A Guide to Australia
Australia is known for its diverse landscapes that inspire romanticism in both popular music and literature. You can visit ancient rock art sites, learn Dreamtime stories and experience Aboriginal culture first hand.
Australia boasts some of the world’s most unique wildlife, from iconic kangaroos and echidnas to rare and elusive echidnas – not forgetting Tasmania which boasts some of the cleanest air on the planet!
Table of Contents
Geography
Physical geography in Australia encompasses the study of its landscape, from mountains and rivers to coastal regions and their landforms such as coasts. This process of change includes erosion, weathering, plant growth and more; therefore understanding an area’s environmental setting helps predict how its landscape may change over time.
Australia is a vast continent that lies at the lowest and flattest point on Earth, home to high mountain ranges such as the Australian Alps and Tasmania as well as expansive deserts, tropical and temperate forests, grassland savannahs and an enormous diversity of wildlife species.
Australia lies mostly within a dry zone and enjoys a hot desert climate, with the exception of its southeastern coast and core region, where Type C climates reign supreme – home to most of Australia’s population. Eastern and southwestern regions tend toward moderate to temperate conditions while ocean currents influence both its geography and climate; heavy rainstorms or drought conditions can occur depending on where Australia stands in terms of geography.
Languages
Australia stands as an icon for multiculturalism and dynamic modernity, and its languages reflect this through almost 22 percent of its population speaking a non-English home language other than English at home. From bustling cities where multiple tongues mingle daily to remote communities where ancient tongues still make themselves heard – Australian languages play a central role in its culture.
Indigenous Australians have an incredible tradition of speaking over 250 different languages. Unfortunately, however, many of these ancient tongues are now at risk of disappearing completely; therefore it is vital that they be studied and preserved so they may continue being passed down through future generations.
Most Aboriginal languages possess a complex grammatical structure and vocabulary that ranges from everyday words to specific terminology used for Dreamtime – an important spiritual concept among indigenous Australians. Furthermore, most Aboriginal languages possess various speech registers determined by kinship or ritual such as special ways of addressing in-laws or friends or taboos against jokes and sexual talk.
Culture
Australia boasts a multiethnic population drawn from nationalities around the globe and boasts its own indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, creating an engaging cultural tapestry. Australia entered the 21st century as a confident world power and is widely known for being an exuberant, fun-loving place where rugby league, Aussie rules football, cricket and social welfare measures such as female suffrage were pioneered; furthermore pioneering 40 hour work weeks were one of Australia’s many social welfare innovations!
Australia was originally settled by Aboriginal people who live a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, with unique cultural ties revolving around its vast landscape and iconic symbols like the didgeridoo and boomerang. Since it became a British colony, however, society has become heavily influenced by European traditions; Australian composers became heavily influenced by Southeast Asian and indigenous music as well as American jazz and blues before later discovering European atonality and avant garde music; Australia also boasts global-renowned authors like poet A.B. “Banjo” Paterson who wrote his work “Waltzing Matilda”.
Food
Australian culture is famously meat-centric, yet plant-based eaters will find plenty of options in Australia for meals that fit their diets. Many supermarkets provide microwave meals while health cafes and specialized vegan or vegetarian restaurants often provide more vegetarian-based offerings. Even pubs that pride themselves on serving up hearty menus usually include some plant-based alternatives in their offerings.
Few Australian households start the day without Vegemite on the table. This dark brown spread made from vegetables, spices and brewer’s yeast can either make you love or hate its deep umami flavor – often spread on toast or eaten as part of sandwiches.
Australians enjoy starting the day right with Weet-Bix biscuits – these dry whole wheat biscuits resemble granola bars and must first be soaked in milk before being enjoyed, usually garnished with fruit or sugar. Australians also love hearty bowls of chicken corn soup or pumpkin leek soup and, of course, barbecues!
