A Great Country to Live and Do Business in

A great country to live and do business in

Australia is an industrialised nation with a mixed economy. It is also unique: Australia is the only continent occupied entirely by one country. Our great country, the Commonwealth of Australia, has no land border with any other nation. As you would expect, such a country is huge.

Australia covers 7,682,300 square kilometres, which makes it more than twice as large as India and about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA. It is the world's sixth largest country, covers 5% of the Earth's land surface and measures about 4,000 km from east to west and 3,200 km north to south.

Sophisticated city dwellers

There are relatively few people in Australia, considering its size, but population density is quite high because most of our 22.5 million Australians live in coastal cities. The largest of them, Sydney and Melbourne, have more than three million people each. They are large and vibrant world cities and their main shopping streets are lined with shops featuring all the most prestigious international names in fashion and style. Australia's other major cities are smaller but no less diverse and alive.

Despite its small population and relatively short history, Australia has produced many outstanding personalities. The nation has more than its share of Nobel prize winners, sports champions, artists, writers, singers and inventors.

Great climate and outdoor recreation

Australia's climate varies enormously. It is almost European in Tasmania and the southern mainland, and hot and tropical in the far north. The main cities have pleasant climates with moderate rainfall and average temperatures that rarely fall below 10 degrees Celsius or rise over 25 degrees. In winter snow falls in the mountains, and there are extensive ski fields. Because the weather is generally good it is no surprise that most Australian recreation involves the outdoors - even the smallest towns boast many sports facilities and the beaches are justifiably world famous. Australians love cricket and play four different codes of football, yet curiously the most popular recreation are gardening and fishing.

Business is business

Today, the services sector is the fastest growing in Australia's economy. Finance, property, tourism and business services are attracting big investment. Mining and primary products are major export earners, and manufacturing is strong and diversifying.

Australia has the rare distinction of exporting cars to Japan, and an Australian subsidiary of the German firm VDO supplies prestigious car manufacturer BMW with hi-tech parts for its German assembly lines. Education is also a major export item for Australia. Students from Asia and the rest of the world come to take advantage of Australian universities and high schools.

Australia's population mix continues to change, which guarantees variety in all things. The workforce of some nine million is versatile, well educated and highly skilled.

Above all, Australia is a clean, safe, efficient and vibrant place in which to live and do business.

© Made-To-Measure Publications