Arab Australian
Encyclopedia
An Arab Australian is an Australian citizen or resident of Arab
cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity
whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants originating from one or more of the twenty-three countries comprised by the Arab World
(from the northernmost Syria
and westernmost Morocco
in North Africa
to the southernmost Sudan
and easternmost Iraq
in Southwest Asia
).
Although Arab Australians comprise a highly diverse group of people, differing in ancestral origins, religious backgrounds and historic identities, Arab Australians hold a heritage that shares common linguistic, cultural, and political traditions, and it is these factors which are the ties that bind.
who have ancestry from the Arab World
and are citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, totaling approximately 308,104. The majority of Arab Australian originate from Lebanon
, Syria
, Palestine
, Jordan
, Egypt
, Iraq
and Morocco
and other Arab nations, which are small in numbers but present nonetheless. The largest group of whom are the Lebanese
numbering 199,640 or (0.92%), Syrian who number 20,213 or (0.08%), Iraqis who number 11,190 or (0.05%), Egyptians
who number 27,001 or (0.12%), Sudanese who number 3,788 or (0.01%), Palestinians who number 7,001 or (0.03%), Jordanians who number 2,687 or (0.01%), and Algerians
who number 696 or (0.003%).
The city with the largest percentage of Arab Australians is Sydney
at nearly 45%. Lakemba
, Bankstown
, Campsie
, Merrylands
and Fairfield
suburbs is home to the largest concentration of Arab Australians in Sydney in Melbourne Arabs are mostly concentrated in Broadmeadows
, Coburg
and Flemington
.
Sydney has the most Lebanese Australians and Iraqi Australian
s, usually live in the Canterbury-Bankstown
section of Sydney Inner suburbs of Melbourne as well. Melbourne has a sizable Arab-Australian population, mainly are immigrants involved in the oil and energy business came to the city during the 1970s/1980s and a developed noticeable community in Perth
.
who visit and stay in Australia. They are overwhelmingly international students; their number is estimated between 1,200 and 2,000. Australia is also a major tourist destination, with 14,000 Emiratis entering the country each year.
The percentage of Arab Australians who are Christians has increased in recent years, due to the fact that most new Arab immigrants tend to be Christians; this stands in contrast to the first wave of Arab immigration to Australia in the late late 20th century, during which immigrants were almost all Muslims. Most Maronite Catholics tend to be of Lebanese extraction; those Christians of Palestinian background are often Eastern Orthodox. A small number are Protestants, either having joined a Protestant denomination after immigrating to Australia. or being from a family that converted to Protestantism while still living in the Middle East (European and American Protestant missionaries were fairly commonplace in the Levant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
cultural and linguistic heritage and/or identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants originating from one or more of the twenty-three countries comprised by the Arab World
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
(from the northernmost Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and westernmost Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
to the southernmost Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and easternmost Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in Southwest Asia
Southwest Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East, which describes a geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than its location within Asia...
).
Although Arab Australians comprise a highly diverse group of people, differing in ancestral origins, religious backgrounds and historic identities, Arab Australians hold a heritage that shares common linguistic, cultural, and political traditions, and it is these factors which are the ties that bind.
Population
Arab Australians are people in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
who have ancestry from the Arab World
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
and are citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, totaling approximately 308,104. The majority of Arab Australian originate from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and other Arab nations, which are small in numbers but present nonetheless. The largest group of whom are the Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
numbering 199,640 or (0.92%), Syrian who number 20,213 or (0.08%), Iraqis who number 11,190 or (0.05%), Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
who number 27,001 or (0.12%), Sudanese who number 3,788 or (0.01%), Palestinians who number 7,001 or (0.03%), Jordanians who number 2,687 or (0.01%), and Algerians
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
who number 696 or (0.003%).
The city with the largest percentage of Arab Australians is Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
at nearly 45%. Lakemba
Lakemba, New South Wales
Lakemba is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lakemba is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury....
, Bankstown
Bankstown, New South Wales
Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...
, Campsie
Campsie, New South Wales
Campsie is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campsie is located 13 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the southern bank of the Cooks River. Campsie is the commercial and administrative centre of the City of...
, Merrylands
Merrylands, New South Wales
Merrylands is a suburb in western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Merrylands is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Holroyd...
and Fairfield
Fairfield, New South Wales
Fairfield is a western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Fairfield is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is also partly in the local government...
suburbs is home to the largest concentration of Arab Australians in Sydney in Melbourne Arabs are mostly concentrated in Broadmeadows
Broadmeadows, Victoria
Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
, Coburg
Coburg, Victoria
Coburg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland, although a handful of properties on Coburg's Eastern boundary are located in the City of Darebin...
and Flemington
Flemington, Victoria
Flemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, situated between the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland. Its Local Government Areas are the...
.
Sydney has the most Lebanese Australians and Iraqi Australian
Iraqi Australian
Iraqi Australians are people of Iraqi origin living in Australia.Since the 1991 Gulf War, thousands of Iraqis have found refuge in Australia. The total of population is estimated to be as high as 80,000....
s, usually live in the Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown
Canterbury-Bankstown is a general term used to describe the area located around the Bankstown railway line. The suburbs of the Canterbury-Bankstown region are not specific to the local government areas of City of Canterbury and the City of Bankstown but includes many of them. The Georges River acts...
section of Sydney Inner suburbs of Melbourne as well. Melbourne has a sizable Arab-Australian population, mainly are immigrants involved in the oil and energy business came to the city during the 1970s/1980s and a developed noticeable community in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Emiratis
There are a growing number of people from the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
who visit and stay in Australia. They are overwhelmingly international students; their number is estimated between 1,200 and 2,000. Australia is also a major tourist destination, with 14,000 Emiratis entering the country each year.
Religious background
Most Arab Australians are Muslims followed by Christians.The percentage of Arab Australians who are Christians has increased in recent years, due to the fact that most new Arab immigrants tend to be Christians; this stands in contrast to the first wave of Arab immigration to Australia in the late late 20th century, during which immigrants were almost all Muslims. Most Maronite Catholics tend to be of Lebanese extraction; those Christians of Palestinian background are often Eastern Orthodox. A small number are Protestants, either having joined a Protestant denomination after immigrating to Australia. or being from a family that converted to Protestantism while still living in the Middle East (European and American Protestant missionaries were fairly commonplace in the Levant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).
Racial status
Arabs in Australia are officially classified as North African and Middle Eastern by government agencies, including the Australian Census Bureau.Famous Australians of Arab descent
- Don HanyDon HanyDon Hany is an Australian award-winning actor. He is best known for his role in the series White Collar Blue, the film Lucky Miles and in the mini-series East West 101.-Biography:...
- Osamah SamiOsamah SamiOsamah Sami is an Australian actor of Persian origin. He has appeared in numerous episodes of the Australian television programme Kick.-Biography:...
- Loudy Wiggins
- Raymon Youmaran
See also
- Arab AmericanArab AmericanAn Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab ethnic, cultural and linguistic heritage or identity, who identifies themselves as Arab. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World...
- Arab diasporaArab diasporaArab diaspora refers to Arab immigrants, and their descendants who, voluntarily or as refugees, emigrated from their native lands and now reside in non-Arab countries, primarily in Latin America, and Europe, as well as North America and South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and West...
- Iraqi diasporaIraqi diasporaThe Iraqi diaspora refers to native Iraqis who have left for other countries as emigrants or refugees, and is now one of the largest in modern times, being described by the UN as a "humanitarian crisis" largely due to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq....
- Refugees of IraqRefugees of IraqThroughout the past 100 years, there have been a growing number of refugees fleeing Iraq and settling throughout the world, peaking recently with the latest Iraq War. Most of Iraqi Jews, some 120,000, fled the country in mass exodus of 1950-1952. Tens of thousands of Kurds turned displaced and fled...
- Western MuslimsWestern MuslimsWestern Muslims are Muslims who reside in the West. Ever since the rise of Islam, Muslims have lived in parts of the West alongside Jews and Christians. Until the twentieth century, very few Muslims had ever lived in Western Europe, with the main exceptions being southern Italy and Al-Andalus, the...