Global News Journal Beyond the World news headlines The huge
outback dust storm that swept across eastern Australia on Sept.
23 smothering Sydney in red dirt was a stark reminder that after
221 years of white settlement Australians still only cling to
the edge of this harsh island continent. Australians love to
promote the idea that they live in a sunburnt country, of rugged
outback cattlemen and ancient Aboriginal culture, but for most
Australians it’s a myth. Australia’s 21.7 million people may
live in the world’s driest inhabited continent, with a vast
outback interior, but the country is one of the world’s most
urbanised societies. Almost 90 percent of people live in “urban
Australia” and 67 percent call one of eight coastal cities home,
with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane dominating.