# Is Australia a "Western" country? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830 "2009-07-31T01:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/1 "2009-07-31T01:42:34Z")
I have to admit, I never gave this any thought, until an acquaintance brought it up. I can see it being considered Western, in terms of its politics and culture, but it just seems strange, considering its location. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/2 "2009-07-31T01:47:26Z")
I’d have to go west to get there, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t be Western. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/3 "2009-07-31T01:47:37Z")
Yes. It’s also considered part of the New World. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/4 "2009-07-31T01:57:54Z")
Everywhere is west of somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/5 "2009-07-31T02:24:56Z")
Except the north and south poles ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/6 "2009-07-31T02:25:44Z")
Yes it is, in the way you’re using it, “western” is idiomatic. They now use the termed “Westernized” so they can include places like Japan. Outside of Western Europe and Canada and the USA, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand fall into “the West,” even though they aren’t “west” in the traditional sense. As South Korea, Sinapore and Taiwan start developing, evne more, it’ll be more problematic to use that term. South Korea is the biggest argument now, with some considering it fully developed on par with the West and others saying it’s not quite there but almost. ---
**Author:** ![chicken\_wire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@chicken\_wire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicken_wire)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/7 "2009-07-31T03:03:28Z")
We have both kinds, Country and **Western**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/8 "2009-07-31T07:51:04Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Except the north and south poles True poles, or magnetic poles? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/9 "2009-07-31T10:44:56Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > True poles, or magnetic poles? Either, provided you use their respective “west”. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/10 "2009-07-31T11:29:39Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Yes it is, in the way you’re using it, “western” is idiomatic. > > They now use the termed “Westernized” so they can include places like Japan. > > Outside of Western Europe and Canada and the USA, Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand fall into “the West,” even though they aren’t “west” in the traditional sense. > > As South Korea, Sinapore and Taiwan start developing, evne more, it’ll be more problematic to use that term. South Korea is the biggest argument now, with some considering it fully developed on par with the West and others saying it’s not quite there but almost. You are confusing the definition of First World definition with the Western culture or western civilization definition. South Korea and Japan in no way belong to the latter. The roots of western civilization are (i) a classical one and (ii) a judeo-christian one. The answer to your question is yes, Australia is a western country as are most (if not) all former europeans colonies. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/11 "2009-07-31T11:34:35Z")
So Argentina is not western? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/12 "2009-07-31T13:23:12Z")
> [@chicken\_wire](#): > > We have both kinds, Country and **Western**. 😉 Then y’all know how to dance the Texas Two-step? Cool, who knew? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/13 "2009-07-31T13:24:18Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > True poles, or magnetic poles? True Poles and other Slavic people are still considered part of the Eastern Bloc, right? Are Magnetic Poles a seperatist group I haven’t heard about? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/14 "2009-07-31T14:32:42Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > True Poles and other Slavic people are still considered part of the Eastern Bloc, right? Are Magnetic Poles a seperatist group I haven’t heard about? 😃 Is the the “No True Pole” fallacy I keep hearing about? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/15 "2009-07-31T15:02:21Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > You are confusing the definition of First World definition with the Western culture or western civilization definition. South Korea and Japan in no way belong to the latter. > The roots of western civilization are (i) a classical one and (ii) a judeo-christian one. > The answer to your question is yes, Australia is a western country as are most (if not) all former europeans colonies. Yes, this, exactly. I’ve never heard of Australia _not_ being considered part of the West. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/16 "2009-07-31T15:14:12Z")
Morocco is further west than most western European countries, but no one would consider it a western country in the sense that the OP means. It’s a matter of culture, not geography. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/17 "2009-07-31T15:29:17Z")
Dominated by people of European stock, Christianized, democratic, market economy? Yup, in that sense, it’s Western. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/18 "2009-07-31T21:00:17Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So Argentina is not western? Argentina is as Western as Spain or Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/19 "2009-07-31T22:55:00Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So Argentina is not western? Argentina is a western country. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830/20 "2009-07-31T23:05:39Z")
> [@chicken\_wire](#): > > We have both kinds, Country and **Western**. 😉 Could I have 4 fried chickens and a Coke, please? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-australia-a-western-country/504830.md?page=2)