Studying Abroad: Australia!

Studying in Australia

Large cities, kilometers of beaches, unique wildlife and a special climate. Australia is a fantastic country with endless study potential. Australian universities offer great education, so if you are looking for a challenging, international study, you’re in the right place.

Australian studies
Studying in Australia is quite popular due to the combination of high quality education and a unique lifestyle. As an international student you have a wide assortment of courses on different levels to choose from. You can do bachelor and master courses in many fields or participate in a study abroad program. The Australian government takes care of the quality of each university you might study at.

Population

Australia is one of the oldest continents in the world. The natives, the Aboriginals, have lived on this continent for nearly 40,000 years and are probably the oldest civilization in the world. The modern Australia is a multicultural society with more than hundred different ethnicities living there. The different cultures live together in harmony, which results in an open and tolerant society with a rich cultural lifestyle. Australians are known for their hospitality, something an international student can use wisely.

Origins of Australian population

-    Europe: 92%

-    Asia: 7%

-    Aboriginal or other: 1%

The five largest population groups are from

-    Britain

-    New Zealand

-    Italy

-    Vietnam

-    China

Lifestyle

Australia has a perfect climate with lots of sun and little rain. The way of life ‘down under’ is known for many outdoor activities. Australians love sport, especially water-sport. It’s common to get together for a ‘barbie’, also known as a barbecue, in the yard of one of the many parks.

Nature

The nature is as broad as the population, there are more than 500 national parks and 4700 miles of amazing coastline landscapes.

Facts and digits

Population: roughly 22 million

Capital city: Canberra, (over 356 thousand inhabitants)

Time-zones: UTC +8 to +11

Currency: Australian dollar / AUD

States:

-    Australian Capital Territory

-    New South Wales

-    Victoria, Queensland

-    South Australia

-    Western Australia

-    Northern Territory

-    Tasmania

Language

The official language is English and is spoken by roughly 80% of the population. Other languages are Chinese (2.1%), Italian (1.9%) and Greek (1.4%). Various Aboriginal languages are the mother tongue for roughly 0.02% of the population.

Government

Australia is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is head of state; she is represented by a governing general.

Religion

In 2006 64% of all Australians perceived themselves as Christian, of which 26% Catholic and 19% Anglican.

Climate

The seasons in Australia are opposite of ours, so summer starts in December and winter starts in June. There are many differences amongst the states when it comes to climate – New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland have hot summers and mild winters. On Tasmania and in Victoria the winter can be quite cool. In the center of the country it’s warm throughout the entire year, and in the north it’s tropical with a drought from May to September and rain from December to March.