Australia

Country Description

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the world’s tallest steel arch bridge, a spectacular engineering achievement. Take in some ‘WOW’ moments as you view the sails of the Sydney Opera House glistening in the sun. Walk along Australia’s tranquil sandy white beaches and explore the amazing coral reefs. Discover one of Australia’s most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef. Comprised of thousands of reefs and hundreds of hard and soft coral, this breathtaking natural wonder will deliver countless species of colorful fish and starfish, turtles, dolphins, and sharks. Dive into the Aboriginal culture and learn the diverse history of the world’s oldest living population. Experience the thriving art scene from ancient Aboriginal artwork to Australian sculpture and contemporary photography. Visit Australia’s Red Centre, walk along with the awe-inspiring natural wonder, Uluru. This massive sandstone rock formation, believed to be about 700 million years old is sacred to Aboriginals. The essence of Australia is its vast and rugged outback. From spectacular landscapes and unique animal species like kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses, you can’t escape nature.

The Australian economy is one of the largest and most stable in the world. While it has robust mining and agricultural industries—with high levels of exports to other countries in the Pacific that lack Australia’s natural resources and amount of farmland—the largest sector of the Australian economy is its services industry. This includes a large number of health care professionals, educators, and people who work in the country’s robust tourist trade. The country is home to a number of companies and corporations that operate in and around Oceania (and worldwide), most notably the media giant News Corporation.