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The two world wars had a profound effect on Australia's migration program. The resettling of refugees and young people in the postwar periods, especially after World War II, were significant chapters in Australian immigration history. Since the late 1940s, about 5.6 million immigrants from over 140 countries have made Australia their home. The mass migrations of the immediate postwar decades have subsided according to changing circumstances, with the preference now on the entry of people with needed skills and expertise Socially, migration has contributed to Australia becoming one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic societies in the world. It has meant the introduction of more than 100 languages into Australian life, while English remains the common language. It has also resulted in the growth of community language schools, ethnic media, businesses, diverse religious and cultural activities and variety in foods, restaurants, fashion, art and architecture.
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