Australia is dry and hot due to its location in the subtropical high-pressure belt (horse latitudes) with sinking dry air, a large continent with minimal mountains to block weather, and influencing climate patterns like El Niño, combined with significant solar radiation, leading to vast deserts and arid regions with extreme heat and low rainfall.
Australia holds many heat-related records: the continent has the hottest extended region year-round, the areas with the hottest summer climate, and the highest sunshine duration.
Australia is the flattest continent on Earth, and it is the driest inhabited continent; however, it is the second driest of all continents behind Antarctica which has no permanent residents.
The main reason for the formation of the Australian deserts is their location. Like most major deserts across the world they are found around a certain latitude (roughly 30° north / south of the equator) where the weather phenomena create a dry climate.
Australia is unlikely to become entirely uninhabitable soon, but climate change is making large areas, especially in the north, extremely hot and potentially unlivable under higher warming scenarios (around 3°C), straining infrastructure, impacting agriculture, and displacing vulnerable populations, while coastal areas face rising sea levels and severe erosion, making parts of cities and towns uninsurable and at risk. The primary threats are extreme heatwaves, bushfires, droughts, floods, and sea-level rise, disproportionately affecting regional, Indigenous, and disadvantaged communities, forcing significant adaptation and threatening the nation's food security.
According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), published by the independent monitoring agency, the top three countries leading in climate protection are all Scandinavian: Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, while the United Kingdom is ranked fourth in climate protection.
One reason behind this large landmass being so desolate is the shortage of rainfall. More than two-third part of the country only receives less than 500 mm annual rain. This arid, uninhabitable part of Australia lies in the middle of the continent (the Outback), away from the coasts.
The vast majority of Australia's land remains uninhabited, with most of the population concentrated in just a few cities. So, why is it that 95% of Australia is still empty despite a growing population? The answer lies in its harsh geography and climate.
As the driest inhabited continent, Australia does not have many high-volume large rivers or large permanent lakes. Of the rivers it does have, the inland rivers are unusual among rivers found around the world (Davis 2007).
Common nicknames for Australia include "The Land Down Under," "Oz," "Straya," and "The Lucky Country," reflecting its southern location, short-form slang, and fortunate resources/lifestyle. Other poetic names are "The Sunburnt Country" and "The Wide Brown Land," inspired by Dorothea Mackellar's poem.
Perth has been named as the sunniest capital city in Australia with clear skies 70% of the year. The average yearly temperature is 21ºC and there are an average 24 rainy days annually. Let's take a look at what the weather is like across each season.
Most of Australia's landmass is away from plate margins and has been exposed above sea level for a very long time, allowing weathering to occur over this long period. Stability without recent folding or volcanic activity, and a relatively dry climate, ensured that soil-producing activity was very slow.
Melbourne is home to Australia's largest British expat population, followed by Sydney and Perth. These cities are popular among Brits due to their strong job markets, vibrant cultural scenes, and established expat communities. Each city offers a different lifestyle, so the choice often depends on personal preferences.
Burkina Faso (84.7° F) The title of world's hottest country goes to Burkina Faso, a landlocked country characterized by a varied climate that transitions from a Sahelian semiarid region in the north to a more humid tropical savanna in the south.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Culcairn (/kʌlkɛərn/) is a town in the south-east Murray region of New South Wales, Australia. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury and Wagga Wagga.
Australia's culture is diverse, and the country has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world. It has a highly developed economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally. Its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to the country's economy.
The 8 Best Cities in Australia to Visit
Australia is located on the lowest, flattest, and oldest continental landmass on Earth. Most of the country's topography is a result of prolonged erosion by wind and water, and its shape is the product of tectonic Earth movements and long-term changes in sea level.
Aboriginal peoples have lived in the Simpson Desert for at least 5000 years and continue to do so today. However, when Europeans came to the area in the late 19th century, they thought that it was an uninhabitable desert that wasn't suitable for human life.
Australia's largest extant predator is the dingo C. lupus dingo. There is observational evidence that where dingoes are locally abundant, foxes and cats are rare (Newsome 2001; Glen & Dickman 2005).
Cons of Living in Australia
While genuinely free land is rare, some Australian towns, like Quilpie in Queensland, offer incentives making land effectively free if you build a new home and live there for a set period, often involving subsidies or refunds for building costs to boost population. Otherwise, acquiring land for free usually involves complex legal claims like adverse possession (squatter's rights after long-term occupation) or accessing specific government schemes for first-home buyers, not simply finding vacant plots.