Welcome

About AUSTRALIA

The People

Multi-cultural society
Free from racial discrimination
English is the common language used
Religious freedom
Immigrants from Europe and recently from Asia constitute the bulk of the population
Friendly People

Population

21,262,641 (July 2009 est.)

Area

total: 7,686,850 sq km

States/Territories

Australia divided in to 6 states and 2 territories

Australian Capital Territory Northern Territory
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania

Climate

Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America. Australia is often referred to as a land of diversity in terms of climate, from tropical rainforests, to golden beaches, to sparse deserts, to vast grazing lands to the rich coral reef, bursting with marine life. You can get all climates in one country! Average temperatures do vary but generally, the seasons work as follows for Southern Australia:
- Summer (December to February)
- Autumn (March to May)
- Winter (June to August)
- Spring (September to November)

For Northern Australia, the climate is humid and mild all year round with very little change between seasons. For example, Darwin has warm temperatures all year round, compared to Melbourne which has 4 very distinct seasons.

Required clothing: Lightweights during summer months with warmer clothes needed during the cooler winter period throughout most of the southern States. Lightweight cottons and linens all year in the central/northern States with warm clothes only for cooler winter evenings and early mornings. Sunglasses, sunhats and sunblock lotion are recommended year round in the north and during the summer months in the south.