The Land Down Under

The Land Down Under

The wild outback, kangaroos, the Great Barrier Reef…? How often do we forget about Australia, the land down under? The Aussie’s with the Australian English with a touch British regional dialect (I love their accents!).  Personally, it used to be my dream place to live. I wanted to be a marine biologist and just spend my days enjoying the abundance of natural beauty that the country has to offer. Sadly, now the only time Australia ever crosses my mind is when I go to Outback Steakhouse.

Australia is the 6th largest country in the world and 91% of the country is covered in vegetation. This country is known for its wonderful and natural beauty. The Great Barrier Reef, arguably the most beautiful aspect of the country, is the largest living structure. It’s the size of 70 million football fields or half the size of Texas! The second most beautiful aspect of Australia that comes to my mind is the Outback. Well, I guess beautifully dangerous. Due to this fact, more than 80% if the population live within 100 kilometers of the coast. With so many people near the coast, the outback is one of the many beautiful aspects of Australia. This also causes the country to be one of the world’s most flourishing and populated coastal areas. Both the outback and the Great Barrier Reef have so many unique animals such as koalas, kangaroos, emus, kookaburras, and platypus. These are some of the components that help this country maintain it’s incredibly rich and diverse feel. And let’s not forget the Sydney Opera House.

Also, the many different types of people and languages contribute to the diverse culture of Australia. Today Australia is very multicultural. Over 200 different languages are spoken. And with so many different languages, of course there’s going to be a multitude of different dialects. Besides English, the most popular languages are Italian, Greek, Arabic, and Mandarin. The typical “Aussie” seems so “happy-go-lucky”. Maybe it’s because of the amount of acceptance of different viewpoints that makes them this way. Although, Australia started as an imprisonment colony, now the crime rates aren’t too terrible.  They just seem so peaceful and never have much to do with the major problems and communications in the world. Australia day is a celebration of reflections on Australian history, landscape, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community. This holiday also is used to celebrate the many different nationalities of people and how they come together. Australia’s culture is heavily influenced on Western culture. Even in a sense of economy. There’s a working, middle, upper class and the gap between rich and poor is widening.

Fun fact: Canberra is the capital of Australia. This decision was made in 1908 as a compromise. The rival cities, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s two largest cities, both wanted to be named the capital. And due to the heavy influence of the natural beauty of the country, the Garden City Movement inspired the design of the city. 

Thanks for reading :)