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			<font size=-1>''This article is about the country Australia. For the continent Australia, see ].''</font size=-1>
	<div style="float:right">]</div>
			----
	'''Australia''' is a ] and country, to the northwest of ], and south of ], ] and ]. It is the smallest continent, being three times the area of the largest ], ]. With a land area of 7,686,810 sq kilopascals (2,967,877 sq mi), Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. The name 'Australia' comes from the ] phrase ''terra australis incognita'' ("unknown southern land").
			The '''Commonwealth of Australia''' is country, to the northwest of ], and south of ], ] and ]. It is the sixth largest country in the world. The name 'Australia' comes from the ] phrase ''terra australis incognita'' ("unknown southern land").

			<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="300px">
	Australia is home to a wide variety of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. Due to its size and location, Australia has a remarkably varied range of ecosystems, including everything from deserts to tropical rainforest. Much of the western and central portion of the country is uninhabitable, and the majority of the Australian population lives in the south-eastern part of the continent and down the east coast.
			<caption><font size="+1">'''Commonwealth of Australia'''</font></caption>
			<tr><td style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan=2>
			<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
			<tr><td align="center" width="140px">]</td>
			<td align="center" width="140px">coat of arms</td></tr>
			<tr><td align="center" width="140px">(])</td>
			<td align="center" width="140px">(Full size)</td></tr>
			</table></td></tr>
			<tr><td align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;"><font size="-1">''National ]: Xxxxx''</font></td></tr>
			<tr><td>Official ] </td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>] </td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>]<br> - Total <br> - % water</td><td>] <br> 7,686,850 ] <br> 1% </td></tr>
			<tr><td>]
			<br> - Total (])
			<br> - ] </td><td>]
			<br> 19,546,792
			<br> 3/km² </td></tr>
			<tr><td>]</td><td>], ]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>] </td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>] </td><td>]+8 to +11</td></tr>
			<tr><td>] </td><td>]</td></tr>
			<tr><td>]</td><td>.AU</td></tr>
			</table>

			== History ==
	<center>]</center>
			''Main article: ]''

			Australia has been inhabited for about 40,000 years, when the current ]s came from present-day ]. The land was not discovered by ]ans until the ], when it was sighted and visited by several expeditions. It was claimed for the ] in ], and first colonised in ], including a large group of English convicts.

			In ], Australia became a ] of the ], thereby becoming independent. A recent referendum to change the status to a fully independent republic - the British queen is still the formal head of state of Australia - failed.
	== ] ==
	Australia has been populated for over 40,000 years. Its earliest human inhabitants, the ], the ] of Australia crossed the ] from the lands that currently make up ] and ]. At that time the Torres and ] Straits were ]s.

			== Politics ==
	The first European to sight Australia was probably a ], Manuel Godhino de Eredia, in 1601. It may also have been sighted by a ], Luis Vaez de Torres, around 1605-6. Australia was later visited by the ] (based in ], who named it New Holland, and ] landed on the island of ] in 1642. In 1688 the Englishman William Dampier landed at King Sound on the northwest coast.
			''Main article: ]''

			The formal head of state is the British queen, represented by a Governor General. In practice, however, executive power is in the hands of the prime minister, who heads the cabinet. The prime minister is usually the leader of the party that wins the elections for the House of Representatives.
	In 1770 Captain ] discovered the northern two-thirds of the east coast. He named it ] (the reasons for this particular name are unknown) and claimed it for Great Britain. In his report he recommended Botany Bay as an ideal site for a future ]. Cook's report was ignored at first, but in the 1780's the interest of the British government increased. The most important factor was Britain's need to provide strategic raw materials to its naval and commercial fleet and to relieve its overcrowded prisons. Several violent incidents at overcrowded prisons convinced the British government of the need to separate unruly elements from the rest of the prison populace. The loss of the North American territories during the ] deprived Britain of a source of hemp (canvas & rope). A decision was made to found an apiary at Botany Bay.

			The House of Representatives (150 seats) is one of the two chambers of the parliament, the other being the Senate (76 seats). Elections for both chambers are held every three years.
	As a result, Captain ], commanding eleven ships full of convicts, left Britain for Australia on May 13, 1787. He successfully landed a full fleet at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. However, they left the bay eight days later because of its openness, short supply of fresh water and poor soil, and settled instead at Port Jackson, a few kilometres north. The ships landed 1,373 people, including 732 convicts, and the settlement became Sydney Town (later ]). The early years of the colony were somewhat disastrous; Phillip ordered the crops to be planted in March (failing to factor in the reversal of seasons) and they promptly withered during the winter, leading to a number of famines.

			== States and Territories==
	In ], another prison colony was established in ], later renamed ] to remove the convict connotation. Other colonies were not established to take convicts (although some did), and eventually support for shipping convicts from England declined, and Australia ceased to take them.
			''Main article: ]''

			Australia is divided into a number of states and territories. The states are ], ], ], ], ] and ], while the territories, ] and ].
	Australia became a ] of the ] in ]. She was able to take advantage of her ]s to rapidly develop her agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars ] and ]. Australia's war dead are remembered on ] and ].

			Australia also has an additional minor internal territory, ] (a naval base in New South Wales), several inhabitated external territories (], ], ] and ]) and several largely uninhabited external territories: ], ] and ] and the ].
	Original policies of Australia were designed to encourage the British nature of the country, and policies such as the ] were set up to specifically exclude those not from Britain from coming into the country. This policy was eventually undone after World War II when mass immigration was encouraged, and ] views began to decline.

			The capital territory of Canberra was chosen as a compromise between ] and ], who both demanded to become the capital city.
	A referendum to change Australia's nation status, from a commonwealth headed by the ] to an independent ], was defeated in ]. Some people attribute this partly to the terms of the referendum, suggesting that it created the perception that the change would have granted parliament a 'blank cheque' to change the constitution without any further public consultation (or some similar undesirable side-effect), and partly to many Australians' sentimental fondness for Britain, the Queen and/or the Commonwealth. It is speculated that the referendum may have failed because Republicans do not agree on what system could or should replace the monarchy, and the electorate merely rejected the particular model proposed for sound reasons rather than from any mistaken perceptions; however many other factors may well have played a part, and this begs the question of whether some such workable system can be designed and implemented. As well as all this, most referenda in Australia to change the ] have failed, so it could also be argued that this was just another example of Australians rejecting change with the argument of 'if it's not broken, don't fix it'. Australia remains a member of ], an organisation containing Britain and most of its former colonies, but this increasingly irrelevant organisation is mainly concerned with promoting human rights, democracy, and open government in some of its less developed members rather than discussing shared economic interests as existed in the past.

			== Geography ==
	Australia has a population of about 19 million people. There are two territories, ] and ], and six states, ], ], ], ], ] and ].
			''Main article: ]''

			<div style="float: right">]</div>
	Each State or Territory has a capital city, those being (in the above order) ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

			The largest part of Australia consists of dry and arid ], but the southeast has a temparate climate and fertile plains. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, and is partially grown with tropical rainforests. Before the northeastern coast, the ] is situated, the world's largest ] ].
	Australia also has an additional minor internal territory, ], several inhabitated external territories (], ], ] and ]) and several largely uninhabited external territories (], ] and ] and the ]).

			Australia is home to a wide variety of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.
	Australia's ] is Canberra (population 320,000), situated between its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.

			== Economy ==
	When the constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia was being negotiated between the colonies, Melbourne and Sydney each demanded that they become the capital. As a compromise, it was agreed that the capital would initially be Melbourne, until a new capital city could be built. This new capital city would be located in territory taken from New South Wales, and be 200 statute miles or more from Sydney. The present site was chosen and named Canberra in ]; the federal government moved there from Melbourne in the 1920s, Parliament making the shift in 1927. Canberra's name comes from the Aboriginal word ''Kamberra'', meaning 'meeting place'
			''Main article: ]''

			Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita ] on par with the four dominant West European economies. The Australian economy has been resilient in the face of the global economic downturn in 2001 chalking up 2.3% GDP growth, as the domestic economy is offsetting the external slump and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's strength, and Australia is expected to outperform its trading partners in 2002, with GDP growth projected to be 3% or better. Australia probably will experience some weakness in mid-2002 as its business cycle tends to lag the US by about six months, and larger problems could emerge if Australia's trade position worsens.
	The area occupied by the Australian Capital Territory is wholly contained in New South Wales. For administrative purposes, the Australian Capital Territory also incorporates the ] (being a naval base in New South Wales near the town of Jervis Bay), and several external territories.

			== Demographics ==
	The official name of Australia is the '''Commonwealth of Australia'''. Its ] is ]
			''Main article: ]''

			Most of the Australian population descends from immigrants. Originally from the ], Australia became a popular emigration destination in the ], and many inhabitants are from ], ] or ]n descent. The original population, the ]s, make up less than 1% of the population.

			] is the spoken language in Australia, although the Aborigines speak a few native languages. Religious diversity is great, although about three-quarters of the Australians is Christian, mostly ] and ].

			== Culture ==
			''Main article: ]''

			Due to the language, Australians have been able to easily merge with the American movie, television and music industries, resulting in many Australians being world famous, such as actors ] and ], and singers ] and ].

			<TABLE border="1" align="center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
			<CAPTION><font size="+1">'''Holidays'''</font></caption>
			<TR><TH style="background:#efefef;">Date</TH><TH style="background:#efefef;">English Name</TH><TH style="background:#efefef;">Local Name</TH><TH style="background:#efefef;">Remarks</TH></TR>
			<TR><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR>
			</TABLE>

			== Miscellaneous topics ==

	See also:
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
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	== External links ==		== External links ==

	* http://www.austemb.org/history.htm - an excellent and thorough on-line history of Australia.
	* http://www.users.on.net/revelation/heroes.htm ~~- '~~Can You Hear Australia's Heroes Marching?' A song dedicated to honouring the memory of Australia's war dead.		*
			*
	* http://www.australia.com ~~- official~~ site of the Australian Tourist Commission		*
	* http://www.countryofaustralia.info ~~- an unofficial~~ and independent portal		*
	* http://www.users.on.net/revelation/SouthAustraliaSong.htm ~~- '~~South Australia - It's My Home'. A ~~wonderful~~ state song for South Australia.		*

			<hr align="center" noshade size="4" width="100%">

			<center>]  \|  (])</center>

Revision as of 13:06, 14 October 2002

This article is about the country Australia. For the continent Australia, see Oceania.

The Commonwealth of Australia is country, to the northwest of New Zealand, and south of Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea. It is the sixth largest country in the world. The name 'Australia' comes from the Latin phrase terra australis incognita ("unknown southern land").

Commonwealth of Australia

File:Australia flag medium.png	coat of arms
(In Detail)	(Full size)

National motto: Xxxxx

Official language

Capital

Area
- Total
- % water

Ranked 6th
7,686,850 km²
1%

Population

- Total (2002)

- Density

Ranked 53rd

19,546,792

3/km²

Independence

January 1, 1901

Currency

Dollar

Time zone

UTC+8 to +11

National anthem

Advance Australia Fair

Internet TLD

.AU

History

Main article: History of Australia

Australia has been inhabited for about 40,000 years, when the current ]s came from present-day South East Asia. The land was not discovered by Europeans until the 17th century, when it was sighted and visited by several expeditions. It was claimed for the United Kingdom in 1780, and first colonised in 1787, including a large group of English convicts.

In 1901, Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire, thereby becoming independent. A recent referendum to change the status to a fully independent republic - the British queen is still the formal head of state of Australia - failed.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Australia

The formal head of state is the British queen, represented by a Governor General. In practice, however, executive power is in the hands of the prime minister, who heads the cabinet. The prime minister is usually the leader of the party that wins the elections for the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives (150 seats) is one of the two chambers of the parliament, the other being the Senate (76 seats). Elections for both chambers are held every three years.

States and Territories

Main article: Australian States and Territories

Australia is divided into a number of states and territories. The states are Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, while the territories, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory.

Australia also has an additional minor internal territory, Jervis Bay Territory (a naval base in New South Wales), several inhabitated external territories (Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos and Keeling Islands) and several largely uninhabited external territories: Coral Sea Islands Territory, Heard and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The capital territory of Canberra was chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne, who both demanded to become the capital city.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Australia

File:Austmap.png

The largest part of Australia consists of dry and arid desert, but the southeast has a temparate climate and fertile plains. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, and is partially grown with tropical rainforests. Before the northeastern coast, the Great Barrier Reef is situated, the world's largest coral reef.

Australia is home to a wide variety of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Australia

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. The Australian economy has been resilient in the face of the global economic downturn in 2001 chalking up 2.3% GDP growth, as the domestic economy is offsetting the external slump and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's strength, and Australia is expected to outperform its trading partners in 2002, with GDP growth projected to be 3% or better. Australia probably will experience some weakness in mid-2002 as its business cycle tends to lag the US by about six months, and larger problems could emerge if Australia's trade position worsens.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Australia

Most of the Australian population descends from immigrants. Originally from the United Kingdom, Australia became a popular emigration destination in the 20th century, and many inhabitants are from Greek, Italian or Asian descent. The original population, the Australian Aborigines, make up less than 1% of the population.

English is the spoken language in Australia, although the Aborigines speak a few native languages. Religious diversity is great, although about three-quarters of the Australians is Christian, mostly Anglican and Catholic.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Australia

Due to the language, Australians have been able to easily merge with the American movie, television and music industries, resulting in many Australians being world famous, such as actors Mel Gibson and Nicole Kidman, and singers Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton-John.

**Holidays**
Date	English Name	Local Name	Remarks

Miscellaneous topics

External links

Countries of the world | (Oceania)