Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. It also includes a number of secondary islands, the largest of which is the State of Tasmania. Australia is a federation, and is governed as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of land on the planet Earth. ... Australasia is the area that includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the many smaller islands in the vicinity, most of which are the eastern part of Indonesia. ... For the fictional superstate in George Orwells novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, see Oceania (fiction). ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ...

Australia's neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Pacific Islands to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. The shortest border distance is between the mainlands of Papua New Guinea and Australia at about 150 km; however, the nearest inhabited island, Boigu Island, is about 5 km from Papua New Guinea. This has led to a complicated border arrangement allowing access for 'traditional' uses of the waterway across the border by Papua New Guinean people and Torres Strait Islanders. The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor, is an island nation in Southeast Asia, consisting of the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, a political exclave of East Timor situated on the western side of... Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the other half is the Papua province of Indonesia). ... The Pacific Ocean has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands; the exact number is unknown. ... For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). ... This is a list of the extreme points of Australia, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent. ... Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. ...

Origin and history of the name

The name Australia derives from Latin australis meaning southern, and dates back to 2nd century legends of an "unknown southern land" (i.e: terra australis incognita). The British explorer Matthew Flinders named the land Terra Australis which was later abbreviated to the current form. Previously, when the Dutch explored the area they named it Nova Hollandicus or New Holland. Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... (1st century - 2nd century - 3rd century - other centuries) Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 - 19 July 1814) was one of the most accomplished navigators and chartmakers of his age. ... Terra Australis is the large continent on the bottom of the map Terra Australis (more completely Terra Australis Incognita, (the) unknown southern land) was an imaginary continent, appearing on European maps from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. ... New Holland could refer to several things: Several former Dutch colonies were known as New Holland: northeast coast Brazil, capital Mauritsstad (now Recife), see Dutch West India Company. ...

Flinders later renamed the land Australia in a chart compiled in 1804 whilst he was held prisoner by the French in Mauritius. When he returned to England and published his works in 1814 he was forced to change the name to Terra Australis by the British Admiralty. Governor Macquarie of New South Wales became aware of Flinders' preference for the name Australia and used it in his dispatches to England. In 1824 the British Admiralty finally accepted that the continent should be known officially as Australia. 1804 is a leap year starting on Sunday. ... The Republic of Mauritius is an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Colonel Lachlan Macquarie (31 January 1762–1 July 1824), colonial governor regarded by many as the real founder of Australia, was born in the Isle of Mull in the Hebrides islands of Scotland. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Official language None; English is de facto Capital London Capitals coordinates 51° 30 N, 0° 10 W Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The word "Australia" is pronounced locally as either /əˈstɹeɪljə/ or /əˈstɹeɪjə/ (IPA). This article is about the alphabet officially used in linguistics. ... Phonetics (from the Greek word phone = sound/voice) is the study of speech sounds (voice). ... In computing, Unicode is the international standard whose goal is to provide the means to encode the text of every document people want to store in computers. ... Technical Note: Most IPA symbols are not included in Times New Roman, the default font for Latin scripts in Internet Explorer for Windows. ... This article is about the alphabet officially used in linguistics. ...

History

Main article: History of Australia History of Australia before 1901 Main article: History of Australia before 1901 Australia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aboriginal people arrived from Southeast Asia. ...

The exact date of the first human habitation of Australia is still a subject of considerable research. There is strong scientific evidence for a presence around 50,000 years ago, a period of massive ecological upheaval in Australia which is believed to be consistent with human colonisation. However, there is some speculation about considerably earlier arrivals, even as many as 100,000 or more years ago. These first Australians were the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aborigines, and arrived via land bridges and navigation of significant sea crossings from present-day south-east Asia. Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

The sharing of animal and plant species between adjacent parts of Australia, the island of Papua New Guinea, and nearby Indonesian islands points to early land bridges closed when sea levels rose. The traditional movement of people between these places in primitive sailing craft for trade and fishing points to the possibility of Arab and Chinese traders to the northern islands learning of and then visiting the shores of the southern continent from as early as the 9th century. Maps compiled in Europe from the late 1400s show parts of the coastline. Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the other half is the Papua province of Indonesia). ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... Arab (disambiguation). ... The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ...

The land is believed to have been first discovered by Europeans in 1522 by the Portuguese explorer Cristóvão de Mendonça, but it was only in the 17th century that the island continent became the subject of European exploration, with several expeditions sighting Terra Australis: the Dutch explorer Willem Jansz (1606), the Portuguese explorer Luis Vaez de Torres in Spanish service (1607), and the Dutch explorers Jan Carstensz (1623), Dirk Hartog and Abel Tasman (1642), after whom is named the island of Tasmania, but which he himself originally named van Diemenslandt (Van Diemen's Land) after Anthony van Diemen. World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... Willem Jansz (c. ... Events January 27 - The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins ending in their execution on January 31 May 17 - Supporters of Vasili Shusky invade the Kremlin and kill pretender Dmitri December 26 - Shakespeares King Lear performed in court Storm buries a village of St Ismails near... Luiz Váez de Torres, Portuguese seaman, remembered chiefly because the Torres Strait separating Australia from Papua New Guinea is named for him. ... Events January 20 - Tidal wave swept along the Bristol Channel, killing 2000 people. ... Jan Carstensz was a Dutch explorer, of whose life little is known. ... Events August 6 - Pope Urban VIII is elected to the Papacy. ... Dirk Hartog, Dutch sea captain, was one of the first Europeans to see the mainland of Australia. ... Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - 1659) was a Dutch seafarer and explorer, born in Lutjegast, a village in the province of Groningen, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644, in the service of the VOC (Dutch East India Company). ... Events January 4 - Charles I attempts to arrest five leading members of the Long Parliament, but they escape. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Anthony van Diemen (1593–1645), or Antonius, Dutch colonial governor, was born in Culemborg in the Netherlands, the son of Bartholomeus van Diemen and Elisabeth Hoevenaar. ...

The first English explorers were William Dampier on the west coast of the continent in 1688, and Lieutenant James Cook who, in 1770, claimed the eastern two-thirds of the continent for Britain, despite orders from King George III to first conclude a treaty with the indigenous population. His report to London that Australia was uninhabited (see Terra nullius) provided impetus for the establishment of a penal colony there following the loss of the American colonies. William Dampier, English naval pioneer William Dampier (August,1651 - March,1715) was a controversial English explorer, sea captain, and scientific observer. ... Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... British explorer James Cook is most noted for having discovered Australia and Hawaii. ... Events March 5 - Boston Massacre: 5 Americans killed by British troops in an event that would help start the American Revolutionary War 5 years later. ... The united Kingdom of Great Britain was created by the merger of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707 (see Act of Union 1707). ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738–29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... Terra nullius is a Latin expression meaning empty land or no mans land. The term refers to a 17th century doctrine that described land that was unclaimed by a sovereign recognised by European authorities and land that was not owned at all. ... Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ...

The British Crown Colony of New South Wales began by the establishment of a settlement (later to become Sydney) in Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on January 26, 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1. ... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge located on Port Jackson Port Jackson is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia, also known as Sydney Harbour and is the largest natural harbour in the world. ... Admiral Arthur Phillip (1786 portrait by Francis Wheatley, National Portrait Gallery, London) Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 _ 31 August 1814) was a British naval officer, governor of the first European settlement in Australia and founder of the city of Sydney. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The National Day is a designated date on which celebrations are held to mark the nationhood of a country. ... Australia Day is Australias official national day, January 26. ...

Van Diemen's Land (the present day Tasmania) was settled in 1803, and became a separate colony in 1825. The rest of the continent, what is now Western Australia, was formally claimed by the United Kingdom in 1829. Following the spread of British settlement, separate Colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851 and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory was founded, as part of the Colony of South Australia, in 1863. Van Diemens Land is the name originally used by the British for Tasmania, an island state of Australia. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Events January 30 - Monroe and Livingston sail for Paris to discuss, and possibly buy, New Orleans. ... Events January 4 - King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies and is succeeded by his son Francis I of the Two Sicilies. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4. ... Events January 8 - Hanging of body-selling murderer William Burke - his associate William Hare, who testified against him, is released January 19 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethes Faust premieres March 4 - Andrew Jackson succeeds John Quincy Adams as the President of the United States of America. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5. ... Events January - Book by Maria Monk claims that she was sexually exploited in a Canadian convent February 3 - United States Whig Party holds its first convention in Albany, New York. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Events January 23 - The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Governor HE Ms Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Area 1,852,642 km² (2st)  - Land 1,730,648 km²  - Water 121,994 km² (6. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Motto: None Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Area 1,420,968 km² (3rd)  - Land 1,349,129 km²  - Water 71,839 km² (5. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Sydney in about 1828, looking north over Hyde Park, Sydney towards the harbour.

During the period of 1855-1890, the six Crown Colonies each successively became self-governing colonies, which managed most of their own affairs. British law was adopted in each colony at the time of the granting of responsible government, and was subsequently modified by the individual legislatures. The British government retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and international shipping. Despite its heavily rural-based economy, Australia remained significantly urbanised, centred particularly around the cities of Melbourne and Sydney. In the 1880s 'Marvellous Melbourne' was the second largest city in the British Empire. Australia also gained a reputation as a 'working man's paradise' and as a laboratory for social reform, with the world's first secret ballot and first national Labor Party government. Universal suffrage was also granted comparatively early in most colonies. This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, named after the original Hyde Park, London. ... Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge located on Port Jackson Port Jackson is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia, also known as Sydney Harbour and is the largest natural harbour in the world. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony. ... Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... This article is about a journal. ... The words defense or defence can refer to any of the following: For defense of a doctoral dissertation see thesis committee For the military term see defense (military) Civil defense measures and emergency preparedness In politics, defense may be a euphemism for war For legal defense see defense (legal) For... For the internet phenomenon of involvement with fictional romance, see Shipping (fandom). ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make a change in certain aspects of the society rather than fundamental changes. ... The Polling by William Hogarth (1755); Before the secret ballot was introduced voter intimidation was commonplace The secret ballot is a process in elections where the choice of the voters is kept confidential. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of voting privileges to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief or social status. ...

On 1 January 1901, federation of the Colonies was achieved after a 10-year gestation period, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a dominion of the British Empire. The Australian Capital Territory was formed from New South Wales in 1911, to provide a neutral place for the proposed new federal capital of Canberra (the initial capital being Melbourne from 1901 to 1929). Although Australia had become independent in many respects, the British government retained some powers until the Statute of Westminster of 1931 was ratified by Australia in 1942, and the theoretical authority of the British Parliament over the Commonwealth Constitution and those of individual states was not completely severed until the passing of the Australia Act in 1986. The original constitution gave the federal government power to make laws relating to any race of people except Aborigines. In 1967, a referendum supported by more than ninety per cent of voters gave the federal government the right to enact laws to protect Aboriginal people and to count them in the census. 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federated on 1 January 1901, to form the Commonwealth of Australia, of which they became component states. ... This is a page about Dominions of the British Empire/Commonwealth. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Administrator None Area 2,358 km² (8th)  - Land 2,358 km²  - Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2003)  - Population 308,700 (7th)  - Density 137 /km... Two of Canberras best-known landmarks, Parliament House and (foreground) Old Parliament House. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... The Statute of Westminster 1931 was the enactment of the United Kingdom Parliament (December 11, 1931) which established the legislative equal status of the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and United Kingdom. ... The Australia Act of 1986 (No. ...

Government

Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002, shown on a postage stamp

Main article: Government of Australia Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... This 1974 stamp from Japan depicts a Class 8620 steam locomotive. ... This article describes the national government of Australia. ...

The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy: Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia, a role distinct and separate from her position as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and she is generally considered to be the head of state, although that term is found nowhere in the Constitution. The Queen is nominally represented by the Governor-General; in practice virtually the entire constitutional role of a monarch is performed independently by the Governor-General. Although the Constitution theoretically gives extensive executive power to the Governor-General, these powers are seldom used directly, and by convention, are exercised only on advice from the Prime Minister. A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... The Governor-General of Australia is the highest constitutional officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia

Government is undertaken by three inter-connected arms of government: John Howard John Winston Howard (born July 26, 1939), is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, coming to office on March 11, 1996 and winning re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

• Legislature: Commonwealth Parliament
• Executive: the Federal Executive Council (Governor-General, Prime Minister and all other Ministers)
• Judiciary: High Court of Australia and subsidiary Federal courts.

The Separation of Powers is the principle whereby the three arms of government undertake their activities separate from the others: Parliament House, Canberra The Parliament of Australia is a bicameral parliament consisting of the Queen of Australia, the House of Representatives (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house or house of review). Section 1 of the Constitution of Australia provides that: The legislative power of the Commonwealth shall... The Federal Executive Council is the formal body holding executive authority under the Australian Constitution. ... High Court entrance The High Court of Australia is the court of last resort for the jurisdiction of Australia. ...

• the Legislature makes the laws, and supervises the activities of the other two arms with a view to changing the laws when appropriate;
• the Executive administers and enforces the laws;
• the Judiciary interprets the laws, using as a basis the laws as enacted and explanatory statements made in the Legislature during the enactment;
• the other arms cannot influence the Judiciary.

The legal basis for the nation changed with the passage of the Australia Act 1986, and associated legislation in the parliament of the United Kingdom. Until the passage of this Act, a limited range of Australian cases could be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final appeal. With this act of parliament, Australian law was made unequivocally the law in the nation, and the High Court of Australia was confirmed as the single highest court of appeal. The theoretical possibility of the British Parliament enacting laws to override the Australian Constitution was also removed. (Act:pdf) (http://scaleplus.law.gov.au/html/pasteact/1/973/pdf/AustraliaAct86.pdf) The Australia Act of 1986 (No. ... The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. ... High Court entrance The High Court of Australia is the court of last resort for the jurisdiction of Australia. ... Court of Appeals is the title of certain appellate courts in various jurisdictions. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

Politics

New Parliament House in Canberra.

Main article: Politics of Australia Parliament House Canberra: The main entrance and the flag Parliament House is the name given to two purpose-built buildings in Australia, where the Parliament of Australia has met since 1927. ... Two of Canberras best-known landmarks, Parliament House and (foreground) Old Parliament House. ... Australia is a federation and a constitutional monarchy, with a written Constitution governing the relationship between the national government (usually referred to as the Commonwealth) and the states. ...

Australia has a bicameral federal Parliament, comprising a Senate (the upper house) with 76 Senators, and a House of Representatives (the lower house) with 150 Members. Members of the lower house are elected on a population basis from single-member constituencies, known technically as 'divisions' but more commonly, as 'electorates' or 'seats'. The more populous the state, the more members it will have in the House of Representatives. There is a minimum of 5 members for each state. In the Senate, each state regardless of population is represented by twelve Senators, and each mainland territory by two. Elections for both chambers are held every three years, usually with only one half of the Senate being eligible for re-election, as the Senators have overlapping terms of six years each. The government is formed in the lower house, and the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is the Prime Minister. On only one short-lived occasion has a Senator become Prime Minister. Australian Senate chamber The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber The House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ...

An exception to the constitutional conventions occurred on 11 November 1975, with the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 when Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, and his Government, despite having a majority in the House of Representatives. This remains the single most controversial event in Australian political history. Alternative meaning: Constitutional convention A Constitutional Convention is a gathering of persons for the purpose of drawing up a constitution, or planning to modify one. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 is generally regarded as the most significant domestic political and constitutional crisis in Australias history. ... Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). ... The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 is generally regarded as the most significant domestic political and constitutional crisis in Australias history. ... Hon Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (born July 11, 1916), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia, was the only Australian Prime Minister to be dismissed by the Governor-General. ...

In 1999, a referendum was held on the question of constitutional change to a republic, with an appointed President replacing the Queen as head of state, but this was rejected. Various surveys conducted before and since the referendum suggest that the majority of Australians favour some form of republic, and hence many people ascribe the negative result of the referendum to dissatisfaction with the particular republican model that was proposed (A further discussion of this issue can be found in the topic Australian republicanism). Emergence of the Commonwealth of Australia Main article: Australian federation After European settlement in 1788, Australia was politically organized as a number of separate British colonies, eventually six in all. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... As part of a possible move from a constitutional monarchy to a republic, Australia has been debating the creation of a President of Australia for many years. ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... Australian republicanism is a movement within Australia to replace the countrys existing status as a Commonwealth realm under a constitutional monarchy with a republican form of government. ...

States and Territories

Main article: Australian States and Territories Australia, having a federal system of government, is divided into states and territories. ...

Map of Australia with main cities

Australia consists of six states and several territories. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The two major territories are the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT also incorporates a separate area within New South Wales known as Jervis Bay Territory which serves as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Governor HE Ms Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Area 1,852,642 km² (2st)  - Land 1,730,648 km²  - Water 121,994 km² (6. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4. ... Motto: None Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Area 1,420,968 km² (3rd)  - Land 1,349,129 km²  - Water 71,839 km² (5. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Administrator None Area 2,358 km² (8th)  - Land 2,358 km²  - Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2003)  - Population 308,700 (7th)  - Density 137 /km... The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. ...

Australia also has several inhabitated external territories -Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands - and several largely uninhabited external territories - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory. National Motto: Inasmuch Official language English Capital Kingston ¹ Largest city Burnt Pine ² Chief of State Queen Elizabeth II Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert Gardner Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 6th (Australia) 34. ... The Territory of Christmas Island is a small, non self-governing Territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2360 km northwest of Perth in Western Australia and 500 km south of Jakarta, Indonesia. ... For the Costa Rican island, see Cocos Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia. ... Ashmore and Cartier Islands The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands are two groups of small low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf north-west of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti at 12°14′ S 123... The Coral Sea Islands Territory includes a grouping of small tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia, around 18°N, 152°E. They are scattered over a sea area of about 1 million km², with the Willis Islets the most important, and total over 3 000... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia. ...

The Australian Capital Territory was created at the chosen site of the capital city Canberra in an area called the Molonglo River Valley. Canberra was founded as a compromise between the two largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney. The name 'Canberra' is derived from the indigenous Ngunnawal language, which is loosely translated into English as "meeting place". Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Administrator None Area 2,358 km² (8th)  - Land 2,358 km²  - Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2003)  - Population 308,700 (7th)  - Density 137 /km... Two of Canberras best-known landmarks, Parliament House and (foreground) Old Parliament House. ... The Molonglo River has its source in the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... The Australian Aboriginal languages are a Australia, and the rest are descended linguistically from them. ...

Geography

Main article: Geography of Australia Satellite image of Australia The geography of Australia encompasses a wide variety of biogeographic regions being the worlds smallest continent but the sixth-largest country. ...

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

By far the largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid — 40% of the land mass is covered by sand dunes. Australia is the driest inhabited continent, and the flattest. The highest mountain in Australia is Mawson Peak on Heard Island, at 2745 metres. The highest mountain on the Australian mainland is Mount Kosciuszko, located on the Great Dividing Range, with a height of 2228 metres. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate: part is tropical rainforest, part grasslands, and part desert. The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 1,200 kilometres. Uluru (until 1986 known as Ayers Rock), is the second largest monolith in the world and is located in central Australia (the largest being Mount Augustus in Western Australia). A dune in the Egyptian desert Desert in California In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. ... The steppe of Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, steppe (from Slavic step) is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally reckoned as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are said... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... Mount Kosciuszko, located in the Snowy Mountains, in Kosciuszko National Park, is the highest mountain in Australia. ... The Great Divide runs around the entire eastern and south-eastern edge of Australia The Great Dividing Range is Australias only substantial mountain range. ... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... Satellite image of a part of the Great Barrier Reef. ... Orders see Anthozoa zsnobordinkid505@aol. ... A reef surrounding an islet. ... Uluru (also Ayers Rock or The Rock) is a large rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern Territory. ... Uluru (also Ayers Rock or The Rock) is a large rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern Territory. ... For the computer game company, see Monolith Productions. ... Mount Augustus is a national park in Western Australia (Australia), 852 km north of Perth. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4. ...

Ecology

Climate map of Australia

Main articles: Australian fauna, Australian flora, Invasive species in Australia Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. ... Categories: Australia-related stubs | Flora | Australian plants ... Invasive species are a threat to the native biodiversity of Australia and are an ongoing cost to Australian agriculture. ...

Although most of the continent is desert or semi-arid, Australia nevertheless includes a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests. Because of the great age and consequent low fertility of the continent, its very variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About 85 per cent of flowering plants, 84 per cent of mammals, more than 45 per cent of birds, and 89 per cent of inshore, temperate-zone fish are endemic.[1]  (http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html). Recent classification of Australian biodiversity, indicated that there are at least 85 biogeographic ecoregions in Australia [2]  (http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/ibra/index.html). A dune in the Egyptian desert Desert in California In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives little precipitation. ... The steppe of Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, steppe (from Slavic step) is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally reckoned as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are said... A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is a neologism and a portmanteau word, from bio and diversity. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Australia has about 800 species of bird, ranging from the tiny 8 cm Weebill to the huge, flightless Emu. ... Fish might refer to: Fish - vertebrates with gills which live in water Fish (sometimes FISH) - the British code-word for World War II German stream cipher teleprinter secure communications devices The FISH (FIbonacci SHrinking) stream cipher published in 1993 Fish - the former lead singer of progressive rock band Marillion fluorescent... This article is about the ecological meaning of endemic. See also endemic (epidemiology). ... Biogeography is the science which deals with questions of the distribution of species usually at regional to continental scales. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Lord Howe Island subtropical forests Norfolk Island subtropical forests Queensland tropical rain forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Eastern Australian temperate forests Southeast Australia temperate forests Tasmanian Central Highland forests Tasmanian temperate forests Tasmanian temperate rain forests Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands...

Many of Australia's ecoregions and the species within those regions are threatened by human activities, introduced plant and animal species, land clearing and degradation. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is used at the National level for the identification and protection of threatened species. Austreali ranked 13th in the World on the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index. Invasive species are a threat to the native biodiversity of Australia and are an ongoing cost to Australian agriculture. ...

Well-known Australian fauna include the monotremes (the platypus and the echidna) as well as a host of marsupials including the koala, kangaroos, wombats and the emu, a large bird related to the ostrich. Families Kollikodontidae (extinct) Ornithorhynchidae - Platypus Tachyglossidae - Echidnas Steropodontidae (extinct) Monotremes are mammals that are best known for laying eggs, instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals (Eutheria). ... This article is about the monotreme mammal. ... An echidna is any of several Australasian monotremes. ... Orders Superorder Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Superorder Australidelphia Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Binomial name Phascolarctos cinereus Goldfuss, 1817 The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus; sometimes also spelled Phascolarctus cinereus) is a thickset arboreal marsupial herbivore endemic to Australia, and the only representative of its family, Phascolarctidae. ... This article is about kangaroos, the marsupial. ... Binomial name Vombatus ursinus Shaw, 1800 The wombat is an Australian marsupial in appearance rather like a small, very short-legged and muscular bear approximately 1 metre in length, and with a mere nubbin of a tail. ... The abbreviation EMU is an acronym with multiple uses. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Australia Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies; its developed market economy is dominated by its services sector (65% of GDP), yet it is the agricultural and mining sectors (7% of GDP combined) that account...

The Australian ten dollar note was the first polymer banknote in the world when it entered circulation in 1988.

Australia's economic development was slow at first and based on the export of wool. This all changed with the discovery of gold in 1851 and mining has, overall, been the most important sector of the Australian economy. By the late 20th century, Australia had a prosperous Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant Western European economies. In recent years, the Australian economy has been resilient in the face of global economic downturn, with steady growth. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on reforms is another key factor behind the economy's strength. In the 1980s, the Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating, played a crucial role in modernizing Australia's economy. The Australian dollar, AUD or A$, is the official currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. ... The first Guardian polymer banknote in circulation. ... Economic development is the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants. ... This article is about wool, the fiber. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... Events January 23 - The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning. ... The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... In economics and politics, a mixed economy is an economy that combines regulated capitalism, central planning (see planned economy and statism), as well as certain socialist measures and state ownership of some sectors of the economy, such as: social security roads and other transportation environmental regulation labor regulation product safety... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Hon Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (born December 9, Australian trade union leader and politician, was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. ... The Department of the Treasury, Canberra The Australian Treasurer is the minister responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. ... Hon Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944), Australian politician and 24th Prime Minister of Australia, took Australian politics by storm first as the reforming Treasurer in the Hawke government, then as the Prime Minister who pulled off an upset victory in the unwinnable election of 1993. ...

Since 1996, the Coalition government, led by Prime Minister John Howard, has continued to implement microeconomic reform policies. Some have claimed that the deregulation of the labour market during this period has resulted in a needed flexibility in the labour force. Others have criticised these deregulations as having a negative impact on workers' wages, safety and health grounds. Legislation introduced during this period sought to reduce union involvement and power, and has preferred to emphasise enterprise bargaining (a tendency towards wage bargaining). Also during this period, the Coalition government deregulated numerous other industries, including the telecommunications sector, and privatised many of the pre-existing monopolies. The Coalition in Australian politics refers to the grouping of two political parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922, with only brief breaks (e. ... John Howard John Winston Howard (born July 26, 1939), is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, coming to office on March 11, 1996 and winning re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers...

Since the recession of the early 1990s, described by then Prime Minister Paul Keating as the recession that "Australia had to have", the Australian economy has not suffered a recession in over 13 years. Even the downturn of the early 2000s did not affect its consistent GDP growth. As of October 2004, unemployment had fallen to a level of 5.2%, the lowest level since the late 1970s. The price of shares listed on the Australian Stock Exchange has also grown significnatly since the early 1990s. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... Hon Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944), Australian politician and 24th Prime Minister of Australia, took Australian politics by storm first as the reforming Treasurer in the Hawke government, then as the Prime Minister who pulled off an upset victory in the unwinnable election of 1993. ... A recession is usually defined in macroeconomics as a fall of a countrys Gross National Product in two successive quarters. ... This article is about the decade starting at the beginning of 2000 and ending at the end of 2009. ... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... See stock (disambiguation) for other meanings of the term stock A stock, also referred to as a share, is commonly a share of ownership in a corporation. ... The Australian Stock Exchange, or ASX, is the organisation responsible for the operation of Australias primary stock exchange. ...

Many raw materials (including resources postulated to exist but yet to be discovered) remain mostly unexploited. Australia is often referred to by economists as the "world's farm", but despite this emphasis on the agriculture sector, in recent years the Australian government has been focusing on the tourism, education and technology markets. Agriculture in Australia a major industry, 402 000 people are employed in agriculture and agriculture related services, and agriculture accounts for approximately 3% of Australia’s GDP. Until the late 1950s agriculture accounted for up to 80% of Australias export earnings, that percentage has fallen with diversification of... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, good judgement and wisdom. ... Technology ( Gr. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Australia The demographics of Australia start with the arrival of Australias indigenous people, a hunting-gathering people, the Australian Aborigines, who were estimated to have arrived between 50,000-60,000 years ago. ...

Population and migration

The indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 250,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years but had recovered to 186,049 (including Torres Strait Islanders, who are of Melanesian descent) in 1986. Although comparatively more rural than the general population, the Aboriginal population is increasingly becoming more urbanised, with some two-thirds living in cities. Over half of the Aboriginal population reside in New South Wales and Queensland. In Tasmania the Aboriginal population was virtually wiped out in the 19th century. Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... Melanesia (from Greek black islands) is a region extending from the west Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. ...

Most of the first settlers to Australia were convicts. Some of the worst were sent to prisons such as the one found here in Port Arthur, Tasmania which was a penal colony from 1833, until 1850s

Most of the Australian population descends from 18th and 19th century immigrants, most from Britain] and Ireland to begin with, but from other sources in later years. Although the Australian colonies were founded as a penal colonies (except for South Australia and Western Australia - with the latter receiving convicts), the transportation of British convicts to Australian colonies was gradually phased out between 1840 and 1868. During the "gold rush" of the late 19th century, the convicts and their descendants were rapidly overshadowed by hundreds of thousands of free settlers from many different countries: for example, in the 1850s about two per cent of the combined populations of Britain and Ireland emigrated to New South Wales and Victoria. Port Arthur, Tasmania Port Arthur is a town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. ... A penal colony is a colony used to house prisoners. ... Events January 3, Britain seizes control of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. ... Events and Trends Crimean war (1854 - 1856) fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. ... Great Britain lies between Ireland and continental Europe. ... A penal colony is a colony used to house prisoners. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For the Neil Young album evoking this phrase, see After the Gold Rush. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ... Events and Trends Crimean war (1854 - 1856) fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. ...

Australia's population has more than doubled since the end of World War I, spurred by an ambitious postwar immigration program. In the 18th century, Australia enacted strong measures to prevent immigration by non-whites. After World War II, immigration from Greece, Turkey, Italy, and other countries increased Australia's cultural diversity. In 1973, Australia officially ended discriminatory immigration policies, and substantial Asian immigration followed. By 1988 about 40 per cent of immigration to Australia was from Asia, and by 1997 Asians constituted about 5 per cent of the population. The indigenous population, the Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, make up 2.2 per cent of the population, according to the 2001 Census. In 2001, the political campaign was dominated by issues of immigration and national security and there still remains substantial anxiety among Australians concerning immigration. The Italian Republic or Italy ( Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... This badge from 1906 shows the use of the expression White Australia at that time The White Australia Policy, the policy of excluding all non white people from the Australian continent, was the official policy of all governments and all mainstream political parties in Australia from the 1890s to the... The word indigenous is derived from the latin word indigena, meaning nativ, indigenous, aboriginal, and has several, related meanings: The native people of a place; see the article indigenous people. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... The Torres Strait is the body of water which lies between Australia and Papua New Guinea. ...

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is currently experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more people retiring and fewer people of working age. Similarly, a large number of Australian citizens (950,000 as of 2004) live outside of their home country. This number (almost 5%) represents a higher per capita percentage of overseas residents than many other countries including the United States. This phenomenon was, until recently, given little attention by the Australian government and media, but the term Australian Diaspora has now joined the Australian vocabulary.

Most of Australia's population live in large coastal cities such as Sydney. (Image taken by NASA)

Because of the ageing population, Australia maintains one of the most active immigration programs in the world, absorbing tens of thousands of immigrants from all over the world every year. Most permanent resident visas are granted on the basis of professional skills or family associations. In demographics population ageing occurs when the average age of a regions population gets older. ...

New Zealand citizens are entitled to live and work in Australia under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement. New rules in 2001 divided New Zealanders living in Australia into two categories: those who were resident in Australia before 2001, and those who arrived in Australia after 2001. Those who were resident before 2001 may claim unemployment benefits after two years' residence, as is the norm for permanent residents of other nationalities. New Zealanders who arrive in Australia after 2001 are not entitled to any unemployment benefits at all, as is the norm for people living in Australia only on work permits. For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). ... The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement is an informal agreement between Australia and New Zealand to allow for the free movement of citizens of one nation to the other. ... Unemployment benefits are sums of money given to the unemployed by the government or a compulsory para-governmental insurance system. ...

Language

Main article: Australian English Australian English is the form of the English language used in Australia. ...

English is the main official and spoken language in Australia - 80 per cent of the population speak only English at home according to the 2001 census [3] (http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@census.nsf/4079a1bbd2a04b80ca256b9d00208f92/7dd97c937216e32fca256bbe008371f0!OpenDocument#Language), though the figure is gradually declining as Australia becomes more multicultural. The three most common languages other than English spoken at home are Chinese languages (2.1%), Italian (1.9%) and Greek (1.4%). A considerable number of first and second-generation migrants are bilingual. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... An official language is something that is given a unique status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Multiculturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. ... Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngwén) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: Hànyǔ, Huáyǔ, or Zhōngwén) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, most of whom live in Italy. ... The Greek language (Greek Ελληνικά, IPA – Hellenic) is an Indo-European language with a documented history of some 3,000 years. ...

Australia is home to a number of indigenous languages. Estimates usually put the number of Australian Aboriginal languages at between 200 and 300 at the time of first European contact, with the number of surviving languages now around 70, with all but 20 considered endangered languages. The total number of Australians whose main language at home is an Aboriginal Language is around 45,000 (0.02%). The Australian Aboriginal languages are a Australia, and the rest are descended linguistically from them. ... An endangered language is a language with so few surviving speakers that it is in danger of falling out of use. ...

Australia also has a deaf sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 6,500 Australians. A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses gestures instead of sound to convey meaning - combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, facial expressions and lip-patterns. ... Auslan is the sign language used by the Australian Deaf community. ...

Religion

The Australian Constitution guarantees the separation of church and state; there is no state religion in Australia. Although few are active church-goers, three-quarters of Australians are nominally Christian, mostly Catholic or Anglican. A diverse range of other religions are also practised across Australia. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... The separation of church and state is a concept in law whereby the structures of state or national government are kept separate from those of religious institutions. ... See also civil religion. ... The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. ... The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. ...

Education

Main article: Education in Australia Education in Australia follows a three tier model: priamry, secondary and tertiary education. ...

School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6-15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania), and for this reason the adult literacy rate is assumed to be 100 per cent in Australia. However, an OECD report Literacy in the Information Age shows that all member countries have problems with adult literacy and in Australia one in five adults do not have the literacy skills to effectively participate in daily life [4]  (http://www1.oecd.org/publications/e-book/8100051e.pdf). The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ...

Government grants have aided in the establishment of numerous state universities including the universities of Sydney (1850), Melbourne (1853), Adelaide (1874), Tasmania (in Hobart, 1890), Queensland (in Brisbane, 1909), and Western Australia (in Perth, 1911). ABS figures show that approximately 58 per cent of Australians between the age of 25 and 64 have a vocational or tertiary qualification [5] (http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/036b76baa8fc52b4ca256f720083301a!OpenDocument). The University of Sydney, established in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia, and it is located in Sydney, the capital city of the state of New South Wales. ... The University of Melbourne, located in Melbourne, in Victoria, is the second oldest university in Australia (the University of Sydney is the oldest). ... University of Adelaide Sub Cruce Lumen The light under the Cross The University of Adelaide, located in the center of Adelaide, South Australia, was founded in 1874, making it the third oldest university in Australia. ... The University of Tasmania (sometimes known by the moniker UTAS, UTas or Tas Uni) is an Australian university. ... Steele Building - University of Queensland The University of Queensland (UQ) (motto: Scientia ac Labore - through knowledge and hard work) has its main campus in Brisbane, Queensland, specifically in the suburb of Saint Lucia. ... The University of Western Australia (UWA) is Western Australias oldest university, established in February 1911. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Australia The original culture of Australia can only be surmised: cultural patterns among the remote descendants of the first Australians cannot be assumed to be unchanged after 53,000 years of human habitation of the continent. ...

Australian opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland was acclaimed throughout the world during her career from the 1950s to 1990

Much of Australia's culture is derived from European and more recently American roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the environment, Aboriginal culture, and the influence of Australia's neighbours. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia—films, opera, music, painting, theatre, dance, and crafts—are achieving international recognition. This article is about opera as an art form. ... Dame Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland OM (born 7 November 1926) is an Australian opera singer. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ...

Australia has had a significant school of painting since the early days of European settlement, and Australians with international reputations include Sir Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, Arthur Boyd and Albert Namatjira. There are excellent art galleries; a rich tradition in ballet, enlivened by the legacy of Dame Margot Fonteyn and Sir Robert Helpmann; a strong national opera company, Opera Australia, made prominent by the world renowned diva Dame Joan Sutherland; and symphony orchestras in all capital cities, in particular the Melbourne and Sydney symphony orchestras. In this field, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras has achieved international renown. The Mona Lisa is perhaps the best-known artistic painting in the Western world. ... Sidney Nolan (April 22, 1917 - 28 November 1992) was one of Australias most well-known painters. ... Sir George Russell Drysdale (1912-1981) painted the Australian outback. ... Arthur Boyd (July 20, 1920 - April 24, 1999) was a prominent Australian artist, both as a painter and sculptor. ... Albert Namatjira (28 July 1902 – 1959), born Elea Namatjira is an Australian Aboriginal artist of the Aranda tribe. ... An art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art, and usually primarily paintings and sculpture. ... Margot Fonteyn (18 May 1919-21 February 1991) was a leading British ballet dancer of her time. ... Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Helpmann (April 9, 1909 – September 28, 1986), Australian dancer, actor and choreographer, was born in Mt Gambier, South Australia. ... Opera Australia is Australias major opera company, formed by the merger of the Australian Opera and the Victorian State Opera companies in 1996. ... Dame Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland OM (born 7 November 1926) is an Australian opera singer. ... Sydney Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Sydney, Australia. ...

Writers who have achieved world recognition include Thomas Keneally, Les Murray, Colleen McCullough, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Tim Winton, Jill Ker Conway, Booker Prize winners D.B.C. Pierre and Peter Carey and Nobel Prize winner Patrick White. Thomas Keneally (born October 7, 1935) also Tom Keneally, is an Australian novelist. ... Leslie Allan Murray (b. ... Colleen McCullough (born Tuesday, June 1, 1937) is an internationally acclaimed Australian author. ... Nevil Shute (January 17, 1899 - January 12, 1960) (real name Nevil Shute Norway) was one of the most popular novelists of the mid-20th century. ... Morris Langlo West (April 26, 1916 - October 9, 1999) was an Australian writer. ... Tim Winton is an Australian novelist born in 1960 in Perth, Western Australia. ... Jill Ker Conway (born 9 September 1934) is an Australian-American author, best known for her autobiographies, in particular her first memoirs The Road from Coorain. ... The Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. ... D.B.C. Pierre is the pen-name of the Australian-born writer Peter Warren Finlay (born 1961). ... Peter Carey is an Australian novelist, born on February 7, 1943 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, and after living in Melbourne, London and Sydney he is now based in New York. ... The Nobel Prizes (pronounced no-BELL or no-bell) are awarded annually to people who have done outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society. ... Patrick White (May 28, 1912 – September 30, 1990) was an Australian author. ...

In the popular music sphere Australian bands and musicians have had considerable international success. Some notable examples include the 1960s successes of The Easybeats and the folk-pop group The Seekers, through the heavy rock of AC/DC, the disco of the English-born Bee Gees, the slick pop of INXS and more recently Silverchair and Savage Garden. In the new millennium, garage rock bands Jet and The Vines have achieved popular success locally and in the United States and the United Kingdom, with the work of both featuring prominently in films and advertising. Popular music, sometimes abbreviated pop music, is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are broadly popular. ... Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... The Easybeats were a rock and roll band in the 1960s from Australia. ... The Seekers were a group of Australian folk-influenced popular musicians which was formed in Melbourne in 1963. ... From left to right: Singer Brian Johnson, Rhythm Guitarist Malcolm Young, Bass Guitarist Cliff Williams, Lead Guitarist Angus Young, Drummer Phil Rudd. ... The Bee Gees were a British and Australian band, originally a pop singer-songwriter combination, reborn as funk and disco. ... INXS is an Australian rock group. ... Silverchair (originally called Innocent Criminals) is an Australian grunge band. ... Savage Garden were an Australian pop group. ... A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years. ... Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of American bands in the mid-1960s. ... Band has several meanings: Musical band, a company of musicians who play parts of a musical arrangement on different musical instruments. ... Jet is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia whose debut album Get Born released in 2003 has so far sold a million copies throughout the world. ... The Vines The Vines are an Australian garage rock band that emerged along with a new breed of alternative rockers such as The Strokes, The Hives and The White Stripes in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ...

Sport

Sport is a part of the lifestyle of many Australians. An estimated 3.51 million Australians over the age of 15 (23.5%) participate in organised sporting activities [6] (http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/c55dd94ee1055495ca256f7200832ffe!OpenDocument), and 62 per cent of children aged 5-14 participate in organised sport [7] (http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/00000000000000000000000000000000/57e1c764bfa85942ca256f7200832fbc!OpenDocument). A sport consists of a normal physical activity or skill carried out under a publicly agreed set of rules, and with a recreational purpose: for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of skill, or some combination of these. ...

At the national and international level the following team sports are played, Australian Rules football, baseball, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union, soccer, and softball. Water sports are very popular - in 1983 the Australian yacht Australia II was the first foreign yacht to win the Americas Cup. Australia has also produced men's and women's surfing world champions, and has nationally televised surf life saving and triathlon events. Australia hosts a Grand Slam tennis event, the Australian Open. Motor sports are also popular - Australia hosts a number of international motor sports events and Australians compete internationally. Australian Rules redirects here. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri. ... Basketball Basketball is a ball sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop. ... Cricket (disambiguation). ... A game of field hockey in progress Field Hockey is a popular sport for men and women in many countries around the world. ... Originally known as womens basketball and adapted from basketball in the USA, netball, while basically unknown in its homeland, is the preeminent womens team sport (both as a spectator and participant sport) in Australia and New Zealand and is popular in United Kingdom, Jamaica, South Africa, and other... Rugby league is a team sport, played by teams of 13 players per side (usually plus 4 substitutes). ... A Rugby match in the Stade de France Rugby union is a team sport that was (according to legend) developed from the rules used to play football at Rugby School in England. ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... Softball is a team sport for two teams in which the object is to score runs by advancing around a circuit of four bases, known as a diamond. It is a direct descendant of baseball, (sometimes referred to as hardball to differentiate the two) but differs from it in several... A yacht was originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessel used to convey important persons. ... Australia II was the first successful challenger for the Americas Cup after 132 years. ... The Americas Cup is the most famous trophy in the sport of yachting, and the oldest active trophy in sports. ... See World Wide Web for surfing the web; see also Wind surfing Surfing at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. ... A triathlon is an athletic event made up of three contests (from the Greek). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the Australian Open tennis tournament. ...

Australia is one of only two countries (the other being Greece) to have participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and she hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics. Australian athletes have won many of their Olympic medals in swimming events. Australia has also participated in every Commonwealth Games. Corporate and government sponsorship of many sports and élite athletes is common in Australia. Televised sport is also popular, some of the highest rating television programming includes the summer Olympic Games and the grand finals of local and international football competitions [8] (http://www.afc.gov.au/gtp/freetv.html). For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... The Games of the XVI Olympiad were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, although the equestrian events could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations. ... Categories: 2000 Summer Olympics ... Swimming is the method by which humans (or other animals) move themselves through water. ... Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of The Commonwealth. ...

Media

Main article: Media in Australia Media in Australia is widely accessible and caters to a wide variety of auidences. ...

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national public broadcaster and a long-standing part of Australian culture

Chris Moore is a slightly demented child. Newspapers are dominated by two companies, News Corporation and John Fairfax Holdings. News Corporation publishes the only national daily newspaper, The Australian, as well as a daily newspaper in every capital city except Perth. Its holdings include The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), Herald Sun (Melbourne), The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) and The Advertiser (Adelaide). News Corporation was founded in Adelaide and its first newspaper was The News which was later merged with The Advertiser. John Fairfax Holdings owns The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age (Melbourne) and the most prominent financial newspaper, The Australian Financial Review. Rural and regional media is dominated by Rural Press Limited, with significant holdings in all States and Territories. Titles include The Canberra Times as well as The Land (New South Wales), Queensland Country Life, Stock and Land (Victoria), Stock Journal (South Australia) and Farm Weekly (Western Australia). Rural Press also has significant holdings in New Zealand and the United States. The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, Australia. ... Public broadcasting (also known as public service broadcasting or PSB) is the dominant form of broadcasting around the world, where radio, television, and potentially other electronic media outlets receive funding from the public. ... Reading the newspaper: Brookgreen Gardens in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. ... News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) is a media conglomerate that operates world-wide. ... John Fairfax Holdings Limited is an Australian-based newspaper publisher. ... The Australian is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... external links The Daily Telegraph The Sunday Telegraph Categories: Stub | News Corporation subsidiaries | Australian newspapers ... The Herald Sun is a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that is published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... The Courier-Mail is Brisbanes only daily newspaper, owned wholly by Queensland Newspapers Ltd. ... Categories: Newspaper stubs | News Corporation subsidiaries | Adelaide | Australian newspapers ... Adelaide is the capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. ... The News was a former afternoon daily newspaper in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. ... The Sydney Morning Herald is one of the most prestigious and important newspapers in Australia, published daily in Sydney, the largest city in Australia. ... Categories: Australian newspapers | Newspaper stubs ... The Australian Financial Review is the leading business newspaper in Australia. ... The Canberra Times newspaper was founded in 1926 in Canberra, Australia by a local family called the Shakesperes. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Australia has three major commercial television networks, the Nine Network, the Seven Network and Network Ten. It also has two public broadcasters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC and colloquially Channel 2) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... The Nine network (slogan Still The One) is an Australian television network owned by Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (Kerry Packers media company). ... The Seven Network is an Australian television network available in most Australian capital cities. ... Ten Network logo Network TEN so called because it broadcasts on Channel TEN in most cities, is Australias third but possibly most profitable television network. ... The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, Australia. ... The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ...

According to Reporters Without Borders in 2004, Australia is in 41st position on a list of countries ranked by Press Freedom; well behind New Zealand (9th) and United Kingdom (28th). Reporters Without Borders, or RWB ( French: Reporters sans frontières, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to freedom of the press. ... For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). ...

Related topics

This is a list of Australia-related articles: A Australia, Australian Aborigines, Australian birds, Australian Capital Territory, Australian Constitutional History, Australian cuisine, Australian Dollar, Australian electoral system, Australian fauna, Australian flora, Australian House of Representatives, Australian Labor Party, Australian public holidays, Australian Senate, Australian States and Territories B C Canberra... History of Australia before 1901 Main article: History of Australia before 1901 Australia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aboriginal people arrived from Southeast Asia. ... This is a timeline of Australian history. ... The Eureka Flag The Eureka Stockade was a miners revolt in 1854 in Victoria, Australia against the officials supervising the gold-mining region of Ballarat. ... Emergence of the Commonwealth of Australia Main article: Australian federation After European settlement in 1788, Australia was politically organized as a number of separate British colonies, eventually six in all. ... Australia has been active as an independent nation in international affairs since World War II. Foreign policy actions Its first major independent foreign policy action was to conclude an agreement in 1944 with New Zealand dealing with the security, welfare, and advancement of the people of the independent territories of... 6p kangaroo & map, probably used at Wollongong This is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of Australia. ... Satellite image of Australia The geography of Australia encompasses a wide variety of biogeographic regions being the worlds smallest continent but the sixth-largest country. ... This is a list of cities in Australia, arranged by state: Australian Capital Territory Canberra New South Wales See also: List of Sydney suburbs, Local Government Areas of New South Wales Northern Territory See also: Local Government Areas of the Northern Territory Darwin (Capital) Alice Springs Palmerston Queensland See also... This is a list of islands of Australia. ... This is a list of mountains in Australia. ... This is a list of regions in Australia that are not Australian states or territories. ... Protected areas of Australia are maintained by the Department of the Environment and Heritage, with the exception of the Great Barrier Reef, which is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, a body within the department. ... This is a list of rivers of Australia. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Lord Howe Island subtropical forests Norfolk Island subtropical forests Queensland tropical rain forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Eastern Australian temperate forests Southeast Australia temperate forests Tasmanian Central Highland forests Tasmanian temperate forests Tasmanian temperate rain forests Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands... Australia is a federation and a constitutional monarchy, with a written Constitution governing the relationship between the national government (usually referred to as the Commonwealth) and the states. ... The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Political parties in Australia lists political parties in Australia. ... This article concerns the modern Australian political party. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party, originally called the Country Party, adopting the name of National Country Party in 1975 and adopting its present name in 1982. ... The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... Elections in Australia gives information on election and election results in Australia. ... Australia, having a federal system of government, is divided into states and territories. ... Australian republicanism is a movement within Australia to replace the countrys existing status as a Commonwealth realm under a constitutional monarchy with a republican form of government. ... The Australian Defence Force numbers about 53,000 active duty personnel. ... The original culture of Australia can only be surmised: cultural patterns among the remote descendants of the first Australians cannot be assumed to be unchanged after 53,000 years of human habitation of the continent. ... Australian English is the form of the English language used in Australia. ... Australia is home to perhaps the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world - that is, those of the Aboriginal Australians, an artistic tradition that began to receive international recognition in the late 20th century. ... The cinema of Australia has a long history—in fact, it is claimed that the first feature-length film, was actually an Australian production, The Story of the Kelly Gang. ... Traditional Australian cuisine was based on English cooking brought to the country by the first European settlers. ... Australian literature began soon after the establishment of the country by Europeans. ... The earliest music of Australia was the folk music of the Australian Aborigines. ... Following is a list of public holidays observed in Australia In addition to the holidays listed in the table below, Remembrance Day is also observed on November 11, but it is not a public holiday. ... Australian television channels include two government owned national networks, three major commercial capital city networks, several regional commercial networks and independent stations that are generally affiliates of the major networks, and a handful of community stations. ... The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ... The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, Australia. ... This is a list of Australians, who are in any way notable. ... Communications in Australia is dominated by the telecommunications provider, Telstra (short for Telecom Australia) which is 51% government-owned and 49% market controlled. ... Transport in Australia is a highly significant part of the infrastructure of the Australian economy, since the distances are large and the country has a relatively low population density. ... Order of Australia Companion in the Order of Australia (AC) Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) Member in the Order of Australia (AM) Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Military Gallantry Decorations Victoria Cross (VC) Star of Gallantry (SG) Medal for Gallantry (MG) Commendation for Gallantry Australian Bravery... The Australian of the Year Awards commenced in 1960. ... The Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures representing much smaller objects which pertain to the area in which they are located. ... This is a list of companies from Australia. ... The Royal Automobile Club of Australia (RACA) is an Australian motoring organisation. ...

External links

• Commonwealth Government Online (http://www.australia.gov.au/)
• Australian Governments Entry Portal (http://www.gov.au/)
• Australian Tourist Commission (http://www.australia.com)
• National Library of Australia (http://www.nla.gov.au/)
• National Museum of Australia (http://www.nma.gov.au/)
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (http://www.abs.gov.au/)
• Study in Australia (http://studyinaustralia.gov.au/)
• Department of Immigration (http://www.immi.gov.au/)
• DFAT: Country Information (http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html)
• Australia Photos (http://www.virtualaustralia.com/australia/photos/)

The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

Australia, having a federal system of government, is divided into states and territories. ... Motto: Pro Rege, Lege et Grege (For the Queen, the Law and the People) Other Australian states and territories Capital Canberra Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Administrator None Area 2,358 km² (8th)  - Land 2,358 km²  - Water 0 km² (0%) Population (2003)  - Population 308,700 (7th)  - Density 137 /km... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Governor HE Professor Marie Bashir Premier Bob Carr (ALP) Area 809,444 km² (5th)  - Land 800,642 km²  - Water 8,802 km² (1. ... Motto: None Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Area 1,420,968 km² (3rd)  - Land 1,349,129 km²  - Water 71,839 km² (5. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Governor HE Ms Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Area 1,852,642 km² (2st)  - Land 1,730,648 km²  - Water 121,994 km² (6. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Area 1,043,514 km² (4th)  - Land 983,482 km²  - Water 60,032 km² (5. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) (not included on official coat of arms) Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Governor HE Lieutenant General John Sanderson Premier Dr Geoff Gallop (ALP) Area 2,645,615 km² (1st)  - Land 2,529,875 km²  - Water 115,740 km² (4. ... The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Ashmore and Cartier Islands The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands are two groups of small low-lying uninhabited tropical islands in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf north-west of Australia and south of the Indonesian island of Roti at 12°14′ S 123... The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is the part of Antarctica claimed by Australia. ... The Territory of Christmas Island is a small, non self-governing Territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2360 km northwest of Perth in Western Australia and 500 km south of Jakarta, Indonesia. ... For the Costa Rican island, see Cocos Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia. ... The Coral Sea Islands Territory includes a grouping of small tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia, around 18°N, 152°E. They are scattered over a sea area of about 1 million km², with the Willis Islets the most important, and total over 3 000... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... National Motto: Inasmuch Official language English Capital Kingston ¹ Largest city Burnt Pine ² Chief of State Queen Elizabeth II Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert Gardner Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 6th (Australia) 34. ...