What is the difference between Australia and Kenya?

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

• Laws? Shopping? Transportation? Fashion? Holidays? Which is more expensive to live in? What kind of money do they (Australians) use? What is the temperature like in Australia, is it rainy, snowy, cold, hot, humid or dry? For those of you who have lived in both countries, which place did you like living in better, Australia or America? Are the houses different in any way? Is it more or less expensive to live in Australia than in the States? Would it be hard for an American to move to Australia? Sorry for all the questions, but please take the time to answer. Thanks! Any websites you want to share would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to share any Australian experiences you may have had!!! Thanks for answering!

• Answer:

  Big question! As someone who has spent a lot of time in both countries, I'll have a go at answering... Both are HUGE countries, so it's hard to compare things like climate. Australia is warmer than the US. The coldest part is Tasmania, but it's quite temperate compared to the Northern US. Australia extends well into the tropics, much hotter and more humid than anywhere in the US. In the center of Australia is VERY hot and dry. Australia has a MUCH smaller population, a 10th of the US. Sydney is the largest city with about 4.5 million. It has a climate similar to San Diego. Australian houses tend to be a bit smaller than US ones, but we're catching up! Likewise waistlines! Australian houses don't have basements. Air-conditioning is common. Central heating is rare. Most things in Australia are more expensive than the US - especially technology, like computers, TVs, etc. Australia has better social services than the US - particularly health and education. When there's a flood or other natural disaster in Australia everybody digs in and gets things fixed up. I'm still horrified by the way the US govt responded to Hurricane Katrina. It was the kind of half-arsed response you'd expect in a third world country - not a global superpower. Australia has strict gun controls. The only person you will ever see in public with a firearm is a cop. Cops are MUCH friendlier in Australia than the US. Australia has the best beaches in the World. Australia is much less religious than the US. It always surprises me how much American talk about God. For Australians that's much more rare. Plenty of Australians go to church, but they are just nowhere near as fanatical as the US. Australians recycle - paper, plastics, cans, glass... For many Americans the concept is unheard of. Australians love to travel. Most Australians have a passport. Most Americans don't. There is way less crime and corruption in Australia. A murder is big news in Australia - in the US it is just par for the course. Although you'll find racism in Australia (like anywhere) it is less common and less extreme than the US. I have a young black friend from LA who tries to spend as much time as he can in Australia because he is not constantly being harassed for the color of his skin. Likewise with issues like homosexuality. We still have some backwards thinkers, but overall I'd say Australia is much more gay-friendly than the US. Australia has some very tight immigration, so it's not the easiest thing in the world to move here. But if you are young and have valuable work skills it's not too hard to move to Australia. For me, Australia is an awesome place to live - great climate, amazing beaches and national parks, easy lifestyle, and safe. The US has it's advantages, and overall I like the American people, but there are just too many things where I find America socially backwards. BEST CITY I love Sydney. As a lawyer and a chef, you should find it reasonably easy to immigrate to Australia, and Sydney has a lot to offer. Melbourne's great too. It's maybe a little more fashionable than Sydney, and has a more "cultural" bent than Sydney (theatre, arts, etc). But the trade off is that the climate isn't as pleasant, and it just doesn't have the beaches and national parks. If you love the outdoors, go for Sydney, or Brisbane, or even Perth. If you prefer theatre, and the arts, go for Melbourne. One warning - both Sydney and Melbourne are very expensive to buy/rent a house. But on a lawyer's salary you should be fine. If you are serious about moving, go to Australia for a visit. Check our Sydney and Melbourne, and do some sightseeing - Kakadu, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, ... If you like the place, start looking for a job. You'd probably need to brush up on Australian law, and then just look for a law firm willing to sponsor your immigration application. Good luck! DANGEROUS ANIMALS - OR NOT? Just saw the reply above that mentioned "dangerous animals". This is grossly exaggerated - mostly by Australians. Australia has some of the worlds most venemous snakes, spiders etc, but these animals are terrified of humans and avoid them at all costs. Encounters are extremely rare. There is maybe 1 death a year from snakebite. 0 deaths from spiderbite in 30 years (since the introduction of antivenom). There are crocodiles in the far north, and they are to be treated with caution. <1 fatality a year on avg. With long hot summers, and gorgeous beaches, Australians spend a LOT of time in the water, so shark attacks are inevitable - but <1 fatality a year on avg. More people die from bee-stings in Australia than sharks or crocs. And like anywhere car-crashes claim far more lives (~2,500/year in Australia, ~33,000 in US). In the US ~16,000 people are murdered a year. In Australia ~200. Personally, I'll take my chances with Australia's "dangerous animals".