| AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT STATS: |
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Administrative divisions
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
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Capital city > Geographic coordinates
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35 17 S, 149 13 E |
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Constitution
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
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Corruption
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8.8 |
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[9th of 160]
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Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address
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APO AP 96549 |
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Executive branch > Cabinet
prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers |
Executive branch > Chief of state
Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Quentin BRYCE (since 5 September 2008) |
Flag description
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars |
Government type
federal parliamentary democracy |
Independence
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
Judicial branch
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) |
Legal system
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives) |
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Parliamentary seats > Female
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22% |
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[17th of 143]
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Political parties and leaders
Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [Malcolm TURNBULL]; The Nationals [Warren TRUSS] |
Status
federal democracy |
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Time required to start a business > days
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2 days
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[171st of 171]
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Trademarks, residents
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37,202
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[8th of 98]
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Transnational Issues > Disputes > International
Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Timor-Leste hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea; regional states continue to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly thirty percent more than its claimed exclusive economic zone; since 2003, Australia has led the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security |
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