## Basic information about Australia

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## Why Australia

Whether you are looking for an escape from the city, a unique cultural experience, adrenaline fun, contact with natural or social events, you will find everything in Australia.

Only the east coast stretches gigantic 4 thousand km from Melbourne to Cairns and it would take you about 50 hours of continuous driving to cross the coast. Australia is home to more than 10,685 beaches, more than 500 national parks and 8,222 islands.

## The capital of Australia

Canberra is the federal capital of the Australian Commonwealth. It occupies part of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), in southeastern Australia, and is about 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Sydney.

## Flag of Australia

It has the shape of a blue rectangle, at the left corner is located Union Jack - a symbol of Great Britain - reminiscent of Australia's ties to the British settlement. At the bottom left is a seven-pointed star, called the Federation Star. Their six points symbolize six federal states, the seventh being common to two independent federal territories. The right half of the flag shows the constellation of the Southern Cross, which is often associated with its brightest Australian star, Acrux.

## Population of Australia

- Australia's current population is 25,513,510 on Sunday, July 19, 2020, based on the latest UN global data.
- According to the UN data from 2020, the population of Australia is estimated at 25,499,884 people.
- The population of Australia corresponds to 0.33% of the total world population.
- Australia ranks 55th in the list of all countries around the world by population.
- The population density in Australia is 3 per km2 (9 people per mi2).
- The total land area is 7,682,300 km2 (2,966,155 km2)
- 85.9% of the population lives in cities (21,903,705 people in 2020)
- The average age in Australia is 37.9.

## Holidays in Australia

- January 1, New Year
- January 27, Australia Day
- April 2, Good Friday
- Easter Sunday and Monday
- April 25, Anzac Day
- May 4, May Day
- 8. červen, Queen's Birthday
- August 3, Picnic Day
- December 24, Christmas Eve
- December 25, Christmas Day
- December 28, Boxing Day
- December 31, New Year's Eve

## Emblem of Australia

The Emblem of Australia, officially called the Emblem of the Commonwealth, is the formal symbol of the Australian Commonwealth. The shield, depicting the symbols of the six Australian states, is held by Aboriginal Australian animals, a kangaroo and an emu. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Star crossing the ridge also represents states and territories, while floral emblems appear under the shield.

The first weapons were approved by King Edward VII on May 7, 1908, and the current version by King George V on September 19, 1912, although the 1908 version was still used in some contexts, such as the reverse of a six-pence coin.

## Time zones

Australia as a continent is divided into 3 time zones. Although the practically unusable standardized Australian time exists, three time zones are actually used - Western, Central and Eastern.

The city of Sydney is located in Eastern Standard Time with the aforementioned UTC time offset of +16 hours. Therefore, if the time in New York is 6:00, then the time in Sydney is 22:00 at the same time.

Only some areas of Australia experience a change of time between summer and winter. Sydney is one of the places where this change takes place twice a year. The transition from winter to winter time is on the first Sunday in October, back to summer time always takes place on the first Sunday in April.

## States of Australia

The division of states and territories of Australia is the second level of government in Australia, alongside the federal government and local governments. States and territories are self-governing regions with local legislators, police forces and some civilian authorities and are represented in the Australian Parliament. However, unlike states, territories rely on the functioning of federal legislation and other financial contributions and have smaller representation in the Senate.

There are six states of Australia: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and three internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), the Northern Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory. There are a total of ten territories in Australia, with the inner territory being on the Australian mainland and the outer territory being a sovereign territory at sea. Each state and internal territory, with the exception of Jervis Bay, has its own executive government, legislative branch, and judicial system. The outer territories of Australia are: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island.

## Currency of Australia

The Australian national currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD), which comes in denominations of AUD 5, 10, 20, 20, 50 and 100. The coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and one and two dollar denominations.

## Prices in Australia

Food prices roughly correspond to our prices. We can buy sliced white bread for AUD 1.10, milk around 1.30 per liter.

Iceberg lettuce costs USD 1.60. Grapes does AUD 3, bananas AUD 1.80, apples AUD 2 and tangerines AUD 3.

The whole chicken costs around AUD 4.80, a kilogram package of fish fingers costs AUD 4, we get sausages around AUD 2 per kilogram.

We buy a quarter-kilo pack of coffee for less than AUD 10, and a pack of cigarettes as well. We can get a liter of gasoline for as little as AUD 1.
Supermarkets are a good choice where to shop. There are several chains, such as Aldi, Woolworths (Safeway), Coles and BI-LO.

## Visa to Australia

More information can be found at: <https://www.mzv.cz/jnp/cz/encyklopedie_statu/australie_a_oceanie/australie/cestovani/visa.html>

## Security in Australia

Australia's response to terrorism is based on strong and cooperative relations between the Australian government and states and territories.

The Australian National Security Agencies have well-defined responsibilities and powers to detect, prevent and respond to terrorist acts in Australia. Terrorist incidents involving Australian interests outside Australia are primarily dealt with by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The roles and responsibilities of the Australian National Agencies and Security Authorities are set out below.

Australian Government:

- maintains counter-terrorism capabilities and national coordination measures within its agencies (see below)
- Maintains national policies, legislation and plans
- sets out Australian prevention strategies and operational response to threats
- supports states and territories in responding to terrorist situations in their jurisdictions
- may, if justified by the nature of the incident, and with the consent of the affected States and territories, declare a national terrorist situation. In a situation as such, \* the Australian Government would set policies and broad strategies in close consultation with the affected states or territories.

## Interesting facts about Australia

- Melbourne was the capital of Australia for 26 years between 1901 and 1927, before the capital moved to Canberry.
- There are three times as many sheep in Australia as there are humans.
- The Australian Emu - a large, flightless bird - can run at 45 km / h (28 mph).
- Platypus - is very poisonous and has enough poison to kill a dog or seriously injure a human.
- Wombata feces have a cube shape!
- The Jellyfish Box - located in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef - is responsible for causing more deaths than snakes, sharks and saltwater crocodiles.
- Two indigenous Australian animals, Platypus and Echidnas, are the only two mammals in the world that lay eggs.
- Koalas sleep about 20 hours a day.
- Tasmanian devils have the strongest bite on the body size of any mammal.
- There are 4 different species of kangaroos in Australia, the largest being the red kangaroo. The largest Big Red ever was 2.1 m tall (6 feet 9 inches) and weighed 91 kg (200 lb)!
- The jump recorded of the kangaroo is an incredible 9 meters (30 feet) for a single one!
- The Australian Thorny Devil is one of the longest living lizards of its size in the world with a lifespan of up to 20 years.
- The kangaroo and emu were chosen as two animals on the Australian emblem because they cannot walk backwards, reflecting a culture of thought.
- 17 types of the most venomous snakes in the world are found in Australia.
- There are about 1,500 species of spiders, 4,000 species of ants and 350 species of termites in Australia.
- While kangaroos are considered a national icon, with an estimated over 40 million kangaroos across the country, they can also be considered pests in some localities and are sometimes killed.
- Australia has a larger camel population than Egypt.

## Important contacts

**Where to call in case of an emergency in Australia?**

Rescue service, fire brigade, police: 000

**The area code for Australia is +61.**

**Contacts at the Bristish High Commission Canberra:**

**Address:**

British High Commission Canberra
Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 6270 6666

Email: australia.enquiries@fcdo.gov.uk

Further contacts can be found at <https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-canberra>

**Contacts at the Embassy of the US in Canberra:**

**Address:**

U.S. Embassy in Australia
Moonah Place, Yarralumla, ACT 2600

Phone: (02) 6214-5600

Email: AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov

Further contacts can be found at <https://au.usembassy.gov/>

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## List of airports

- Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Canberra Airport (CBR)
- Adelaide Airport (ADL)
- Melbourne Airport (MEL)
- Perth Airport (PER)
- Gold Coast Airport (OOL)
- Hobart Airport (HBA)

### Sydney Airport

Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney (IATA: SYD, ICAO: YSSY) is located in the Australian port city of Sydney. It is the domestic airport of Qantas.

Smith Airport is one of the oldest and continuously used airports in the world. In 2003, it became the 28th busiest airport in the world, but since then it has not appeared in the top 30 rankings.

### Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the main airport serving the Australian city, Melbourne. It is the second busiest airport in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. It is also the only international airport for the Melbourne metropolitan area.

It consists of four terminals and is located 23 km from Melbourne city center near the suburb of Tullamarine. It also has its own postal code - Melbourne Airport, Victoria 3045. In 2016-17, the airport was used by about 25 million domestic and 10 million international passengers. The Melbourne-Sydney route is the fifth busiest passenger route in the world.

### Perth Airport

Perth Airport (IATA: PER, ICAO: YPPH) is an international airport that serves the capital and largest city in Western Australia. It is the fourth busiest airport in Australia. It falls below the city limits of Belmont, Kalamunda and Swan.

In the first twelve years of the 21st century, there was a large increase in the number of passengers at the airport, mainly due to the prolonged mining boom of the state and the increase in the traffic of international low-cost airlines. The number of passengers tripled between 2002 and 2012, with more than 12.6 million people passing through the airport in 2012. As of June 2016, there was a decrease to 9.5 million passengers.

The airport was opened in 1944 as Guildford Airport. In 1952, it was renamed Perth International Airport.
There are a total of four terminals and a small terminal for general aviation services.

Airports

### Weather in Sydney

On average, the warmest months are January, February, March and December.
The coldest month is July.
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### Weather in Melbourne

On average, the warmest months are January, February, March and December.
The coldest months include June, July and August.

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### Weather in Perth

On average, the warmest months are January, February, March and December.
The month of July is the coldest of the year.

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## When to fly to Australia

Throughout the year, the most pleasant time is in the spring and autumn.

### Cheapest flights to Melbourne

The following chart shows the lowest prices of flights from Melbourne to
weather context. Click on the individual columns in the chart to get more detailed
current [search engine data](/).

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Weather

With stunning national parks throughout the country and fantastic islands, visitors to Australia can set out to explore the pleasures of Tasmania. The beautiful beaches and turquoise waters that line its shores are home to the Great Barrier Reefs; one of the wonders of the natural world and one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations.

## 5 most beautiful beaches of Australia

We will introduce you to the 5 most beautiful beaches that you should definitely not miss when visiting Australia.

### Bondi beach

Bondi Beach, just a 15-minute drive from the city center, is home to one of the oldest surf clubs. It is a great place for a walk by the sea or for a picnic, but at the same time crowds of tourists and locals gather to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The entire coastal strip offers a number of shops, cafes and restaurants to satisfy your appetite for shopping and a quality gastronomic experience.

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### Whitehaven beach

It is a 7 km long stretch along Whitsunday Island. The island is accessible only by boat, seaplane or helicopter from Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island. It is located opposite Stockyard Beach, better known as Chalkie's Beach, on Haslewood Island. The beach is famous for its crystal white silica sands and turquoise colored water.

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### Manly beach

If you're here in February for the Australian Open of Surfing, you can watch for hours as professional surfers ride the waves. Beach cafés, bars and restaurants are open for drinks. Popular pubs on the Corso are, such as Ivanhoe Hotel Manly or Hotel Steyne.

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### Hamilton island

If you want to see a little green, Hamilton Island will be an ideal choice for you. It is one of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef. For animal lovers, tours of koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and kookaburras are available. To the east, trails lead to Passage Peak, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding islands.

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### Fitzroy island

Fitzroy Island was declared a national park in 1992. The entire island off the northeast coast of Australia has an area of 339 hectares, while the national park itself covers 329 hectares. Although it is a continental island, you can admire coral reefs with characteristic fauna along the entire island, which are part of the famous Great Barrier Reef. This area has been part of the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Great Barrier Reef monitoring program since 1986. Fitzroy Island National Park features a variety of vegetation, including rainforest. Many species of plants and animals serve as a source of livelihood for the original indigenous people of the Gurabana - Gungganji tribe.

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## Tips for trips and places of interest in Australia

### Opera v Sydney

This famous building in Sydney, Bennelong Point, in the shape of huge shells or fluttering sails, adorns the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the largest architectural icons in the world. The place is stunning.

### Harbour Bridge

Along with the Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge is one of Australia's most famous tourist attractions. This impressive structure is affectionately called the "Coathanger" and is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. It was completed in 1932, 40 years before the Sydney Opera House. The bridge rises 134 meters above the harbor and spans 500 meters, connecting the north coast of Sydney with the central business district. In addition to the pedestrian route, there are two railway lines across the bridge.

### Great Ocean Road

Most of the best tourist destinations have spectacular routes and for Australia one of its best is the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne. The road stretches 300 kilometers along the southeast coast of Australia, from the surf town of Torquay to the town of Allansford, near Warrnambool, Victoria. The biggest attraction along the road is Port Campbell National Park with its wind and wave formations known as the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, Arch and Loch Ard Gorge. From the helicopter, these rock formations look like giant pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Other places of interest along the way include the popular holiday resort of Lorne and Otway National Park, an area of dense eucalyptus forests, hiking trails and waterfalls.

### Byron Bay

Byron Bay is a coastal town located on the far north coast of NSW in Australia. Home to Australia's easternmost point and the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse, this region is known for its spectacular beaches, unique shopping and dining experiences, world-class festivals and vibrant community spirit. In addition to the Byron Bay township, the region includes many seaside villages, picturesque towns and large regional centers, all with their own unique character.

### Kangaroo Island

Nature is concentrated on the beautiful island of Kangaroo outside the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Kangaroos bounce on the dusty shore, sea lions and penguins go crazy in crystal clear water, and koalas cling to fragrant eucalyptus trees. Diving is also excellent. You can see sea dragons in the mild waters. Remarkable, wind-shaped rock formations, known as Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park, are other features of the island and you will find plenty of hiking trails along steeply rising sea cliffs and pristine forests. Cream cheeses, Ligurian honey and fresh seafood decorate plates at local restaurants.

### Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian federal state located on the island of the same name and 334 surrounding islands. The area of the state is 68,401 km2. Tasmania has a population of 519,100, almost half of whom live in the capital. The capital and largest city is Hobart, located in the southeast of the island at the mouth of the River Derwent. Other large cities are Launceston, Devonport and Burnie. Tasmania is under the administration of the sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie.

### Blue Mountains National Park

Blue Mountains is a mountain range located 100 km west of Sydney. It is an elongated chain of mountains, characterized by massive sandstone mountains torn by gaps and gorges. The highest peak of the mountain is Birds Rock (1180 m). The landscape of the Blue Mountains is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to a large, mostly forested area of a sandstone plateau. Rare species of eucalyptus are found here. The first crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1812 was recorded by an expedition of researchers Gregory Blaxland, William Charles Wenthworth and William Lawson. Currently, the only Great Western Highway almost accurately follows the difficult route of these courageous researchers.

### Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park is a huge biological reserve in the northern part of Australia. With terrain including wetlands, rivers and sandstone cliffs, it is home to about 2,000 species of plants and wildlife, from sea crocodiles and flat turtles to birds. Indigenous rock paintings from prehistoric times can be seen in places like Nourlangie, Nanguluwur and Ubirr.

### Fraser Sandy Island

Fraser is the largest sandy island on Earth with an area of 1,630 km2. The island is 122 kilometers long, on average 15 kilometers wide. The highest dunes have an altitude of approximately 240 to 260 meters. Fraser is located off the east coast of Australia, about 200 kilometers north of Brisbane. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow strait. It is part of the Great Sandy National Park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

### The Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles is a collection of limestone chimneys from the shores of Port Campbell National Park, off the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia.

Their proximity to each other made this site a popular tourist attraction. Seven of the original eight piles will remain in view of the Twelve Apostles after one collapsed in July 2005. Although the view from the Twelve Apostles promontory never included twelve piles, other piles - not considered part of the Apostles group - are located in the west of the national park.

### Uluru

A large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in Central Australia erodes. It is located 335 km (208 mi) southwest of the nearest large city, Alice Springs.

The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, water works, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, also known as Olgas, are the two main features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park.

### Great Barrier Reef

It is the largest coral reef in the world. It stretches along the coast of Queensland (North Australia). It is over 2000 km long, has about 600 islands and much of it is protected as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Since 1981, the entire reef has been under UNESCO protection (area 348,700 km²). The large barrier reef is seriously threatened by the consequences of environmental changes, especially the so-called coral bleaching and overgrowth of spiny starfish.

## The highest mountain in Australia

Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain on the mainland part of the Australian continent and the mainland part of the state of Australia. It is located in the Snowy Mountains in the state of New South Wales on the border with Victoria. The mountain is part of the Kosciuszko National Park, which has an area of 6,469 km2.

The mountain is 2222 meters (7,310 ft) high above sea level. It is located on the main ridge of the snowy mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, part of the national parks and reserves of the Australian Alps in New South Wales, Australia. It is located west of Crackenback and near Jindabyne.

Guide to Australia

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