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Australia is an island with a green edge, a colorful middle and a red core. That is if one limits the continent to the essentials. In its center lies the shiny red Uluru or Ayers Rock, which is a mysterious monolith to the Aborigines. From there the vastness of land extends all around -the Outback. It is a combination of the most diversified shades from red and beige. The coasts shine green because of their luxuriant vegetation, in the north there is even a thick jungle. The Great Dividing Range, a mountain range, including the highest mountains of the country extends in the east.
Australia can be nicely discovered starting out from its metropolises. Sydney with its innumerable bays is gloriously situated. Sights like the opera and Harbour Bridge are universally known. One can splendidly relax at the numerous beaches; Bondi Beach is the most famous of them. Starting from Sydney one can ride into the Blue Mountains or to the vineyards of Hunter Valley. Melbourne has still got a European touch: It has got narrow roads, large trees and a good old tram. From here one reaches a road which is considered as one of the most beautiful ones in Australia, the Great Ocean Road. It offers wonderful views over the coast and many little villages to enjoy.
From Adelaide in the south one easily reaches Hahndorf, a village inhabited by German emigrants, or Kangaroo Island with its splendid animal world. From here one can also start tours into the Outback, Australia’s hinterland which is similar to a desert. In the north and the west one travels more on ones own. But here, too, nature has to offer spectacular sights. Starting out from Darwin one can easily head towards the rain forest - for example into the national parks Kakadu and Litchfield. Further to the west lie the wild Kimberleys, a plateau with gigantic canyons.
On a culinary level Australia is formed by its immigrants. There are indeed some typical island dishes – for example Sydney Rock Oysters or Barramundi (river fish), King Prawns (giant crabs) and Macadamia-nuts. Popular is also beef. Native wines are commonly drunk with that.
Some geography:
Australia stretches over an area of 7.7 million square kilometers. Most of the 19 million inhabitants are of European origin. About 2 % of them are Aborigines. Language of the country is English. Two thirds of the Australians are Christians. However they belong to totally different churches. The inhabitants celebrate the "Australia Day" on January 26th.
Black & white
Australia’s native inhabitants are called Aborigines. That means something like "the ones who have been living here since the beginning." But strictly speaking even these Aborigines have immigrated: With their canoes from different regions of Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Ocean. It happened perhaps 50,000 years ago.
During the 17th century came the first white "discoverer". In 1770 Captain Cook took the smallest continent on earth under possession for the English rulers. In 1788 the first prisoner’s transportation landed at Australia and with it brought the new settlers.
At the latest, since Sydney applied for the Olympic Games in 2000 the whole world was looking at Australia and its behavior towards the Aborigines. Since the end of the 20th century the Aborigines were acknowledged equal rights and their culture is appreciated accordingly. Conflicts about land right and customs were regulated. |
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