Think Australia is Small?

People simply do not realize how large Australia is. I didn't either until we first thought of this move.  I swiped this photo off the internet (my apologies to its owners, but I'm using it for educational purposes) and it does a very good job comparing the sizes of the United States and Australia.

To top it off, the population of the United States is 311.8 million as of July 2011.  Comparatively, the population of Australia is 22.7 million as of September 2011.  The state of Western Australia, roughly the size of the United States from the Rockies and west, has a population of roughly 2.4 million as of 2011.

Perth itself has a population of approximately 1.74 million.  So let's think about that.  2.4 million - 1.74 million =  .66 million.  That means there are roughly a half million people living on a land mass the size of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and some of Washington, outside of Perth.  For the city of Perth itself, population is just a bit larger than what one would find in Philadelphia.  For comparison, the populations of Los Angeles are 3.8 million and New York 8.2 million respectively.  The entire population of the state of Western Australia - 2.4 million - would easily fit within the confines of Los Angeles alone with plenty to spare.

What does this mean?  For a land expanse the size of the United States from the Rockies west, you will find absolutely no one.  Western Australia's population density is currently 2.4 persons per square mile.  This statistic is skewed by Perth, as the true population density of the state of Western Australia is much less -figured at less than one person per square mile.

Does this mean anything else?  If you think about it, yes.  I'm looking forward to actually viewing the stars and Milky Way without haze and light pollution. I hear it's quite the sight to see.  I hear that you can see shooting stars quite often, and at least one per night that blazes across the sky leaving a fiery trail.

Once you get out of Perth and head north or east there aren't very many people at all, and as long as you are prepared, you can have a truly unmolested camping adventure.

This is another reason why the citizens of Perth, despite having criminals of their own sort, are more cooperatively minded.  I hear this is what makes Australians typically nicer, more respectful, tolerant, and engaged than most.  If they don't work together, they're alone.

Sounds like fun, eh?