Insight 6: The Deserts

Australia is actually mostly desert. It is dry, and not a place anyone would like to live in. Consequently, very few people live there.

So, Australia is a huge country, but with so many deserts, we only have a relatively small population. Most of Australia lives on the much nicer east coast, which has a long mountain range, more rainfall, and some beautiful beaches.

The desert, or ‘outback’ or ‘bush’ as we call it, had a strong influence on our history and culture, and if Australians want to look ‘traditional’ they often use elements of desert dress, food, and often aboriginal culture. You will still all these sort of objects in all the tourists shops.

Still, the deserts are interesting, and many tourists visit some parts of it, especially ‘Uluru’ or Ayer’s Rock (right), one of the largest rocks in the world. Think about seeing it yourself, one day.