National Flag

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National Flag
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Kangaroos
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The Opera House in Sydney,with the famous
Harbour Bridge,floodlit behind
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A section of the Great Barrier Reef off
the coast of Queensland
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Ayers Rock in the Northern Territories is a
sacred site to the Aboriginal people.
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Australian cowboys herding cattle on a ranch
in the outback
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Australias capitol building in Canberra
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COUNTRY STATISTICS Area 2,951,000
sq.miles (7,644,000 sq.km) Population
18,090,000 Currency 1 Australian dollar 100
cents Exchange Rate A 1.362 US 1 Capital
Canberra Main Cities Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide Languages English,
Aboriginal languages Religions Anglican, Roman
Catholic, others Total GDP US
321,100,000,000 Imports US 67,970,000,000 Popul
ation Growth 1.37
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Death Rate 7.4/1000 people Life
Expectancy 77.6 years Number of Goats 241,000
Per Capita PPP US 14,460 Exports
US 56,810,000,000 Population Density
2people/sq.km Birth Rate 14.8/1000 people
Infant Mortality 7/1000 live births Number of
Pigs 2,740,000
INTRODUCTION HISTORY Australia is a modern
democracy, with a two-tier elected legislature.
Strengthening international relations is
currently high on the country's agenda. One
consequence was a military pact with the United
States and New Zealand in 1988. Although
executive power resides with the prime minister,
the British Crown is still officially head of
state. This remains a controversial issue,
especially since the dismissal of Prime Minister
Gough Whitlam by the governor general in 1975.
The first British settlement in Australia was
established in 1788. Its primary function was as
a penal colony, to relieve over- crowding in
British jails.
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Colonization had a disastrous effect on original
Australians, or Aborigines. Having arrived some
60,000 to 40,000 years before, these nomadic
hunters and gatherers had developed a balanced
culture, utilizing scarce resources in a harsh
environment. Since 1988, the government has
accepted some responsibility for the mistreatment
of Aborigines. Compensation is now available and
land rights are being reassessed.
GEOGRAPHY TOURISM The world's
sixth largest country includes the island of
Tasmania off the southeast coast. A large part of
the country, the Western Shield, is dry, much of
it desert. Uluru (Ayers Rock), a huge sandstone
formation in the middle of the desert, is a site
of great spiritual importance to native
Aborigines. In the east, the Great Dividing Range
of mountains runs across the country from north
to south, reaching their highest point in New
South Wales. East of the mountains are coastal
plains, where the climate is mild. Along the
north Queensland coast is subtropical rain
forest. The southeast
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is home to most of Australia's major cities,
including Melbourne, Sydney, and the capital,
Canberra, which has a relatively small
population. It is these eastern cities that
attract most tourists. Off the northeast coast of
the continent, the Great Barrier Reef runs
roughly north to south for more than 1,200 mi
(1,930 km). This chain of coral reefs and islands
is rich in wildlife and forms a natural
breakwater.
SPECIAL FACTS Sacred Aboriginal song and dance
ceremonies are believed to create links with the
ancient spirits of the Dreamtime, the time of
creation in the Aborigines' mythology. The Great
Barrier Reef is the largest structure ever built
by living creatures. Ironically, it is under
environmental threat from the large numbers of
tourists who come to enjoy its beauty.