Australia is a prosperous developed country with a multicultural society. It ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance such as human development, quality of life, health care, life expectancy, public education, economic freedom and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. Australian cities rank among the world's highest in terms of cultural offerings and quality of life. It is a land which possesses a remarkable diversity and beauty. It is rich in beautiful wilderness areas, clean white beaches, extensive snow fields and desert plains.

More than six million people from across the world have made Australia their home. Today, more than 20 per cent of Australians are foreign born and more than 40 per cent are of mixed cultural origin. 226 languages are spoken in Australia – after English, the most popular are Italian, Greek, Cantonese and Arabic. Australians are very friendly and helpful people, with a great sense of humor and a natural ability to tell jokes and play with words.

The rich cultural diversity is reflected in Australian food, which embraces most of the world’s cuisines and artfully fuses quite a few of them on offer everywhere from street stalls to five star restaurants.

Australia is well known for its abundance of leisure activities apart from its variety of restaurants and a vibrant night life. The cities play host to a huge array of cutting-edge cultural festivals, and offer music, theatre and dance performances and art exhibitions.

Excellence and quality of Education
Australia is the destination of choice for students looking for a quality education. Australian higher education offers a complete range of programs leading to highly respected and internationally recognised qualifications. Education is regulated by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Tertiary education comprises of university education (universities) and vocational education and training (TAFE colleges).

Australia is home to some for the worlds most well ranked universities which also comprise the Group of Eight universities in Australia. The Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of leading Australian universities, intensive in research and comprehensive in general and professional education. The oldest of the Go8 is University of Sydney and the youngest and largest is Monash University.

A total of 320,368 Student visas were granted in 2008-09. This represents an increase of 15.2 per cent over the 2007-08 figures, and continues the trend of strong growth in Australia's international education sector.