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Australia is relatively young as a country, but it is a very ancient land For over 40,000 years Aboriginal people lived in harmony there with their environment When England first settled Australia in 1788, however, and made it a penal colony for its overcrowded prison population, all that was to change INTRODUCTION ABOUT Today, Australia is considered a "settler colony," a term used to describe countries like Australia, New Zealand, AUSTRALIA Canada, and the United States: by the British and where the countries originally colonized indigenous (native) peoples were almost completely wiped out LOCATION Australia is both a continent and an island, situated in the southern hemisphere between the Pacific and Indian oceans It measures about the same in area as the United States (excluding Alaska), yet it has a population of only 18 million people Of those 18 million people, 80 percent live in just ten cities, all by the sea By far the largest of these cities are Sydney and Melbourne Australia's climate varies greatly throughout the eight states and territories; there are four seasons across most of the country and a wet and dry season in the tropical north Australia's seasons are at opposite times to those in the northern hemisphere December to February is summer; March to May is autumn; June to August is winter; and September to November is spring WEATHER LIVING CONDITIONS EMPLOYMENT FAMILY LIFE In the 1990s, the average working Australian earned $525 a week Fulltime workers usually receive four weeks' annual vacation They belong to investment plans that will give them income when they retire The working week is Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Workers' rights are protected by numerous laws, and Australia has an active union system As of the late 1990s, there is an unemployment rate of 10 percent, which is of great concern to the government Family life in Australia is changing The nuclear family unit of two parents and two children, with the father in the workforce and the mother at home, is becoming a thing of the past Today, more than half of the adult female population works outside the home, though many work part-time The divorce rate is also on the rise There are more single-parent families today than in the past Relationships within the family are relaxed, with everyone helping with chores Australia has one of the highest levels of home ownership in the world The most popular home is the freestanding brick house with a red tiled roof, a front lawn, and a back garden Australia does not have the extremes of wealth and poverty that the United States does There are few extravagant mansions or slums Instead, homes tend to be more like those found in a typical American middle-class suburb Young people in cities live in flats (apartments) or townhouses close to the inner city, where there is a great deal of nightlife Australia has a national health service called Medicare, under which medical and hospital treatments are free to all The country has wonderful wildlife and many natural attractions The Great Barrier Reef, an underwater coral ridge, is one of these It is the longest and most complex living system in the world Another natural attraction is the beautiful Kakadu National Park This park has 275 bird species and many ancient examples of Aboriginal folk art It is classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world heritage area CULTURAL HERITAGE Australia has an important film industry In the 1980s and 1990s it produced such hits as Babe , Muriel's Wedding , Mad Max , and Crocodile Dundee Sydney's Opera House is world-famous, designed by the Danish architect Utzen to resemble sails on the ocean It houses the Australian Opera Company, theaters, concert halls, and restaurants, and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year Apart from those holidays celebrated throughout the Western world, such as Christmas and Easter, Australia celebrates some of its own Anzac Day on April 25 honors Australians who died in all wars ("Anzac" stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.) Australia Day is celebrated on January 26 This was the day in 1788 when the English soldiers raised their flag and declared Australia a new colony Today, it is celebrated with street fairs, parties, picnics, and fireworks It coincides with the last days of the long summer vacation from school and is a fun time for families Boxing Day (December 26) is also a public holiday in Australia It is known as a traditional day to spend at the beach In practical terms it makes for a longer Christmas break Its name comes from the old English custom of giving boxed gifts to employees MAJOR HOLIDAYS SPORTS Australians love sports—both playing and watching them on television The all-time favorite is football (soccer) Australians follow three different types, depending on which part of the country they come from Another sport played by many children and adults is cricket, brought to Australia in the 1800s by British settlers The fastest-growing new sport in Australia today is baseball Some players make it into the American major leagues Good seafood is abundant along Australia's coastline and is very popular Australians also eat a lot of meat, especially beef or lamb roasts The influx of European and Asian immigrants over the past twenty to thirty years has led Australians to enjoy foods from all cultures FOOD Australian families now incorporate Chinese, Thai, or Indian foods into their weekly meal planning European foods, particularly Greek and Italian, have always been favorites FOOD One food remains an Australian tradition—a black spread called Vegemite This is made from yeast Favorite desserts include the extract and salt, and is spread on toast Australian Pavlova—a cake-sized, with butter for breakfast or is eaten in soft meringue filled with fruits and sandwiches for lunch All children are cream Also popular are small brought up eating Vegemite from treats called Lamingtons These infancy The other famous Australian are sponge-cake cubes coated with food is meat pie Approximately 260 million meat pies are eaten by Australians every year chocolate and grated coconut