelve Apostles Cliffs and the Arch of London.
26. Sydney’s Harbour Bridge is another popular tourist attraction. It is one of the largest steel arch bridges in the world. It is 1149 metres long and 134 metres high.
27. In the town of Vumbay on the east coast is the Big Pineapple building. This unusual structure, built in the shape of a pineapple, continues to attract tourists as the perfect place for unusual selfies.
28. And of course, the country’s national parks are a major attraction, such as Kangaroo Island in Adelaide, where you can make friends with the cute animals, or Kakadu Park, known for its pristine nature and stunning landscapes.
Australian Character, Traditions and Customs
29. The main character traits of ordinary Australians are kindness, openness and friendliness, but they are all individualists who value freedom of personal space above all else.
30. The Australian mentality is a mixture of the traditions of so many different peoples that we find it incomprehensible and strange. But for the locals, the diversity of their culture is the norm.
31. There is no concept of racial intolerance here. Australians are proud of the diversity of their cultures, inter-ethnic marriages are common, and negative attitudes towards people of other races can get you 15 days in jail.
32. Australians do not like to kiss on first meeting, limit themselves to a handshake, call even strangers mates and can be rude to best friends – such an attitude is considered a sign of trust.
33. Australians speak very strangely compared to other native English speakers. They tend to reduce words to the bare minimum, making them difficult to understand. For example, a common greeting here sounds like G’day.
34. Large breakfasts are very popular here. The locals’ favourite morning meal is a large sandwich with pasta. It’s also common to bring food with you when you visit.
35. Australians do not care about a person’s background or financial status. They are more concerned with character and behaviour. Therefore, people dress simply and comfortably here, spending most of their time in shorts, swimsuits and even barefoot, and people are addressed by name or nickname, avoiding various masters and gentlemen.
36. Australians may seem relaxed and spend their time enjoying themselves, and this is indeed true. What Australians value most is freedom and the ability to spend time enjoying themselves. They rarely think about money and spend what they have for the sake of strong impressions.
37. The most popular footwear in the country is not Uggs, the traditional boots of local farmers, but Vietnamese boots, because they are so comfortable for walking in the heat. Only here they are not called Vietnamese, they are called thongs – very similar.
38. The indigenous people of Australia are the Aborigines, who are now few in number but have managed to preserve their unusual culture and strange customs.
39. The Aboriginal worldview is based on unity with nature. This is the basis of their beliefs, traditions and art. Many natural objects are considered sacred by Aboriginal people, such as Mount Uluru. Musical instruments are also sacred.
40. Aborigines have some very strange customs. For example, young men undergo special tests before marriage, including hunger, pain and fear. They cannot choose their own bride – that is the duty of older relatives.
41. The only Aboriginal cultural achievement that has caught on in the Western world is the boomerang. Aborigines used it as a weapon that returned to the hunter after being thrown. It is a popular toy for modern people.
Nature of Australia
42. The country is located in the southern and eastern hemisphere and completely occupies the smallest continent of the planet, which is called – Australia. The country is washed by the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
43. The relief of the continent is mostly flat. Most of it is covered by deserts and lowlands. The only long mountain range is the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia. The highest point in the country is Mount Kosciuszko (2228 metres).
44. Most of the country has a tropical climate. A small strip along the east coast has a humid tropical climate, while the rest of the country is arid. There is a strip of subequatorial climate in the north and subtropical climate in the south.
45. Australia has few rivers. The only major rivers are the Murray and the Darling in south-east Australia. Most of the continent’s other rivers can dry up during the dry season and disappear into the desert.
46. Australia is famous for its unusual lakes. Many of them only fill with water after rain. The largest in the country is the salty Lake Eyre, and the most beautiful is Lake Hillier, which has a soft pink colour.
47. Despite the lack of high mountains in the country, there are many amazing rock formations that never fail to attract tourists. These include the orange Uluru in central Australia, Wave Rock near Perth and the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
48. Floods are considered the country’s greatest natural disaster. The rainy season on the east coast lasts from November to March, when huge amounts of rain fall. There are up to 1,000 localised floods a year in the country.
49. Australia’s wildlife is unique. It is the only place where various marsupials such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, echidnas and others are found in abundance. This is due to the continent’s isolation from other continents.
50. Australia is also home to unusual birds such as the emu, the Australian ostrich and the casuar, thought to be the second largest bird on the planet. Casuars can grow up to 2 metres tall and are known for their aggressive behaviour.
Feedback
Friends, if you know any more interesting facts about Australians and Australia, please share them in the comments. This country is full of amazing stories, culture and traditions, and many people would love to learn something new. We would be very grateful!