Australian culture facts for Kids

Australia is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse nations in the world resulting from a diverse Indigenous heritage, a British colonial past and extensive immigration from many different countries and cultures. Immigration has been a major contributor to Australia's population of around 21.5 million, with almost 5.5 million migrants settling in Australia over the past 50 years. The 1996 census showed that:

• 47 per cent of all Australians were either born overseas, or had at least one parent born overseas.
• 69.8 per cent of Australians were born in Australia, 4.2% from England, 2.2% from New Zealand, 1.5% from China, 1.4% from India and 0.9% from Italy.
• Australians speak over 200 languages including 48 Australian Indigenous languages and come from 232 countries.
• 19 per cent of Australians speak a language other than English at home. 76.8% of Australians speak only English at home and 20.4% speak 2 or more languages at home.
• The most common languages spoken other than English are Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese. Spanish, Hindi and Tagalog .
• In the last 10 years 1, 264, 991 settlers have arrived in Australia.
• Australians are affiliated to over 25 different religious denominations.
• Australia's main religion is Christianity (13.5million or 61%) followed by Islam, Buddhism (2.5%), Islam (2.2%, Hinduism.(1.3%) and Judaism (0.5%) while 22% of the population identify as non- religious.
• At any one time, up to 30 per cent of Australia's total population growth can be attributed to temporary residents, students or visitors.
• For 2012-13, migration contributed about 60 per cent of Australia's population growth and has outstripped the natural increase (the excess of births over deaths) in the population since 2005.

Derived from