Ethnic diversity Today, the British are still the majority with 67.4% of the population. Ethnic Chinese represent 3.6% of the population and Aboriginal people, and native Australians now account for just 3%. Today, Australia's population is comprised of more than 270 ethnic groups. However, until the mid-20th century, Australian society was considered, with some precision, in the rest of the world as essentially British or, in any case, Anglo-Celtic.
Until then, ties with Great Britain and Ireland were hardly affected by immigration from other sources. Australia's complex demographic textures at the beginning of the 21st century contrasted markedly with the country's homogeneity during the first half of the 20th century. While about nine-tenths of Australia's population is of European descent, more than one-fifth of them were born abroad and there is a small but significant (and growing) Aboriginal population. Of those born abroad, approximately half were born in Europe, although by far the largest proportion came from the United Kingdom.
Among the largest non-European groups are New Zealanders and Chinese. The growth of immigration, in particular Asian immigration (from China, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the Philippines) that began in the last decades of the 20th century, combined with the subsequent flow of refugees from the Balkans, altered the cultural landscape and imbued Australia with a cosmopolitanism that it lacked in the mid-20th century. Despite the country's long-standing Anglo-Celtic heritage, two ethnic groups, the Chinese and the Italians, have had a significant presence in Australia since the 19th century. Because many Chinese immigrants had rural backgrounds and possessed water and land management skills, they played an important role in the early development of Australian agriculture.
When gold ran out in the region, many Italians stayed in Australia and established farming communities in other parts of the country. The persecution and political indifference shown towards the aborigines failed to extinguish their culture. Australia has a unique history that has shaped the diversity of its current peoples, cultures and lifestyles. The population of Australia, of about 23.4 million inhabitants, is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the world.
The Catholic education system is the second largest sector after public schools, with more than 650,000 students (and about 21 percent of all high school enrollments). Some of the main cultural events are ANZAC Day, which is a day when Australian and New Zealand forces are remembered for their participation in World War I, in the Battle of Gallipoli, and in any other war or peacekeeping operation. Although their technical culture remained static and depended on tools and weapons made of wood, bone and stone, they developed intricate agricultural systems and carefully managed their environment to ensure continued sustainability. The country was colonized by the British and has experienced immigration from many different countries and cultures.
The three main factors that contribute to Australia's demographic makeup are a diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, a British colonial past, and extensive immigration from many different countries and cultures. Since the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia has followed an official policy of multiculturalism, and there has been a large and continuous wave of immigration from around the world, with Asia being the biggest source of immigrants in the 21st century. Today, Australia's population of about 25.4 million is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the world. Like the Chinese, many Italian immigrants came from rural environments, which helped them to excel in agriculture and viticulture.
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