The Commonwealth of Australia consists of the Australian continent and several islands, including the island of Tasmania. The capital of Australia is Canberra, and the biggest city is Sydney. Australia is a federal democratic monarchy headed by the prime minister, Scott Morrison. Nominally, the Commonwealth of Australia was reigned by Queen Elizabeth II. Since Australia was the dominion of the British Empire from 1901 to 1986, its culture has been heavily influenced by European traditions. It is curious to notice that de jure, there is no official language in Australia. Nonetheless, the majority of the population speaks English, and de facto English is the national language there.
Australia locates in four climatic zones: subtropics, tropics, subequatorial and temperate zones. Consequently, the climatic conditions vary in each of these zones. For example, there is a desert climate in the middle of the mainland, whereas, in the coastal areas, the climate ranges from temperate in the north to tropical in the south. The countrys area of more than 7.5 million square kilometers is populated by almost 26 million people. The average population density is relatively low because it equals 3.5 people per square kilometer. The most densely populated cities are Melbourne and Sydney, with almost half of the overall Australian citizens living there. More than 80 percent of Australians are either Christians or atheists.
The Australian education system is recognized as one of the best in the world. It is comprised of four stages: primary school, secondary school, senior secondary school, high school, and tertiary education. Children go to school at the age of 6 and graduate from high school at the age of 18. The language of instruction in Australian schools is English; however, some schools offer bilingual education. The second language might be an indigenous language or one of the immigrant languages: German, French, or Chinese, to name but a few.
People live mainly in stand-alone or semi-detached houses and townhouses; flats and apartments are not common. Indigenous Australians lived in shelters made of leafy branches. The mainland area of Australia has a developed system of public transport. Like in New Zealand, ferries are popular means of transportation there. Australian folk costumes include Akubra hats, smock dresses, and checked shirts.
The most well-known dishes of Australian cuisine are meat pies, fairy bread, chicken parmigiana, and BBQ. Eating kangaroo and emu meat is also typical of Aussies. What is more, these unique kinds of meat bring a significant share of profit for the local entrepreneurs who export it abroad. The national features described above illustrate that Australian culture is a mixture of traditions of Indigenous people, i.e., Aboriginal Australians and British colonizers.
The most peculiar component of wedding traditions in Australia is a smoking ceremony that was initially performed by Aboriginal Australians who believe in smokes ability to heal. Another wedding custom is a wedding unity bowl. The essence of this tradition is that friends and family members sign and color stones and put them in the bowl to represent support and unity. Australians also have an unspoken rule to have small talks with taxi drivers. Besides, while Europeans and Americans eat meat for Christmas, the locals prefer eating seafood because this holiday is held during the summer season in Australia. Therefore, Aussies associate Christmas not only with the carol singing and presents but also with prawns and resting at the beach.