In the process of preparing for our impending trip to Australia, we discovered a few amazing facts about the country of the antipodes. And we have decided to share them, because we are more generous than that friend who always lets you eat the croquette of shame or the last piece of pizza. A minute of silence for all of them, few, but good friends. Well, we continue ... here they go 30 curiosities of Australia.
1. Australia is a huge country, specifically the sixth largest in the world, from end to end it measures about 3625 km, more or less the distance from Barcelona to Moscow. In fact, entire Europe could fit in the Australian borders.
2. On the other hand it is one of the least populated countries in the world: It has approximately 24 million inhabitants (an average of 2.66 people per square km) which means that, as in New Zealand, there are more sheep than people.
3. I wish there were only a lot of sheep ... among the Australian fauna are some of the most dangerous animals in the world. Some of the examples are a jellyfish that with its poison can kill in a few minutes, freshwater and saltwater crocodiles (yes, you read well, sa-la-da), snakes and poisonous spiders and even killer bees. Come on, a joy for the crappers like us.
4. Luckily there are not only deadly dangers among Australian wildlife, but also some rare, curious and beautiful species live. We talk about koalas (who spend their lives sleeping and eating), kangaroos, quokkas and wombats, the latter make square poop, true story.
5. By the way, Eucalyptus leaves (the only food of koalas), are toxic! These adorable little dolls are so vague that, as long as life is not sought, they "chose" to eat a food that no other animal wants. W evolution!
6. Did you know that in Australia there are wild camels? Yes and they are counted in millions * _ *
7. Another curious fact (not so much if you think that the interior of Australia is practically deserted) is that the 85% of its inhabitants live within 5 km of the coast.
8. Australia claims to be one of the most progressive countries in the world: here, in 1856, women were able to exercise their right to vote (only New Zealand preceded them). It was also a precursor to the 8-hour workday: after the insistent protest of some miners and to prevent the rebellion from going further, as in the case of the United States, the British Crown made it clear and granted the workers what they requested . It was 1858. In Spain, this right was conquered in 1919.
9.… But not everything is progress in the antipodes. In 1901 a signed Immigration Restrictions Act. The basic idea was not to allow immigration from "non-white" countries. Come on, a full-fledged racial exclusion policy! As of 1950, things began to change and Australia opened its doors to the first exchange students from Asia. But it was not until 1973 when the government ruled that anyone, regardless of their origin, could opt for residence / citizenship (as long as they met certain requirements, of course).
10. However, the great black spot in Australian history was the mistreatment of settlers to the original inhabitants (aboriginal). Long story short: the aborigines, the oldest living culture on Earth, were decimated by the diseases brought by the "white man." The survivors were confined to the interior of the country, sent to the lands that the new settlers "did not want." If we add to this the arrival of alcohol and a great psychological, cultural and existential crisis, well ... things have not been easy for this millenary population. It is incredible but until 1967 they were not even recognized as citizens, they could not qualify for education, work or be owners of the lands that belonged to them.
11. They know each other more than 400 different ethnic groups. In total numbers before the British arrived, they were counted by several million. Today there is little more than half a million (which is only 3% population). It was in 2008 when the Australian government apologized for the genocide, because this was about.
12. And don't believe that the Aboriginal situation is much better today… They have subsidies (the money puts a patch on the problem, it does not solve it) that allow them to (over) live, but the obstacles in their path are several: from poor sanitary conditions, to alcoholism, and in general the lack of opportunity to readjust to the new society that prevails in its territory. Today, 32% of Aboriginal people live in the main Australian cities of the East Coast, 45% live in the continental regions and 25% in the interior.
13. As we have said, Australia finally “opened up” to the world and today approximately 30% of its inhabitants were not born there. It is one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world and in Melbourne, for example, there is the largest Greek community on the entire planet (outside Greece, of course XD). Although as we have seen in New Zealand, being a cosmopolitan country guarantees coexistence but not integration.
That said ... not all is bad news or criticism. So we continue with a few curiosities of Australiasomething more positive 😉
14. Its gastronomy does not have great fame abroad, but Australians are passionate about good cooking and they have been able to integrate Asian and European recipes and flavors into local products and dishes.
15. And yes, it is true that they eat kangaroo meat 0_o
16. One product they are very proud of (and we tried in New Zealand and almost died of disgust) is the Vegemite, a salty spread cream that tastes like a avecrem pill.
17. Australia has several wine regions where a high quality wine is produced. Of course, here the wine is as good as it is expensive.
18. The largest living organism in Australia is the Barrier Reef. Will we meet her? Let's hope so!
19. Australia is the country with the most cases of skin cancer and is that it is just below the hole in the ozone layer. That means one thing: the sun's rays are much more dangerous than anywhere else in the world, so you know ... sunscreen without scratching!
20. The Australian accent and slang have nothing to do with British or American English. What's more, there are some completely different words.
21. Around the 60% of Australians are overweight. So if you think the aussie-type is a double tablet surfer (surf and abdominal), mmm, your expectations may not be very realistic.
22. Speaking of tablets, Australians do know chocolate. They will not be Swiss but this It is the homeland of Tim Tam That is a real treat.
23. Melbourne always comes in the top positions of ranking of the best cities to live.
24. Tasmania boasts of having the purest air in the world. And speaking of Tasmania: no, the Tasmanian Devil It doesn't make a whirlwind when it gets pissed, it just screams like a damned!
25. Canberra, the capital of Australia, It was created in 1908 to avoid a fight that looked bad between Sydney and Melbourne to get that privilege.
26. Ok, Australia has the most dangerous animals in the world but I'm going to calm down that statistics (w statistics) are not so catastrophic. That is, you are likely to die yes, but the animal that kills most in Australia is the horse! And if you don't believe me, look at this post.
27. One of Australia's best known curiosities is that in its history of colonization (from 1787 to 1868) thousands and thousands of prisoners arrived from the British Crown (It is estimated that more than 150,000). Although it is true, these prisoners were guilty of misdemeanors (food theft or insurrection against the government). In the uniforms of the prisoners read the acronym POME (Prisoners of Mother England), which is why Australians call the British "pommies."
28. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches (and one of them, Hyams Beach, is the beach with the whitest sand in the world).
29. Do you know what does the word mean kangaroo? It is said that James Cook asked an Aboriginal what was called that rare animal that jumped without stopping, and he replied "Kangaroo" which literally means "I do not understand." Well, it's a lie! It is an urban legend, a beautiful cartoon but false!
30. Be that as it may, the kangaroo is one of the symbols most recognized in Australia, and along with the emu appears on the coat of arms of Australia. The reason? Both animals do not know how to walk backwards, which is a perfect metaphor: Australia is a country that can only move forward!
Up to this point 30 curiosities of Australia... although we promise to add things that catch our attention once we are in the land Down Under (and of course we owe you a post with tips and useful information to travel cheap in one of the countries with the reputation of being more expensive).
* Main photocredit: by Gez Xavier Mansfield. Rest of photos: Shutterstock
