The bush

"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.

Usage by country

Australia

The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly grassless, thin to thick woody shrubs and bushes, under a sparse canopy of eucalypts. The bush was something that was uniquely Australian and very different to the green European landscapes familiar to many new immigrants. The bush was revered as a source of national ideals by the likes of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson. Romanticising the bush in this way was a big step forward for Australians in their steps towards self-identity. The legacy is a folklore rich in the spirit of the bush.

From a social and/or political perspective the bush, as in a person "going bush", can also be understood to mean desert or any other sparsely inhabited region regardless of vegetation. "The Bush" also refers to any populated region outside of the major metropolitan areas, including mining and agricultural areas. Consequently it is not unusual to have a mining town in the desert such as Port Hedland (Pop. 14,000) referred to as "The bush" within the media.

The term bush is also affixed to any number of other entities or activities to describe their rural, country or folk nature, eg......
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