| Inhabitants of Australia |
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Immigration of free people only started after 1830. Significant influx of displaced persons have taken place since the 50s Nineteenth century, when the Australian continent was discovered the gold, while the collapse occurred at the turn of the century as a result of a catastrophic drought. This is mainly "gold rush" made that the population of the country since 1851, has increased from 437 655 persons to 1 151 947 persons in 1861 and to 3 765 400 persons in 1900. Used by the policy of "White Australia" (White Australia) restricted immigration into the European population, in practice, the British were to World War II, 90% of immigrants. The state policy changed in 1973 and has since stepped up immigration Asian population mainly from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. High population growth and net migration have decided to unprecedented demographic dynamics. Since the inception of the Commonwealth of Australia (1901) for the year 2008 population of Australia rose from 3.8 million to 20.6 million people, more than 5-fold. Despite the dynamic growth of Australia is still the least populated continent in the world, with an average population density of just 2.7 persons per km ². Population distribution is very uneven, largely depends on the diversity of the geographical environment. Western and central parts of the country (2 / 3 area) have a continuous water deficit. Part of the land in Australia, such as the Great Sandy Desert and Gibson Desert, is not inhabited at all - due to unfavorable climate Settlement of humanity. Is also sparsely populated coastal zone in the north, where the hot and humid climate has discouraged European immigrants to settle. Population concentrated in the eastern part of south-eastern and south-west in areas with favorable climatic conditions, water and soil (fertile strip of land to be easily tillage and various crop plants). Northern and western part of the continent has been inhabited almost exclusively by indigenous-Aborigines. By contrast, Anglo-Australians, descendants arrived on the island in the late eighteenth century Englishmen residing east and a strip of land located in the south. Subdivisions of Australia Australia is divided into 6 states, 3 federal territories and 61 provinces, among which is the most populous Australian Capital Territory (Australian Capital Territory, where population density is 137 people / km ²) and Victoria (Victoria, where population density is 22 persons / km ² ). In the most densely populated districts an average of 10 to 50 people / km ² (compared to Canberra - 422 osoby/1km ²), in the desert districts of central, western and northern Australia 1 resident falls per 100 km ². The concentration of population is best that the two states - New South Wales and Victoria - occupying 13.6% of the country are concentrated 56.6% of the total population. Characteristic of population of Australia is also a remarkable concentration of population in urban areas (85% of the population), particularly in five major urban areas: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide (58.5% of the population). High immigration is still reflected in the fact that one in four of its residents born outside Australia. In 2006, most of these people came from Great Britain (1 153 264 persons), New Zealand (476 719), China (279 447), Italy (220 469) and Vietnam (180 352). Poles occupied in this respect 18 place (59 221 persons), the largest group of them settled there during the period of martial law. Total number of Poles living in Australia is estimated at 150 thousand. people. The nature of the settlement of Australia is strictly determined by environment. Arid and dry the interior of the unfavorable conditions of life odstraszało European settlers. Until today, there are only isolated mining settlements, small towns serving rural areas, settlements resulting from the crossroads and farm separated by vast spaces (sometimes reaching even 1 million hectares). Settlement related to agriculture has developed mainly in the eastern part of the continent, in the basin of the Murray and Darling rivers. A large part of the Australian interior (the bush), however, is empty and uninhabited territory, where neighbors are far away several hundred kilometers, and the distance to the nearest town could exceed even 1000 km. European settlement so focus on areas in terms of favorable natural conditions in the humid coastal zone, with colder climates. Given the choice unfriendly bush or more convenient and safer life in urban areas, newcomers from Europe, concentrated mainly in cities. As a result, Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world. |
