Australia is different—a vast island-continent with distances so great that the capital of Western Australia is closer to Singapore than it is to Sydney. The landscape embraces magnificent tropical rainforests and deserts the size of several European states; temperate areas that sustain a flourishing wine industry, making Australia the world’s fourth largest wine exporter; a sixteen-thousand-mile coastline of breathtaking beaches; and its unique fauna is testament to the country’s “down-underness.”   Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for more than fifty thousand years, yet European settlement is just over two hundred years old. Since the end of the Second World War the country has opened its doors to a hugely diverse immigrant population and slowly shaken off the mantle of British influence, transforming what was perhaps one of the dullest nations into one of the most stimulating. The Australians’ old settler mentality—regarding themselves as “battlers,” and embarrassed by their lack of sophistication—has given way to a new national confidence. The achievements of Australia’s artists, sportspeople, entertainers, scientists, and businesspeople puts them on the global stage. Despite the diversity of ethnicities there is a pervasive homogeneity among Australians: a generosity of spirit and a forthrightness, sometimes disarming for the visitor. A sense of fairness and equality is valued, as is the ability not to take oneself too seriously.   Culture Smart! Australia introduces you to a young nation with one of the world’s highest standards of living, “where people work to live” in order to enjoy a lifestyle that many across the globe covet, and in which Australians take great pride (and don’t mind telling you about)

澳大利亚与众不同，它是一个巨大的岛屿大陆，其距离如此之远，以至于西澳大利亚州的首府离新加坡比离悉尼更近。这里有壮丽的热带雨林和沙漠，面积相当于欧洲的几个州；温带地区维持着繁荣的葡萄酒业，使澳大利亚成为世界第四大葡萄酒出口国；16000英里的海岸线上有令人惊叹的海滩；其独特的动物群证明了这个国家的贫瘠。  土著澳大利亚人已经在这片大陆上居住了五万多年，然而欧洲人的定居只有两百多年的历史。自第二次世界大战结束以来，这个国家已经向极其多样化的移民人口敞开了大门，并慢慢摆脱了英国的影响，将这个可能是最沉闷的国家之一转变为最刺激的国家之一。澳大利亚人旧有的定居者心态，认为自己是战斗者，"并为自己的不成熟而感到尴尬，这已让位于一种新的民族自信。澳大利亚的艺术家、运动员、演艺人员、科学家和商人的成就使他们站在了全球舞台上。尽管澳大利亚人有不同的种族，但他们有一种普遍的同质性：一种慷慨的精神和直率的态度，有时让来访者感到不安。公平和平等的意识受到重视，不把自己看得太重的能力也受到重视。  聪明文化! 澳大利亚向您介绍这个年轻的国家，它是世界上生活水平最高的国家之一，在这里，人们为了生活而工作"，以享受全球许多人梦寐以求的生活方式，而澳大利亚人对此感到非常自豪（并且不介意告诉您）。