What is the difference between America and Australia? (And a few questions about Australia in general)?

Sheesh... what a lot of questions. Firstly, I lived in Pittsburgh a few years ago while going to College(Australian born and bred)... so I've a fair idea on the differences between our two countries. Laws: lots of similarities. Lots of differences too though. Australian law considers a 16 year old an adult (generally speaking). Legal drinking age is 18. Our gun laws are waaaaay stricter. Comes from not needing an armed militia to protect us when we were first colonised. Shopping: same same. Lots of stores you'll recognise (7-11, Target); lots you won't. We have all the basics from large department stores to shopping malls and shopping strips. Transportation: depends on the city. Most have a decent bus network, some have a decent train network, while Sydney has ferries and Melbourne has trams. Most people own their own cars though, due to the great distances. We're roughly the same size as the contiguous USA, but no where near the population, so air transport is nothing compared to the States. Fashion: same same. Whatever is in vogue in Europe is in vogue here - only six months later; given we're in the southern hemisphere. Holidays: we holiday in Asia and the Pacific predominantly because they are on our doorstep. Trips to Acapulco or Paris aren't weekend breaks for us, but major vacations. Expensive: same same. You will earn a decent wage here, and therefore be able to live a good life. Our booze and smokes (alcohol and cigarettes) are heavily taxed here, so more expensive by comparison, but our foodstuffs are cheaper because most of it we grow ourselves. Currency: decimal. Our notes are polimer and different colours and sizes for different denominations. $20 is orange and bigger than the blue $10 etc. We also have metal coins ranging from 5, 10, 20, 50, $1, and $2. $5 is a note, with notes going up from $10, $20, $50 and $100. We have $200 coins etc., but no one's ever seen them unless they collect coins. Temperature: Much milder. We're surrounded by the ocean, so we don't get chinooks from the Arctic (or Antarctica in our case). It snows up in the mountains (where snow belongs), and not in any of our cities - 'cept occassionally down in Hobart. Which is better: how deep's a hole? America has its good points (mainly its people). I prefer Australia. I don't feel like I'm fighting the world all the time; like I did in America. Houses: Different... we don't have the brown stones for starters or tenaments. We don't tend to build vertically (ie very few houses here have basements). Our housing is more like California's. We have spread out horizontally... not vertically. Difficulty in moving: compared to? If you have the qualifications we are desperate for, you can emigrate easily (ie medical, teaching, etc.). I have no idea whether we need any more lawyers, and your qualifications aren't worth the paper they're written on here. You'd have to take a "refresher" course to bring your qualifications in line with what is expected out here to practice law. Hope that has answered a few of your qustions

1) most of your questions you can find faster using Google 2) we don't go around bombing everyone that pose no real threat to us 3) lawyers are viewed as lowest scum of earth. We have higher respect for a cleaner than a lawyer.

We use exclusively metric measurements We don't tip, everyone earns a good wage ($15/hr minimum for an adult) We drive on the left and use British spelling Voting is compulsory in all government elections - federal, state and local council Drinking age is 18 We don't have guns and have very strict gun laws - it's much, much safer here We have universal health care We are a lot less religious and more liberal Australia is a lot more expensive and our economy is a lot stronger, but incomes are higher to match We use the Australian dollar, currently worth a little more than the US dollar We are more urbanised, almost the entire population lives in a city of over a million people Australia is huge and has a range of very different climates and environments, including snowy mountains, tropical rainforest, desert, rolling green hills, bushland, beaches and pretty much anything else. Most of Australia has a fairly warm to hot climate Sydney is the most expensive city to live in Our legal system is quite different to the US, and is very similar to the British system Transportation, shopping, fashion much the same as the US We have very little Mexican/Hispanic cultural influence, but a much higher Asian influence. Our population is very culturally diverse and a quarter of our population was born elsewhere We are in a mining boom, unemployment is very low and we didn't go into recession with the GFC. We have less extremes of poverty and wealth I know lawyers are having a bit of trouble finding good work these days in Australia, we have a bit of an oversupply at the moment, I would imagine that inland rural areas would be the best option for finding work. A good chef can find work anywhere, there is a shortage of experienced chefs as I understand it. I'm not sure how (if at all) you can be registered to practice in Australia - you will need to look up the law society in the state you are interested in to find out http://www.lawcouncil.asn.au/lca/index.cfm?E4029608-1C23-CACD-223C-DE92A2EE98B6. Even if not registered you could probably get some sort of legal related job. The main issue is that to move to Australia to work you or your wife will need a permanent skilled migration residency visa, they are difficult to obtain and the process is often slow and expensive. http://www.immi.gov.au

Look up Australia on wikipedia.com Australia is more expensive than the USA and they drive on the other side of the road. And the climate is more like Southern California over most of the country. That is, it is hot and dry. And yes it is difficult to emigrate to Australia. Or anywhere. As a lawyer you would be considered unskilled as the laws are different there and you would have to go to a good part of law school all over again. A chef will have an easier time emigrating.

I'm sorry but you are aware that America and Australia are HUGE countries.. The answers to the questions you have asked vary so much. New Orleans is nothing like New York just like Melbourne is nothing like Darwin in Australia for example. Shopping: Well it is good in certain cities like Melbourne and Sydney.. But rather dismal in the likes of Perth, Adelaide. There's less of a selection here compared to America.. but there's still some good stores. America has cheaper clothing definitely. Transportation: Depends on where you live in America and where you live in Australia. Transport is always better in bigger cities. Fashion: Relatively similar through all of Australia, people tend to dress a bit different in Melbourne though as it's more of an artsy city. Perth is more about the sun and surfing so in the warmer months, people look more "surfy" compared to other places. Australia is A LOT more expensive to live in. Um, in Australia the currency is dollars. Again, Australia is huge. This is like me asking you, what is the weather like in America? The climate varies depending on what part of the country you live in. Obviously the more north you are, the warmer it is. Perth has a mediterranean climate so it is very hot in summer and very mild in winter. Brisbane is humid and tropical. Sydney is warm and gets a little cool. Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart are the colder cities. Melbourne tends to be quite overcast and cloudy, weather very unpredictable. Hobart is mild in Summer. It rains a lot in Queesland and Darwin as they are tropical. It snows in parts of Victoria and New South Wales. No, it is more expensive to live in Australia than the states. Would it be hard for you to move? Depends on your profession. As long as you haven't spent time in prison, you're a lawyer, you have a good chance. I think Melbourne is the best city by far. Very diverse, multicultural, artsy, fun, friendly people, cute, good food, good night life no matter your age, has character, good transportation.. It snows in the mountains but also can get hot in Summer. Nice scenery in country Victoria. Okay I have been to both countries and worked in both. I grew up in Australia but live in Canada now. I will say a bit about both. Anyway.. America has WAY better shopping, it is so much cheaper to buy clothes, food, shoes, pillows. You name it. The food tastes better and you have more of a selection. Restaurants, cafes, supermarkets etc are a lot cheaper for you. There's a hell of a lot more to see and do. There's more culture and variation from state to state. Australia has a better health care system. The wages are A LOT better over there. Even in jobs like a shop assistant or waitress, cleaner.. You get paid reasonably and don't depend on tips. Less crime.. But obviously as we have a small population. Cleaner cities.

- Australian legal system is different to American - Australian shopping is the same as American - Australian fashion is the same as American - Australian summer holidays are from December to January. Public holidays include Australia Day (January 26), ANZAC Day (April 25), Queen's Birthday (sometime in June) - Australians use the Australia dollar (AU$), similar money system to American - Australian temperature is tropical in Queensland, Darwin, the rest is varied. Summer can get hot (30-40C degrees), winter can get cold especially Melbourne and Tasmania (0-10C degrees). Australia is predominantly a dry country - Lawyers will be better off in the larger cities such as Melbourne and Sydney, where there are more law firms and other companies I guess. But as far as I know, there is a surplus of lawyers here in Australia, and a foreign lawyer will probably need extra training / education here to be a certified lawyer. Chefs are probably more in demand, especially experienced ones, and Melbourne and Sydney, again will probably have the most opportunities. - Having said that, Melbourne and Sydney have the most expensive property - I live in Melbourne, and what I like about this city is its cold weather, cultural heritage, well designed CBD, sporting events, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, and the multiculturalism. But I hate the transport system.

Laws? Many similar, we have laws against murder and rape for example. But there are differences too. In some regards we have "nanny state" laws whereas in some cases the US does. We have more strenuous gun laws than the US, whereas the US is far more stringent on drugs... Shopping? We have them, probably more expensve here, but then we do have a smaller population, extra cost to get things here and people do get more livable wages. Tranposrtation? Public transport in the big cities are pretty good all things considered and are isn't just an insane asylum as it often is in the US... Fashion? Generally pretty laid, but depends on where you go. Melbourne (pronounce closer to Mel-bun not Mel-born) or Sydney are probably most fashion conscious. Other places can be very relaxed. Sydney is most expensive. If you are considering moving, consider perhaps going out a little although that will depend on your job... But maybe go out from the main cities, so Brisbane consider going up to the Sunshine Coast for example... Tropical, sub-tropical, desert and temperate pretty much covers everything... Tropical covers everything above Rockhampton, along the Queensland coast and Darwin are typically "tropical" (hot and humid). Inland area (behind the Great Dividing Range - places like Longreach and Mt Isa - inland - Northern Territory (I am not sure if Alice Springs is above or below the Tropic of Cancer line or not but if it's below look above that then) and that upper section of Western Australia are more "desert" (hot and dry) particularly Northern Territory and WA... Actually the back bit of Queensland as described above is "channel country" - quite often dry but get a cyclone or tropical low cross up around around Cairns and drop a lot of rain behind the Great Dividing Range and it channels the water down to the Murray River eventually. Brisbane is subtropical, still hot and humid but not nearly as much as the Tropics, inland is similas to it's northern counterparts. The rest of the country is various parts temperate. Sydney for example has generally warm and dampish summers with cool and dry summers. Melbourne and Adelaide have warm but dry summers and cool and wet winters. There are snowfields up on the Great Dividing Range around the NSW / Victorian boarder. But most places don't get snow or cold - not like say New York City who get snow by the foot... Australia is for the most part way better. Less crime and violence etc (Murder rate in Australia is ~1.25 per 100,000, America is closer to 6 per 100,000.) Watch Bowling for Columbine (Yeah it's Michael Moore sensationalism but look at the basic message - USA has lots of death and mayhem from guns compared to other countries (eg Canada has similar gun numbers but no where near the amounts as the US, Japan has far more violent video games and yet has very little gun violence) We have a better health, a small yet strong economy and things like national health. Yeah it's not perfect, but you know what? Waaaay better than the US health system. I know the US doesn't get it, but we pay 1.25% tax to Medicare, and at the end of the day I'm not going to die because I'm in a car accident and don't have insurance or such... In some ways it is more expensive but wages are better here. Minimum wage is like $15 nearly twice that of the US. Good side is that tipping is almost non existant here... From what I understand though fresh foods like fruit and veg are better and more varied than some places in the US You'd need to check out the immigration website (http://www.immi.gov.au/). Your wife may be on the wanted list but you're both well educated so you might be the top of the list but you're not the bottom either... Best city? Depends on what you want...