|
|
|
|
|
|
The population of
Australia is some 18.5 million.
95 per cent of inhabitants are of British origin, 3 per cent are made by other European
ethnic groups and 1.5 per cent are Aborigines.
The density is one of the lowest in the world - only 2 people to 1 sq.
km. Around 85 per cent people live in urban areas mainly along the south-east coast.
Deserts and the tropical northern part are practically uninhabited.
When the first white people from Europe came to Australia, about
300,000 Australian Aborigines (or Aboriginals) were living there. They originally lived as
hunters using boomerangs and other similar instruments for hunting. They understood and
loved their land. But the Europeans wanted it, and to get it they persecuted the
Aborigines. Many of them died. Now there are about 228,000
Aborigines. They live in government reserves or missions, but also in some cities. They
remain on the fringes of society: they are poor and often have the lowest paid job. Since
the 1980s they have been granted some areas, mostly in the centre of the country.
Until the late 20th
century the population of Australia was remarkably homogeneous because of restrictions to
non-European immigration. In fact, most Australians were of British and white Commonwealth
extraction. The principal religion was and remains Christianity (76%), with Roman
Catholics and Anglicans predominating.
Australia's racist admission policy was officially terminated in 1973,
and now there is a much more cosmopolitan mix, with many new immigrants from Asia. There
are also small communities from Greece, Germany and the former Yugoslavia.
Life expectancy is 75 for male and 80 for female.
LANGUAGES
Australian English (called "Strine") and aboriginal languages are spoken here. In Australian English a lot of words are made by shortening everyday words because Australians prefer short words:
Oz -
Australia
Aussie - Australian
footy - football
barbie - barbecue
postie - postman
ta - thank you
surfie - a person who likes surfing
Before Europeans first settled in Australia in 1788, Aborigines lived
here. Families were large and they lived together in small groups as a tribe. Everybody in
the tribe had a special responsibility; men were hunting for food while women looked after
children and searched for berries and plants to eat. The children helped the women. The
men used spears and axes made of stone and wood for hunting. A
boomerang was another weapon used for hunting. It is a flat piece of
wood, shaped like a "V" and if it is thrown correctly, it will come back to you.
After a
successful hunt they often used to celebrate by doing a
Corroboree
which is a sacred festival during which Aborigines worshiped their ancestors, the animals
and the land by singing and dancing and playing instruments such as the
didgeridoo. This is a slim, hollow tree trunk about 1.5 m long, which is
played by blowing into it with closed lips. It is believed that if a female blows into
this instrument, she will never be able to have children, so only men ever play it.
Aborigines are very artistic people. They often painted themselves in
honour of native animals using natural dyes from various plants, rocks and earth. They
told stories through pictures which had been painted on the walls of sacred caves. These
stories are called the Dreaming which come from the Dreamtime. These explain
everything from how the birds got their colours to why emus cannot fly.
Aborigines sometimes went away for a while when they needed to be
alone. They sometimes went for weeks or even months. They called this a
"walkabout" which is a term used in Australia for a person who is looking for
cannot be found.
These days most Aborigines live like other Australians but they still
hold on to some of these traditions so that their legends can live on through future
generations.
|
|
|
