Organised crime in Australia refers to the activities of various groups of crime families and/or organised crime syndicates. Organised crime is a phenomenon that has emerged in different cultures and countries around the world; it is ubiquitous, internationalised and not exclusive to certain geographical areas, to singular ethnic groups, or to particular social systems (though local areas may exhibit great diversity in their social response to such activity). Australia, as a relatively young first-world free-market democracy, provides a socio-economic and political environment that is unique to the understanding of organised crime.