Australia is an independent Western democracy with a population of more than 22 million. It is one of the world’s most urbanized countries, with about 70 percent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the south-eastern corner of the continent.

Australia’s lifestyle reflects its mainly Western origins, but Australia is also a multicultural society which has been enriched by over six million settlers from almost 200 nations.