Aborigonie as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary: Aborigines - The Flora and Fauna native to a geographical area. Lat for original inhabitants.
Aboriginal - Existing from the beginning or being the earliest of its type in an area.
~Physical Enviroment:.
From Australia which is known asthe worlds great island continent?. Cyclones are common around the coast, as are severe draughts throughout the land. Current enviroment issues are soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices. Soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water, desertification, clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species *(Encarta encylopedia. Keyword:?Australia?) All these factors effect the life of the Aborigine because they are hunter-gatherer groups who depend on their enviroment for food. Natural Resources are abundant in bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum. Australias long term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef .
~Population:.
The present generation of Aborigines might in fact be the last generation of the culture. Initial contact with the British took its tool through foreign illness?. Ultimatley there are only a handfull of Aborigines that survive today. They make up only 1% of the population in Australia. Within that 1% are 500 - 600 different groups (at least 50 are extinct) and 200 different languages or dialects Other ethnic groups make up the rest of Australia, white / caucasian - 92%, Asian 7%. Religons: Anglican - 26.1%, Roman Catholic - 26%, other Christian - 24.3%, non-Christian - 11%. .
~Substanince & Diet:.
With great knowledge of the land, the basic requirement of each migrating group was permanent drinking water, within range of which its members could obtain food by hunting and gathering what nature could provide, this because the aborigines were neither gardeners nor herdsmen.
