Living in Australia

Australia is a multi-cultural society, with hundreds of nationalities, several races and a wide range of traditions. It is the result of large scale immigrations from different geographic locations, and this has given rise to a melting pot of culture, cuisine, arts and traditions. The contemporary Australia abounds in young heart and a youthful people, full of energy and a Mediterranean passion for life. Here you always have a friend; such is the open nature of Australians and their hospitality towards aliens.

English is the national language of Australia. Australian English is a major variety of the language, with its distinguishing accent and vocabulary most of which has found its way into Standard English. Grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English. According to the 2001 census, around 80% of the population speaks English. Technologically advanced and industrialized, Australia is a prosperous multicultural country and has good results in many international comparisons of national performance such as health care, life expectancy, quality-of-life, human development, public education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.

Australia is one the most urbanized nations in the world, with the majority of Australians living in cities on the coast. Australia's cities are characterized by coexistence of different cultures. The great post-World War II influx of both English and non English-speaking migrants from Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Malta, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, East and South-East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent have been significant additions.

Although Australia has no official language, it is largely monolingual with English being the "de facto" national language. Australian English has its own distinctive accent and vocabulary. According to the 2001 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population.

Australian cuisine has the most diverse range, quality, and inventiveness than those of many other countries in the world. The Australians have evolved from the scenes of meat pies, Vegemite sandwiches, and sausage rolls to the scene of dishes such as "seared kangaroo fillet with wilted beetroot greens and roasted onions".

Australia is also well known for its fresh ingredients such as seafood, local fruits, beef and lamb, as well as its world class cheeses. Like in Italy and France, Australia can be divided into regions that are known for particular produce such as King Island cream, Sydney rock oysters, Bowen mangoes, Coffin Bay scallops, Tasmanian salmon, and Illabo milk-fed lamb. Each state has its acknowledged specialties, which travelers should take advantage of.

Regarding jobs, jobs for skilled labor are ever increasing in Australia. Australian jobs are open to people belonging to any field of expertise including accounting and finance, arts, design and media, administration, computer software and hardware, telecommunication, customer service, engineering and medicine, travel, tourism and transportation, human resource management, legal and counsel, marketing and sales.