Hi! Thanks for the question.
Since you said that a paragraph or two would be enough as a format for
the answer, I will provide here small snippets from the articles I
will cite. However, I highly recommend that you read them in their
entirety so as to get a better understanding of the concepts.
Australian Languages:
“Australia’s official language is English, by common usage rather than
law. Australian English does not differ significantly from other forms
of English, although some colloquial and slang expressions are
unique.”
“AUSTRALIA IN BRIEF”
http://www.about-australia.com/brief.htm
“Although English is the official language, a host of other languages
are spoken in Australia. As one of the most culturally diverse
countries in the world many Australians are naturally fluent in other
languages. More than 2.4 million Australians speak a language other
than English at home. Within the education and training system about
15 per cent of those of working age studying for an educational
qualification have English as a second language. More than 800,000
Australians speak a European Union language, apart from English, in
the home. Another 800,000 Australians speak an Asian language in the
home.”
“Study in Australia – Culture”
http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/LivingInAustralia/Culture.htm
“With more individuals born outside English-speaking countries, 15
percent of the population now speaks languages other than English at
home. The most commonly spoken languages are now Chinese, Italian,
Greek, and Arabic.”
“Over a quarter (27.3 percent) of all Sydneysiders speak a language
other than English at home. The most common are Chinese (6 percent)
and Arabic (4.3 percent). As part of this greater linguistic
diversity, Sydney is also the state capital with the highest
proportion (6 percent) of its population not fluent in English.”
“Australia's Increasing Ethnic and Religious Diversity”
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=72
Another interesting link is a discussion of the peculiarities in the
Australian language.
“OZ Language”
http://www.effect.net.au/lukastan/oz/Language.htm
Our next link provides the types of aboriginal languages spoken in
Australia.
“Australian languages”
http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/aust/
----------------------------
Traditions:
In terms of traditions, Australians celebrate the following holidays:
New Years Day
Australia Day
Labour Day
Canberra Day
Easter
ANZAC Day
Labour Day
Queen's Birthday
Melbourne Cup Day
Rememberance Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
New Years Eve
“Note that some holidays, like Labour Day and Bank Holidays, occur on
different dates from state to state, and some, such as Labour Day,
occur twice yearly in some states.”
“Oz Holidays”
http://www.effect.net.au/lukastan/oz/Holidays.htm
Another link from OZ discusses different other traditions practiced by
Australians.
“Oz Traditions”
http://www.effect.net.au/lukastan/oz/Traditions.htm
---------------------
Religion:
“Australia is predominantly a Christian country; however, all
religions are represented in our multicultural society. Australians
respect the freedom of people to practice their choice of religion.
Churches, mosques, temples and synagogues are located in most major
cities. Some universities have their own spiritual groups on campus.”
Study in Australia – Culture
http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/Sia/en/LivingInAustralia/Culture.htm
“Another element in Australia's diversity is the growth of
non-Christian religions. The number of Buddhists increased 79 percent
over the previous five years, partly due to conversions in the
existing population and partly due to immigration flows. Buddhists now
account for 1.9 percent of the population, ahead of Muslims (1.5
percent) and Hindus (0.5 percent).”
“Religious diversity is also increasing in Sydney, which is home to
the majority of Australia's non-Christians. Buddhists are the largest
group (357,813), followed by Muslims (281,578), and Hindus (95,473).
Together, they constitute eight percent of the city's population. The
Muslim population is very diverse in its origins, coming from the
Middle East and Southeast Asian countries, including Lebanon, Turkey,
Indonesia, and Malaysia.”
“Australia's Increasing Ethnic and Religious Diversity”
http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=72
The following article provides a list of other major religions
practiced in Australia.
“Religion in Australia”
http://www.whatsthenumber.com.au/oz/know/religion.htm
----------------------------
Australia Business Practices:
“Your Australian companions will be quick to let you know if you have
introduced a subject that “crosses the line.” Topics which are
currently controversial in Australia include migration and aboriginal
issues.”
“Australians like to criticize themselves, but they are not receptive
to criticism from others. This can put you in a difficult position,
especially if the conversation shifts to animated denunciations of
Australia and Australians.”
“Conversation”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132339472150.html
“If you are an employer, it's not enough to insist that your
Australian employees arrive on time; you will have to give convincing
evidence that their tardiness is harming the organization.”
“Appointment Alert!”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132340138658.html
“If you are invited out for a drink, don't bring up the subject of
business unless your host does so.”
“In an Australian pub, bear in mind that each person is expected to
pay for a round of drinks which is called a 'shout.' Neglecting your
turn to pay for a round will only create a bad impression.”
“When hosting a dinner at a restaurant, you might have to bring your
own supply of alcohol, since some establishments may not have liquor
licenses.”
“Prosperous Entertaining”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132340235137.html
“Professional titles are not prominent in Australian business culture,
and are sometimes dismissed as pretentious. Consequently, do not go
around "advertising" your title. Announcing your title when meeting an
Australian may be perceived as a form of boasting.”
"’Mate’ is another popular term of reference. It refers to anyone of
one's own sex, but when used with the pronoun ‘my’ [e.g. "my mates"],
it refers to one's friends. Women also refer to other women as
‘mate.’”
“First Name or Title?”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132339919813.html
“When speaking to an Australian, keep an arm's length distance from
the person. Maintaining personal space is important in this culture.”
“Although it is customary in this culture for men to sit in the front
with the taxi driver, this is not the case for women. A woman
traveling alone should sit in the back left passenger seat of the car;
the driver will be on the right.”
“Public Behaviour”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132339770679.html
“In presentations and conversation, Australians are often receptive to
sporting analogies.”
“Australian businesspeople may emphasize profit over market share.”
“Refrain from discussing your personal life during business
negotiations.”
“Generally, Australians do not like or trust people who appear to give
excessive praise. This behaviour sometimes raises the suspicion that
they are being set up to be embarrassed or misled in some way.
Moreover, Australians dislike being pressured and will only resent the
stress that accompanies high expectations.”
“Let's Make a Deal! - Part 2”
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-culture-in/132344524545.html
-------------------------
Economic Situation:
“The Australian economy has enjoyed over ten years of growth, with a
rate of over 4% in each of the three years up to 1999, despite the
Asian crisis. Growth was 4.1% in 2001, and is expected to be 3.75% in
2002. GDP is forecast at over A$725 bn (£250 bn) for 2002.”
“Australia is the 6th largest country in the world. It’s land size is
almost 3 million square miles, comparable to the United States
mainland. Its population of over 19 million reside mainly on the
eastern and south-eastern seaboard, with approximately 8 million in
the two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.”
“Australia”
http://www.tradepartners.gov.uk/text/australia/profile/03_economic/economic.shtml
“There are rainforests and vast plains in the north, snowfields in the
south east, desert in the centre and fertile croplands in the east,
south and south west. About one third of the country lies in the
tropics. Australia has a coastline of 36,735km - if it were possible
to drive non-stop along the entire coast at 60 km/h it would take
about 24 days to complete the trip.”
“The continent is one of the oldest land masses - continental bedrock
exposed by erosion is more than 3,000 million years old - and is the
flattest of the continents because it lies near the centre of a
tectonic plate. The average elevation is less than 300 metres,
compared with the world’s mean of about 700 metres. The Australian
Alps in the south east contain Australia’s highest ground, the highest
point being Mount Kosciusko (2,228 metres).”
“Australia's geography & history”
http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-geography-history.html
-------------------------
Geography:
“Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. Australia is in
the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is 4,000 km. from the east to west
coast and 3,200 km. from north to south. The coastline is 36,735 km.
all the way around. Over 75% of it is called 'the outback'.
The landscape has been worn down over millions of years. Some of the
outback is part of the world's oldest land surface. A lot of the
outback is the Western Australian Shield.”
“Geography”
http://library.thinkquest.org/28994/geo.html
Search terms used:
Australia Australian business culture language religion traditions
I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
Thanks for visiting us.
Regards,
Easterangel-ga
Google Answers Researcher |
