Given Australia's size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably
homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and
towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.
     However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90
per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing
familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression
 is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country's youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be
slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have"ridden on the sheep's back", a
reference to wool being the country's main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant.
Much of Australia's relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the
largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also
increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor.
On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from
its prisoner beginnings.
      Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one
generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally
coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere.
Australia's liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most
notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
     The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast
Asia. Today Australia is a 'blend of nations' and although some racism exists, it has generally been a
successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural
communities in the world.