About Australia
More than 6.6 million migrants have settled in Australia since 1945, including more than 690,000 refugees. According to the 2006 Census, about 22 per cent of the Australian population was born overseas. People from around the world have made Australia their home. The top six places of birth for overseas-born residents in Australia are the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, Italy, Vietnam and India.
In 2006, 64 per cent of Australians identified themselves as Christian, 2.1 per cent as Buddhist, 1.7 per cent as Muslim and 0.7 per cent as Hindu. Nearly 19 per cent of Australians stated that they did not belong to any religion.
More than three million Australians speak the language other than English at home. Collectively, Australians speak more than 400 languages, with English, Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese being the most common.
Australia is one of the most diverse landmasses on the planet and has about nine per cent of the world’s plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. About 91 per cent of flowering plants, 83 per cent of mammals, 93 per cent of frogs, and more than 45 per cent of birds are unique to Australia.
Australia is the world’s only island continent , with 59,720 kilometers of coastline on the mainland and islands.
Australia’s environmental challenges are to protect its unique environment through sustainable natural resources management, tackling climate change and minimizing the negative impacts of inappropriate development, pollution and pests.
Information on the history of Australia, its native inhabitants, the political system, as well as sports and climate are included in the sections on the left.
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