Australia, the smallest continent and the largest island in the world, is well-known for its rich natural beauty and resources, as well as for its spirit of adventure. The country is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With its extensive higher education system, diverse landscape and friendly local population, Australia has a singular appeal as a study abroad destination.  

Higher education is of paramount importance in Australia, and the country's universities consistently achieve high international rankings. Australia's educational system includes English-language training schools, colleges for vocational education and universities for higher education. The country's 39 universities offer a wide array of high-quality programs to fit almost any student's interests. Australian Education International has a site that details the country's academic diversity.

Australia attracts the third-largest number of international students in the English-speaking world, and its universities challenge students to be creative, independent thinkers. Students are expected to perform independent research and take an active role in their education. Since English is the national language of Australia, U.S. students face no language barrier.

Students will also discover that the densely populated large cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Australia's capital of Canberra, resemble American cities in terms of urban planning and multiculturalism. Canberra is the center of government in Australia and is home to many national parks, as well as the National Botanical Gardens. Sydney, the largest Australian city, is an international business hub with significant British, Chinese, New Zealander and Indian immigrant populations.

Australia's cities have much to offer, but the diversity of Australia's landscape is its jewel. The country boasts remarkable geologic diversity, including some of the planet's oldest land formations. Australia is also a green country: vegetation covers 91 percent of the land, and 85 percent of Australia's flowering plants are unique to the country.

Students majoring in biology, ecology, conservation or environmental studies should consider attending the University of Melbourne. There, they may study the biologically diverse Daintree Rainforest in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Located in North Queensland, the forest sustains astonishing biodiversity, including hundreds of plants and animals found only in this region of Australia. Perth's University of Western Australia offers another perspective on the country's flora and fauna for students interested in marine biology and zoology.

Another location of interest is the Great Barrier Reef, often considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The Reef, located off the coast of northeastern Australia, comprises more than 2,800 coral reefs, and its ecosystems are rivaled in complexity only by tropical rainforests. Australia as a whole contains 4,000 fish species, more than 500 coral species and 50 types of marine mammals. Australia is also famous for its marsupials, including the bandicoot, kangaroo, koala and Tasmanian Devil.

For students interested in anthropology and indigenous culture, Australia has much to offer both in terms of historical study and contemporary ethnographic inquiry. The aborigines were Australia's first inhabitants, and resided in the region for more than 30,000 years before the first European settlers - the British - arrived in 1788. The Yeddonba site at Mount Pilot, just north of Melbourne, features aboriginal rock art painted over 2,000 years ago, and other sites date back nearly 30,000 years. Macquarie University in Sydney offers a well-regarded Indigenous Studies program popular with study abroad students. The indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures form a vital part of Australia's national identity, and about 400,000 Australians are descended from these original peoples.

Australia also offers programs for students of science and technology. Students specializing in technological fields may want to consider Curtin University of Technology, located in Perth. Australia also offers excellent programs in business and management. Brisbane's University of Queensland has business and economics programs, and is one of the country's leading research universities.

From rest and relaxation to intense outdoor adventure, students will find plenty to keep them busy in Australia in addition to their coursework. Whether they prefer hitting Melbourne's dance music scene or touring the Australian outback, there is always something to do. Australians relish their sports, and students can get involved in cricket, rugby, soccer or swimming. More than 80 percent of Aussies live along the coastline, so the beaches are abundant and accessible.

Regardless of students' course of study in Australia, their experiences will be "ace," or excellent in Aussie slang. Students and their parents will be happy to learn that studying abroad in Australia is not as "exy," or expensive, as in other countries. If they have a thirst for scholarship, nature and adventure, students will find the "Lucky Country" an enticing study abroad destination.

Australia, the smallest continent and the largest island in the world, is well-known for its rich natural beauty and resources, as well as for its spirit of adventure. The country is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With its extensive higher education system, diverse landscape and friendly local population, Australia has a singular appeal as a study abroad destination.

Resources -
IIE Passport Australia: http://australia.iiepassport.org
Australian Education International: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au
Embassy of the United States: http://usembassy-australia.state.gov
Official Tourism site: http://www.australia.com
University of Queensland: http://www.uq.edu.au
University of Sydney: http://www.usyd.edu.au
University of Melbourne: http://www.unimelb.edu.au
Australian National University: http://www.anu.edu.au
Macquarie University: http://www.mq.edu.au
Curtin University of Technology: http://www.curtin.edu.au
University of Western Australia: http://www.uwa.edu.au