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Cities | Nature | Climate | History

Australia is a safe, friendly country. When you arrive, you will be surprised about the friendliness and hospitality of the people. It feels like coming home. Australia is also a very safe country as there is no political unrest and little criminality as laws are properly enforced.

Australians love the cultural diversity and the social contacts that foreign students bring with them when coming to Australia. They will therefore do their best to help you settle in quickly and feel at home.

Australia is the smallest continent and one of the largest countries in the world regarding its surface. This country, which is nearly as large as the US and about 32 times the size of the UK , has only roughly 22 million inhabitants. Most of them live in cities which are located on the coast in the east except for Perth which lies in the southwest. The remaining coast and the centre are very sparsely populated. Because of its huge size, Australia is spread over three time zones.

Australia is a very culturally diverse country with the two most important cultures being the native aboriginal culture and the European (mainly British) culture.The aboriginal culture can be found mostly in the interior of the country and in the North. One of the most well-known holy places is the Uluru, the red rock in the centre of Australia, to which many ancient legends are connected. Many other special, natural places have ancient aboriginal legends connected to them as well.

Nature
The huge variety in nature is one of the biggest attractions in Australia. Experience stunning mountain ranges, tropical rainforests, immense deserts, green hills, rushing rivers, beautiful beaches and more! The amazing variety of the Australian nature continues even below the water surface, which is why Australia is also a popular diving destination. In this beautiful natural setting live many different kinds of animals like kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and many different kinds of fish.

Because of the huge size of Australia, we recommend that you plan in advance what you would like to see as you will need a lot of time to see all the beautiful sights Australia has to offer. For example, the famous Uluru is located exactly in the middle of the country, more than two days drive away from Sydney. That is not something you just go to, but with a little planning it is not a problem at all. You find more information about the most beautiful natural sights Australia has to offer by clicking on the appropriate links on the map above.

Cities
Australia has some large, interesting cities. They are mostly located on the eastern coast and most of the Australian population lives there. Therefore, many of the internships and study opportunities will take place there. For example, there is bustling Sydney and European-style Melbourne where everyone is sure to find something to do. Furthermore, the most remote city of the world, Perth (situated on the west coast) and  Cairns, the 'capital' of diving in Australia, offer plenty of things to do as well. 

Climate
Because of its size and location, Australia offers different climatic regions. The south, including large cites like Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide have a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. However, the seasons in Australia are opposite to the ones in the Northern hemisphere. Thus, while it is winter in Europe and America, it is summer in Australia. Spring is there from September to November, summer from December to February, autumn from March to May and winter from June to August.

Further north, in the North of New South Wales and the South of Queensland, you encounter a subtropical climate with moderate temperatures throughout the year. Nevertheless, it can become quite hot in summer.

The Australian centre has a desert climate where temperatures in summer can be extremely high and it can be quite cold during night in winter. There is less than 250 mm rainfall per year and the dry season often lasts for more than 8 months.

In the upmost north, there is a tropical climate with a dry and a rainy season and hot temperatures.

 History
The native inhabitants, the Aborigines, have the longest cultural history in the world. Their origins go back to the last big ice age. In 1777, the English discoverer James Cook landed in Botany Bay, New South Wales, where he claimed the continent for the British empire. In 1788, the first British prisoners arrived in Australia to make room in the overcrowded British prisons and after those came other colonists because gold was found. The large rush of immigrants that followed this discovery triggered a boom in the Australian economy. At the same time, the Aborigines fought for their land against the immigrants who wanted to claim it for agriculture and mining.
 
On 1st January 1901, Australia became an independent country within the British Empire and is now part of the Commonwealth. Australian soldiers fought together with the British ones in the Boer war and World War 1. As a result, the country suffered from an economic depression because the wool and wheat prices (which were the most important export products) decreased significantly. Just as the economy started to recover, the Second World War broke out and Australian soldiers fought again together with the British ones. However, the Americans were the ones that helped the Australians in defending their country against Japan. After the Second World War, a wave of European immigrants came to Australia. This was not only good for the economy but significantly increased the cultural scope of Australia. Together with high exports of raw materials, the economy was now booming. In the sixties, conscription service and the high tuition fees were abolished and a free health care system for everyone was established. Furthermore, the Aborigines received the exclusive right to specific areas of land.  

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