This environmental diversity is what makes Australia a special place and quite different from anywhere else on Earth.
While people have migrated and settled all over this huge country, the majority live in the great cities along the coastal areas. Cities like Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have plentiful access to the resources vital for supporting life such as water and fertile land for growing crops. The first colonizers and settlers arrived in Australia in 1788, landing in what is now modern-day Sydney. The location was ideal, as it provided them easy access to the sea and the ability to develop valuable trading routes with other countries. And in fact, this is why the main cities in many other countries are also situated near water. It’s important to note that the indigenous, Aboriginal communities that lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years before European settlers arrived chose to live in similar areas, also for the bountiful resources that they provided.
The people living in these areas are facing major challenges as a result of human-caused climate change and environmental stress. Recent years have seen an increase in droughts and also bush fires as a result of the dry conditions. As of 2019, many areas in Australia face severe drought conditions with dramatically reduced amounts of precipitation, such as in New South Wales. This is the state that’s home to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, the capital city of Australia.
