TRAVEL

Australia is a geographically unique and immense country divided into eight territories and states, each with distinct landscape, climate, activities, culture and tourist offerings. The states and territories, and their related tourist attractions, are[1]:

Queensland

Queensland is made up of fifteen regions including Brisbane and The Gold Coast. The state is home to rainforests, beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, and numerous outdoor attractions. It also serves as a convenient jumping off point for travel to The Great Barrier Reef.

New South Wales

New South Wales is home to Sydney, the largest and most populous city in Australia. With approximately 4.5 million inhabitants, the Sydney metropolitan area is also the largest city in Oceania. Sydney is a cultural Mecca and an international destination for commerce, arts, fashion, entertainment, music, education and tourism.

Tasmania

Tasmania, an island state lying 240 km south of the Australian continent, is known as “the natural state”. Approximately 37% of Tasmania consists of reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. The state capital, and largest city, is Hobart.

South Australia

Much of South Australia is arid and the state is said to contain the “heart” of the outback. South Australia also hosts a renowned wine country and spectacular coastline with abundant opportunities for recreation. The majority of the state’s population resides in and around the charming seaside capital of Adelaide.

Victoria

Victoria is the smallest state geographically, yet the most densely populated. Tourist attractions include: the Melbourne metropolitan area with its wealth of cultural, arts and sports attractions; natural wonders such as The Twelve Apostles; the Surf Coast’s beaches; and the famous wineries of the Yarra Valley.

Australian Capital Territory

Over half of the Australian Capital Territory is classified as national park or nature reserve. Some of the attractions in this region include the Parliament House, Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery of Australia, and the National Museum of Australia. Canberra is the capital of both Australia and the Australian Capital Territory; the city boasts numerous cultural and entertainment opportunities and is an attraction in itself.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is home to numerous natural wonders including the National Parks Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock) and the Outback town of Alice Springs. The capital city is Darwin.

Western Australia

Perth City offers the beautiful Swan River and Kings Park, an inner-city park. For a frontier adventure, the North West holds rugged ancient landforms, rain forests, deep red gorges, vast cattle stations and pioneering personalities, as well as an ancient Aboriginal culture. 

CULTURE

Australians are characterized by their casual and friendly nature. Other important cultural elements include an outdoor lifestyle, multiculturalism and in innovative spirit.[2] 

LIFESTYLE

Australia’s mild climate has resulted in a country where people spend a good deal of time outdoors at beaches, in the countryside or at sporting events. Australians tend to be gregarious and outgoing. Most are relatively informal socially and in their relationships with acquaintances and work colleagues.

WORK

Major employers include the service sector, tourism, farming/agriculture, minerals/mining and IT.

Unemployment, originally expected to reach 8-10%, peaked at 5.7% in late 2009 and fell to 5.3% by February 2010.[3]

PEOPLE

At the last census in 1996 Australia’s population was counted at 18,311,500. The average annual population growth in Australia is calculated at 1.2% and on average each female has less than 2 children. The population is not widely distributed with approximately 85% of Australians occupying only 1% of the continent. Most people live in the capital cities and along the coast. The Australian population is aging with the proportion of people aged 65 and over steadily increasing.[4]

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REFERENCES

1)      Unknown, “Why Visit Australia?”, Love to Know-Travel, 2010, http://travel.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Why_Visit_Australia.

2)       Unknown, “Australia’s Culture”, Australian Government - Tourism, 2010, http://www.australia.com/about/culture.aspx.

3)       Unknown, “CIA World Factbook: Australia”, CIA, 2010, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html.

4)       Unknown, “Australian Facts & Figures”, Australia Travel, 2010, http://www.australiatravelsearch.com.au/trc/facts.html.