Visitors expecting to see an opera in Sydney one night and meet Crocodile Dundee the next will have to re-think their grasp of geography in this huge country. It is this sheer vastness that gives Australia – and its diverse population – much of its character.
Full Name: Commonwealth of Australia
Capital City: Canberra
Area: 7,628,300 sq km/2,966, 136 sq miles
Population: 19,500,000
Time Zone World Clock
GMT/UTC + 10 (Eastern standard time)
GMT/UTC + 9.5 (Central time)
GMT/UTC +8 (Western time)
Daylight saving start
Last Sunday in October (TAS first sun)
Daylight Saving End
Last Sunday in March
Languages
English (Official)
Australia is a multi-cultural country, so it’s not unusual to walk down a city street and hear people speaking in Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Vietnamese or Arabic as their first language. Aboriginal languages are also spoken. English-speaking Australians have a passion for abbreviations and are liable to use a hotchpotch of local slang that can take the first-time visitor a while to untangle.
Religion
75% Christian, 1% Muslim, 1% Buddhist, 0.5% Jewish
Currency
Australian Dollar (A$)
Check the current FX rate
Electricity
220-240V 50Hz
