Welcome to Australia

  • Uluru – Ayers Rock

    © Stanislav Fosenbauer/Shutterstock

    Photo of Uluru (Ayers Rock)

  • Sydney – the state capital of New South Wales

    © Paul Liu/Fotolia

    Photo of Sydney – the state capital of New South Wales

  • Melbourne – the state capital of Victoria

    © Rafael Ben-Ari/Fotolia

    Photo of Melbourne – the state capital of Victoria

  • Great Ocean Road, Lorne

    © David Iliff, via Wikimedia Commons

    Photo of Great Ocean Road – a scenic ocean drive in Victoria

  • Daintree National Park

    © Marko Saracco/Fotolia

    Photo of Daintree National Park in Queensland

  • A kangaroo and her joey

    © idiz/Shutterstock

    Photo of a kangaroo and her joey

  • Cricket – one of the most popular sports in Australia

    © Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

    Photo of two men playing cricket
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Welcome to Australia

Welcome to Australia

convict – domfelt fange / domfeld fange

Who were the first people to discover the island of Australia? The Aboriginal people, who came from Africa and have been there for over 50,000 years. The Europeans arrived more than 49,000 years later – first the Dutch, then the British. In the 18th century the explorer Captain James Cook sailed to eastern Australia. He said the land now belonged to Britain.

The first British settlers who arrived were poor convicts. They were sent from Britain because the prisons were full. Prisoners used to be sent to America until the American War of Independence. From the 1780s until the 1860s thousands of prisoners were sent “Down Under” instead.

Australia has been an independent democracy since the 1930s, but there are still strong links with Britain. The British queen or king is the Head of State. Australia has six states, two mainland territories and some smaller territories. The capital of the whole country is Canberra. It’s a small city compared to the state capitals of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Over the last century people have emigrated to Australia from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The population is now about 24 million, and 2.5% are Aboriginal people. About 80% of Australians live on the east coast, and the area inland (the Outback) is mostly desert. The country is home to many unusual animals. The emu, the kangaroo and the koala are probably the best known.

Australia is known as the Lucky Country. But not everyone there has a good life. Aboriginal people have far more social problems than other Australians. Racism is also a problem in some areas. It’s a good place to be a tourist, however. People are open and friendly, and the beaches are some of the best in the world. Definitely the best, according to Australians.

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