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{{Infobox country
PLEASE USE AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE; if in doubt, please put a question on the Talk page
 
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|conventional_long_name = Commonwealth of Australia
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{{Infobox Australia}}
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|common_name = Australia
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|image_flag = Flag of Australia.svg
The '''Commonwealth of Australia''' is a country in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] comprising the world's smallest continent and a number of islands in the [[Southern Ocean|Southern]], [[Indian Ocean|Indian]], and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific Oceans]]. Australia's neighbouring countries are [[Indonesia]], [[East Timor]], and [[Papua New Guinea]] to the north, the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Vanuatu]], and [[New Caledonia]] to the north-east, and [[New Zealand]] to the south-east.
 
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|alt_flag = A blue field with the Union Flag in the upper hoist quarter, a large white seven-pointed star in the lower hoist quarter, and constellation of five white stars in the fly – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars.
 
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|image_coat = Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
The continent of Australia has been inhabited for over 40,000 years by [[Australian Aborigine|Aboriginal]] and [[Torres Strait Islander]] peoples. After sporadic visits by [[Europe|European]] explorers and merchants from the [[17th century]] onwards, the eastern half of the continent was claimed by the British in [[1770]], and officially settled as the [[penal colony]] of [[New South Wales]] on [[26 January]] [[1788]]. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing [[British overseas territory|Crown Colonies]] were successively established over the course of the 19th century.
 
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|alt_coat = <!--alt text for coat of arms-->
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|national_anthem = "[[Advance Australia Fair]]"{{lower|0.2em|{{refn|Australia's [[royal anthem]] is "[[God Save the Queen]]", played in the presence of a member of the [[House of Windsor|Royal family]] when they are in Australia. In all other appropriate contexts, the [[national anthem]] of Australia, "[[Advance Australia Fair]]", is played.<ref>[http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/symbols/anthem.cfm It's an Honour&nbsp;– Symbols&nbsp;– Australian National Anthem] and [http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/nat_anthem.html DFAT&nbsp;– "The Australian National Anthem"]{{dead link|date=March 2015}}; {{cite book |title=Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia |edition=29th |origyear=2002|year=2005 |chapter=National Symbols |chapterurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611101901/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/40thparl/national+symbols.pdf |accessdate=7 June 2007}}</ref>|name="anthem explanation"|group="N"}}<!--end lower:-->}}<br /><center>[[File:U.S. Navy Band, Advance Australia Fair (instrumental).ogg]]</center>
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|image_map = Australia_(orthographic_projection).svg
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|alt_map = <!--alt text for map-->
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|map_width = 220px
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|capital = [[Canberra]]
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|latd=35 |latm=18.48 |latNS=S |longd=149 |longm=7.47 |longEW=E
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|largest_city = [[Sydney]]
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|official_languages = None{{refn|English does not have ''[[de jure]]'' status.<ref name=language/>|name="official language"|group="N"}}
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|languages_type = [[National language]]
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|languages = [[Australian English|English]]<ref name="official language" group="N" />
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|demonym = {{hlist |[[Australians|Australian]] |[[Aussie]]<ref>See entry in the [[Macquarie Dictionary]].</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=[[Collins English Dictionary]] |year=2009 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |location=Bishopbriggs, Glasgow |isbn=978-0-00-786171-2 |page=18 }}</ref><!--end hlist:-->}}
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|government_type = [[Federal monarchy|Federal]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[constitutional monarchy]]
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|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Australia|Monarch]]
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|leader_name1 = [[Elizabeth II]]
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|leader_title2 = {{nowrap|[[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]]}}
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|leader_name2 = [[Peter Cosgrove|Sir Peter Cosgrove]]
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|leader_title3 = [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]
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|leader_name3 = [[Tony Abbott]]
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|leader_title4 = [[Chief Justice of Australia|Chief Justice]]
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|leader_name4 = [[Robert French]]
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|legislature = [[Parliament of Australia|Parliament]]
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|upper_house = [[Australian Senate|Senate]]
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|lower_house = [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
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|sovereignty_type = Independence
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|sovereignty_note = from the United Kingdom
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|established_event1 = [[Federation of Australia|Federation]], [[Constitution of Australia|Constitution]]
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|established_date1 = 1 January 1901
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|established_event2 = [[Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942|Statute of Westminster Adoption Act]]
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|established_date2 = {{nowrap|9 October 1942 {{small|(with effect<br />from 3 September 1939)}}}}
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|established_event3 = [[Australia Act 1986|Australia Act]]
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|established_date3 = 3 March 1986
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|area_rank = 6th
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|area_magnitude = 1 E12
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|area_km2 = 7692024
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|population_estimate = {{formatnum:{{data Australia|poptoday}}}}<ref name="popclock">{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument|title=Population clock|work=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] website|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|accessdate=29 June 2015}} The population estimate shown is automatically calculated daily at 00:00 UTC and is based on data obtained from the population clock on the date shown in the citation.</ref>
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|population_estimate_rank = 51st
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|population_estimate_year = {{CURRENTYEAR}}
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|population_census = 21,507,717<ref>{{Census 2011 AUS|id=0|name=Australia|accessdate=21 June 2012|quick=on}}</ref>
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|population_census_year = 2011
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|population_density_km2 = 2.8
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|population_density_rank = 233rd
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|GDP_PPP = {{nowrap|$1.137 trillion<ref name=IMF>{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=76&pr.y=13&sy=2015&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=193&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= |title=Australia |publisher=International Monetary Fund |date=April 2015 |accessdate=25 April 2015}}</ref>}}
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|GDP_PPP_rank = 19th
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|GDP_PPP_year = 2015
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|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $47,608<ref name=IMF/>
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|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 17th
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|GDP_nominal = {{nowrap|$1.252 trillion<ref name=IMF/>}}
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|GDP_nominal_rank = 12th
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|GDP_nominal_year = 2015
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|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $52,454<ref name=IMF/>
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|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 9th
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|Gini = 33.6<!--number only-->
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|Gini_ref = <ref>{{cite web|title=OECD Economic Surveys: Norway 2012|url=http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/economics/oecd-economic-surveys-norway-2012/gini-coefficients-before-and-after-taxes-and-transfers_eco_surveys-nor-2012-graph1-en#page1}}</ref>
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|Gini_rank = 19th
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|Gini_year = 2012
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|Gini_change = <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
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|HDI = 0.933<!--number only-->
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|HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web |url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-summary-en.pdf |title=2014 Human Development Report Summary |date=2014 |accessdate=27 July 2014 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme | pages=21–25}}</ref>
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|HDI_rank = 2nd
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|HDI_year = 2013<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
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|HDI_change = steady<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
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|currency = [[Australian dollar]]
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|currency_code = AUD
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|time_zone = [[Time in Australia|various]]<ref name="time" group="N">There are minor variations from three basic time zones; see [[Time in Australia]].</ref>
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|utc_offset = +8 to +10.5
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|time_zone_DST = [[Time in Australia|various]]<ref name="time" group="N" />
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|utc_offset_DST = +8 to +11.5
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|date_format = dd-mm-yyyy
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|drives_on = [[Right- and left-hand traffic#Australia|left]]
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|cctld = [[.au]]
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|calling_code = [[+61]]
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}}
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<!-- PLEASE USE AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH THROUGHOUT, i.e. use "centre" instead of "center"; "neighbour" rather than "neighbor", etc.; and maximise the use of "-is-" and "-ys-" (as in "organise" and "analyse") rather than "-iz-" or "-yz-" ("organize", "analyze"). The dash style is unspaced em dash (in accordance with the current AGPS Style Manual), not spaced em dash or spaced en dash (see [[WP:MOS]]). Please maintain consistency of style over personal preferences. -->
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'''Australia''' ({{IPAc-en|ɒ|ˈ|s|t|r|eɪ|l|i|ə}}, {{IPAc-en|ə|-}}, colloquially {{IPAc-en|-|j|ə}}),<ref>{{cite book|title=Macquarie ABC Dictionary|publisher=The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd|year=2003|page=56|isbn=1-876429-37-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Australia|work=Oxford Dictionaries|date=April 2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Australia|accessdate=26 July 2012}}</ref> officially the '''Commonwealth of Australia''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2005Q00193/0332ed71-e2d9-4451-b6d1-33ec4b570e9f |title=Constitution of Australia |publisher=[[ComLaw]] |date=9 July 1900 |accessdate=5 August 2011 |quote=3. It shall be lawful for the Queen, with the advice of the Privy Council, to declare by proclamation that, on and after a day therein appointed, not being later than one year after the passing of this Act, the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, and also, if Her Majesty is satisfied that the people of Western Australia have agreed thereto, of Western Australia, shall be united in a Federal Commonwealth under the name of the Commonwealth of Australia.}}</ref> is an [[Oceania]]n country comprising the mainland of the [[Australia (continent)|Australian continent]], the island of [[Tasmania]], and numerous [[list of islands of Australia|smaller islands]]. It is the world's [[List of countries and dependencies by area|sixth-largest country by total area]]. Neighbouring countries include [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Indonesia]] and [[East Timor]] to the north; the [[Solomon Islands]] and [[Vanuatu]] to the north-east; and [[New Zealand]] to the south-east.
   
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For at least 40,000 years<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/science/23aborigines.html | work=The New York Times | first=Nicholas | last=Wade | title=Australian Aborigine Hair Tells a Story of Human Migration | date=22 September 2011}}</ref> before the first [[History of Australia (1788–1850)|British settlement]] in the late 18th century,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/european-discovery-and-colonisation|title=European discovery and the colonisation of Australia|work=Australian Government: Culture Portal|publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia|quote=[The British] moved north to Port Jackson on 26 January 1788, landing at Camp Cove, known as 'cadi' to the Cadigal people. Governor Phillip carried instructions to establish the first British Colony in Australia. The First Fleet was under prepared for the task, and the soil around Sydney Cove was poor.|date=11 January 2008|accessdate=7 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="Davison pp. 157, 254">Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 157, 254.</ref> Australia was inhabited by [[indigenous Australians]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Both-Aborigines-and-Europeans-Rooted-in-Africa-54225.shtml |title=Both Australian Aborigines and Europeans Rooted in Africa – 50,000 years ago |publisher=News.softpedia.com |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref>
On [[1 January]] [[1901]], the six colonies [[Federation of Australia|federated]] and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable [[wikipedia:liberal democracy|liberal democratic]] political system and remains a [[Commonwealth Realm]]. The current population of around 20.4 million is concentrated mainly in the coastal cities of [[Sydney, Australia|Sydney]], [[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]], [[Brisbane, Australia|Brisbane]], [[Adelaide, Australia|Adelaide]], and [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]].
 
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who spoke languages grouped into roughly [[Australian Aboriginal languages|250 language groups]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.NSF/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/aadb12e0bbec2820ca2570ec001117a5!OpenDocument|title=Australian Social Trends|work=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] website|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|accessdate=6 June 2008}}</ref><ref name="Romaine1991">Walsh, Michael (1991) "Overview of indigenous languages of Australia" in {{cite book|author=Suzanne Romaine|title=Language in Australia|url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=LQjdVLuJC8K-ggSYk4HYCg&id=odXuIsxHaOYC&dq=Suzanne+Romaine+%28ed.%29+Language+in+Australia&q=Overview+of+indigenous+languages+of+Australia#v=snippet&q=Overview%20of%20indigenous%20languages%20of%20Australia&f=false|year=1991|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-33983-4|page=27}}</ref>
   
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After the European discovery of the continent by [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] in 1770 and initially settled through [[penal transportation]] to the colony of [[New South Wales]] from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing [[crown colonies]] were established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies [[Federation of Australia|federated]], forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable [[liberal democracy|liberal democratic]] political system that functions as a [[Federalism|federal]] [[parliamentary democracy]] and [[constitutional monarchy]] comprising [[States and territories of Australia|six states and several territories]]. The population of 23.6 million<ref name="popclock" /> is highly [[Urbanization|urbanised]] and heavily concentrated in the [[Eastern states of Australia|eastern states]] and on the coast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1301.0~2012~Main%20Features~Geographic%20distribution%20of%20the%20population~49|title= Geographic Distribution of the Population|accessdate= 1 December 2012}}</ref>
== History ==
 
<!-- probably not needed {{main|History of Australia}} -->
 
<!-- try Commons? [[Image:Endeavour replica in Cooktown harbour.jpg|240px|right|thumb|Lieutenant [[James Cook]] charted the East coast of Australia on [[HM Bark Endeavour|HM Bark ''Endeavour'']] claiming the land for Britain in [[1770]]. This replica was built in [[Fremantle, Western Australia]] in 1988 for Australia's bicentenary.]] -->
 
The date of the first human habitation of Australia is estimated to be between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. {{mn|Gillespie2002|1}}The first Australians were the ancestors of the current [[Australian Aborigine]]s, and arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from present-day [[Southeast Asia|south-east Asia]]. Most of these people were [[hunter-gatherer]]s, with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the [[wikipedia:Dreamtime (mythology)|Dreamtime]]. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically [[Melanesia]]n, inhabited the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and parts of far-north [[Queensland]]; they practised subsistence agriculture and possess distinct cultural practices.
 
   
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Australia is a [[developed country]] and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|world's 12th-largest economy]]. In 2014 Australia had the world's [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|fifth-highest per capita income]].<ref>Data refer mostly to the year 2014. [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=39&pr.y=6&sy=2012&ey=2012&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C668%2C914%2C672%2C612%2C946%2C614%2C137%2C311%2C962%2C213%2C674%2C911%2C676%2C193%2C548%2C122%2C556%2C912%2C678%2C313%2C181%2C419%2C867%2C513%2C682%2C316%2C684%2C913%2C273%2C124%2C868%2C339%2C921%2C638%2C948%2C514%2C943%2C218%2C686%2C963%2C688%2C616%2C518%2C223%2C728%2C516%2C558%2C918%2C138%2C748%2C196%2C618%2C278%2C522%2C692%2C622%2C694%2C156%2C142%2C624%2C449%2C626%2C564%2C628%2C565%2C228%2C283%2C924%2C853%2C233%2C288%2C632%2C293%2C636%2C566%2C634%2C964%2C238%2C182%2C662%2C453%2C960%2C968%2C423%2C922%2C935%2C714%2C128%2C862%2C611%2C135%2C321%2C716%2C243%2C456%2C248%2C722%2C469%2C942%2C253%2C718%2C642%2C724%2C643%2C576%2C939%2C936%2C644%2C961%2C819%2C813%2C172%2C199%2C132%2C733%2C646%2C184%2C648%2C524%2C915%2C361%2C134%2C362%2C652%2C364%2C174%2C732%2C328%2C366%2C258%2C734%2C656%2C144%2C654%2C146%2C336%2C463%2C263%2C528%2C268%2C923%2C532%2C738%2C944%2C578%2C176%2C537%2C534%2C742%2C536%2C866%2C429%2C369%2C433%2C744%2C178%2C186%2C436%2C925%2C136%2C869%2C343%2C746%2C158%2C926%2C439%2C466%2C916%2C112%2C664%2C111%2C826%2C298%2C542%2C927%2C967%2C846%2C443%2C299%2C917%2C582%2C544%2C474%2C941%2C754%2C446%2C698%2C666&s=NGDPDPC&grp=0&a= World Economic Outlook Database-April 2015], [[International Monetary Fund]]. Accessed on 25 April 2015.</ref> Australia's military expenditure is the [[List of countries by military expenditures|world's 13th-largest]]. With the [[List of countries by Human Development Index|second-highest human development index globally]], Australia [[International rankings of Australia|ranks highly]] in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, [[economic freedom]], and the protection of [[civil liberties]] and political rights.<ref name="World Audit">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldaudit.org/countries/australia.htm|title=Australia: World Audit Democracy Profile|work=WorldAudit.org|accessdate=5 January 2008| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213032213/http://www.worldaudit.org/countries/australia.htm| archivedate= 13 December 2007 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Australia is a member of the [[United Nations]], [[G-20 major economies|G20]], [[Commonwealth of Nations]], [[ANZUS]], [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD), [[World Trade Organization]], [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]], and the [[Pacific Islands Forum]].
The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian continent was made by the Dutch navigator [[Willem Jansz]], who sighted the coast of [[Cape York Peninsula]] in 1606. During the 17th century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]], but made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, [[James Cook]] sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named [[New South Wales]] and claimed for Britain. The expedition's discoveries provided impetus for the establishment of a [[penal colony]] there following the loss of the American colonies that had previously filled that role.
 
   
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==Etymology==
<!-- [[Image:Port Arthur Seeseite.jpg|260px|thumb|left|[[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]], [[Tasmania]] was Australia's largest penal colony.]] -->
 
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Pronounced {{IPA|[[Australian English phonology|[əˈstɹæɪljə, -liə]]]}} in [[Australian English]],<ref>Australian pronunciations: ''[[Macquarie Dictionary|Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition]]'' (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3</ref> the name ''[[List of country-name etymologies#A|Australia]]'' is derived from the [[Latin]] ''australis'', meaning "southern". {{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=June 2015}}The country has been referred to colloquially as ''Oz'' since the early 20th century.{{refn|The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' records a first occurrence in 1908, in the form ''Oss''. ''Oz'' is often taken as an oblique reference to the fictional Land of Oz in the film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939), based on [[L. Frank Baum]]'s novel ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' (1900).<ref>Jacobson, H. (1988) ''In the Land of Oz'', Penguin, ISBN 0-14-010966-8.</ref> Australians' "image of Australia as a 'Land of Oz' is not new, and dedication to it runs deep".<ref>''The Americana Annual: 1988'', Americana Corporation, vol.&nbsp;13, 1989, p.&nbsp;66, ISBN 0-7172-0220-8.</ref> The spelling ''Oz'' is likely to have been influenced by the 1939 film, though the pronunciation was probably always with a /z/, as it is also for ''Aussie'', sometimes spelt ''Ozzie''.<ref>[[Eric Partridge|Partridge, Eric]], et al., ''The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'', Taylor & Francis, 2006, ISBN 0-415-25938-X, entries "Oz" and "Ozzie", p.&nbsp;1431.</ref> The [[Baz Luhrmann]] film ''[[Australia (2008 film)#Recurring motifs|Australia]]'' (2008) makes repeated reference to ''The Wizard of Oz'', which appeared just before the wartime action of ''Australia''. Some critics have even speculated that Baum was inspired by Australia, in naming the ''Land of Oz'': "In ''Ozma of Oz'' (1907), Dorothy gets back to Oz as the result of a storm at sea while she and Uncle Henry are travelling by ship to Australia. So, like Australia, Oz is somewhere to the west of California. Like Australia, Oz is an island continent. Like Australia, Oz has inhabited regions bordering on a great desert. One might almost imagine that Baum intended Oz to be Australia, or perhaps a magical land in the center of the great Australian desert."<ref>Algeo, J., "Australia as the Land of Oz", ''American Speech'', Vol.&nbsp;65, No.&nbsp;1, 1990, pp.&nbsp;86–89.</ref>|group="N"|name="Oss"}} ''[[Aussie]]'' is a common colloquial term for "Australian". In neighbouring New Zealand, and less commonly in Australia itself, the noun "Aussie" is also used to refer to the nation, as distinct from its residents.<ref name=mac5>{{cite book|title=Macquarie Dictionary|edition=5th|year=2010|publisher=Macmillan Publishers Australia|isbn=9781876429669}}</ref><ref name=kennett>{{cite news|last=Kennett|first=Jeff|title=C'mon Aussie, let's grow up|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/cmon-aussie-lets-grow-up/story-e6frfhqf-1226185129838|accessdate=22 February 2014|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=11 November 2011}}</ref><ref>Claire Harvey, [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10494046 Aussie farewell to life in "Kiwi"]. Retrieved 29 December 2011.</ref> The sporting anthem [[C'mon Aussie C'mon]] is an example of the use of Aussie as a synonym for Australia.<ref name=kennett/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/cmon-aussie-cricket-anthem-reprised-to-get-bums-on-seats-20091126-jum2.html#ixzz2pZNyvOwR|title=C'mon Aussie: cricket anthem reprised to get bums on seats|first=Julian|last=Lee|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=27 November 2009|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref>
The British [[British overseas territory|Crown Colony]] of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at [[Port Jackson, Australia|Port Jackson]] by Captain [[Arthur Phillip]] on [[26 January]] [[1788]]. This date was later to become Australia's national day, [[Australia Day]]. [[Van Diemen's Land]], now known as [[Tasmania]], was settled in [[1803]] and became a separate colony in [[1825]]. Britain formally claimed the western part of Australia in [[1829]]. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: [[South Australia]] in [[1836]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]] in [[1851]], and [[Queensland]] in [[1859]]. The [[Northern Territory, Australia|Northern Territory]] (NT) was founded in [[1863]] as part of the Province of South Australia. Victoria and South Australia were founded as "free colonies" — that is, they were never penal colonies, although the former did receive some convicts from Tasmania. Western Australia was also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts due to an acute labour shortage. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1868.
 
   
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[[File:Austrialia_First_use_of_word_Quiros.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The name "Austrialia" was used for the first time by Quiros&nbsp;– in May 1606.<ref> [http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/queiros/index.html "He named it Austrialia del Espiritu Santo and claimed it for Spain"] ''The Spanish quest for Terra Australis | State Library of New South Wales Page 1''. </ref><ref> [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/quiros-pedro-fernandez-de-2568 "before reaching the New Hebrides or what he called Austrialis del Espiritu Santo on 3 May 1606"] '' Quiros, Pedro Fernandez de (1563–1615) Para 4 | Australian Dictionary of Biography''. </ref><ref> '' Cartouche of La Gran Baya de S. Philippe y S. Santiago, Prado y Tovar ca.1606-1614 (España. Ministerio de Cultura. Archivo General de Simancas)''. </ref> ]]
The [[Australian Aborigine|Indigenous Australian]] population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement,{{mn|Smith1980|2}} declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease and because of forced migration, the [[Stolen Generation|removal of children]], and other colonial government policies that by today's understanding could be considered to constitute [[wikipedia:Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide|genocide]].{{mn|Tatz1999|3}} Following the [[wikipedia:Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)|1967 referendum]], the Federal government gained the power to implement policies and make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land — [[native title]] — was not recognised until the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]] case ''[[wikipedia:Mabo v Queensland (No 2)|Mabo v Queensland]]'' overturned the notion of Australia as ''[[terra nullius]]'' (nobody's land) at the time of European occupation.
 
   
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[[File:Austrialia_changed_to_Australia.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Austrialia was altered or 'corrected' to Australia over time (one example shown).<ref>[http://rupertgerritsen.tripod.com/pdf/published/Austrialia_Globe_72_2013_pp23-30.pdf "A note on 'Austrialia' or 'Australia' Rupert Gerritsen - Journal of The Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc.- The Globe, Number 72, 2013 "] ''Posesion en nombre de Su Magestad (Archivo del Museo Naval, Madrid, MS 951) Page 3''. </ref> ]]
<!--[[Image:Anzac1.JPG|right|thumb|160px|The [[wikipedia:Last Post]] is played at an [[ANZAC Day]] ceremony in [[Port Melbourne, Victoria]], [[25 April]] [[2005]]. Ceremonies such as this are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.]] -->
 
A [[gold rush]] began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the [[Eureka Stockade]] rebellion in [[1854]] was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained [[responsible government]], managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the [[British Empire]]. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence, and international shipping.
 
   
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[[File:Australia_First_use_of_word_Shaw_Zoology.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The name Australia was specifically applied to the continent for the first time in 1794.<ref> http://archive.org/details/ZoologyNewHolla1Shaw "First Instance of the Word Australia being applied specifically to the Continent - in 1794"] ''Zoology of New Holland - Shaw, George,1751-1813; Sowerby, James,1757-1822 Page 2''. </ref> ]]
On [[1 January]] [[1901]], [[Federation of Australia|federation]] of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation, and voting, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a [[Dominion]] of the [[British Empire]]. The [[Australian Capital Territory]] (ACT) was formed from New South Wales in [[1911]] to provide a location for the proposed new federal capital of [[Canberra]] ([[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]] was the capital from 1901 to 1927). The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the Commonwealth in 1911.
 
   
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Legends of ''[[Terra Australis|Terra Australis Incognita]]''—an "unknown land of the South"—date back to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval geography, although not based on any documented knowledge of the continent. Following European discovery, names for the Australian landmass were often references to the famed ''Terra Australis''.
Australia willingly participated in [[World War I]];{{mn|Bean1941|4}} many Australians regard the defeat of the [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]] (ANZACs) at [[Battle of Gallipoli|Gallipoli]] as the birth of the nation — its first major military action. The casualties suffered by Australia were the highest ''per capita'' of any Allied nation, and the war had a profound effect on the national character. Much like Gallipoli the [[wikipedia:Kokoda Track Campaign|Kokoda Track Campaign]] is regarded by many as a nation defining battle from [[World War II]].
 
   
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The earliest recorded use of the word ''Australia'' in English was in 1625 in "A note of Australia del Espíritu Santo, written by Sir Richard Hakluyt", published by [[Samuel Purchas]] in ''Hakluytus Posthumus'', a corruption of the original Spanish name "Tierra Austral del Espíritu Santo" (Southern Land of the Holy Spirit)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63620938 |title=THE ILLUSTRATED SYDNEY NEWS |newspaper=[[Illustrated Sydney News]] |date=26 January 1888 |accessdate=29 January 2012 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> for an island in [[Vanuatu]].<ref>Purchas, vol. iv, pp. 1422–32, 1625. This appears to be variation of the original Spanish "Austrialia" {{sic}}.[https://web.archive.org/web/20060822033701/http://www.hispanicfiesta.com.au/pics/pdf_mag_2004/42.PDF] A copy at the Library of Congress can be read online [http://memory.loc.gov/service/rbc/rbdk/d0404/02951422.jpg].</ref> The Dutch adjectival form ''Australische'' was used in a Dutch book in [[History of Jakarta|Batavia]] ([[Jakarta]]) in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=DDNEle_1NzkC&pg=PA299|page=299|last=Scott|first=Ernest|origyear=1914|title=The Life of Captain Matthew Flinders|isbn=978-1-4191-6948-9|year=2004|publisher=Kessinger Publishing}}</ref> ''Australia'' was later used in a 1693 translation of ''Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe'', a 1676 French novel by [[Gabriel de Foigny]], under the pen-name Jacques Sadeur.<ref>Baker, Sidney J. (1966) ''The Australian Language'', 2nd ed.</ref> <!-- The 1676 version is rare. Regardless, it was the first edition of this book&nbsp;– some details are at http://www.ilab.org/db/detail.php?booknr=293280177 --> Referring to the entire South Pacific region, [[Alexander Dalrymple]] used it in ''An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean'' in 1771. By the end of the 18th century, the name was being used to refer specifically to Australia, with the botanists [[George Shaw]] and [[James Edward Smith|Sir James Smith]] writing of "the vast island, or rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]" in their 1793 ''Zoology and Botany of New Holland'',<ref name="Ferguson">{{Cite book|last=Ferguson|first=John Alexander|title=Bibliography of Australia: 1784–1830|publisher=National Library of Australia|year=1975|edition=reprint|volume=1|page=77|isbn=0-642-99044-1|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KQzgC-xeQkIC}}</ref> and [[James Wilson]] including it on a 1799 chart.<ref name="Estensen 2002 p354">{{Cite book|first=Miriam|last=Estensen|year=2002|title=The Life of Matthew Flinders|publisher=Allen & Unwin|isbn=1-74114-152-4|page=354}}</ref>
The [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and Britain, but Australia did not [[Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942|adopt the Statute]] until 1942. The shock of Britain's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the [[United States]] as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the [[ANZUS]] treaty.
 
   
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The name ''Australia'' was popularised by the explorer [[Matthew Flinders]], who pushed for it to be formally adopted as early as 1804.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Flinders|first1=Matthew|title=Letter from Matthew Flinders originally enclosing a chart of 'New Holland' (Australia)|url=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-RGO-00014-00051/358|website=http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk|publisher=Cambridge Digital Library|accessdate=18 July 2014}}</ref> When preparing his manuscript and charts for his 1814 ''[[A Voyage to Terra Australis]]'', he was persuaded by his patron, [[Joseph Banks|Sir Joseph Banks]], to use the term ''Terra Australis'' as this was the name most familiar to the public. Flinders did so, and published the following rationale:
After World War II, Australia encouraged mass [[immigration]] from [[Europe]] - and, since the 1970s and the abolition of the [[White Australia policy]], from Asia and other parts of the world. This radically transformed Australia's demography, culture, and self-image. The final constitutional ties between Australia and Britain ended in [[1986]] with the passing of the [[Australia Act 1986]], ending any British role in the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK [[Privy Council]]. Although Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55% majority,{{mn|AEC|5}} Australia's links to its British past are increasingly tenuous. Since the election of the [[Gough Whitlam|Whitlam Government]] in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the Asia-Pacific region.
 
   
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{{quote|There is no probability, that any other detached body of land, of nearly equal extent, will ever be found in a more southern latitude; the name Terra Australis will, therefore, remain descriptive of the geographical importance of this country, and of its situation on the globe: it has antiquity to recommend it; and, having no reference to either of the two claiming nations, appears to be less objectionable than any other which could have been selected.*<ref>Matthew Flinders, [http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/encounter/collection/B12985211_259_3.htm ''A voyage to Terra Australis'' (Introduction)]. Retrieved 25 January 2013.</ref>}}
==Politics==
 
<!--[[Image:NewParliamentHouseInCanberra.jpg|thumb|right|250px|New [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Canberra, Australia|Canberra]] was opened in [[1988]] replacing the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] opened in [[1927]].]] -->
 
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{{Mainpl|''[[Government of Australia]], [[Politics of Australia]]''}}
 
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The Commonwealth of Australia is a [[constitutional monarchy]] and has a [[parliamentary system]] of government. [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] is the [[Queen of Australia]], a role that is distinct from her position as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Queen is nominally represented by the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]]; although the [[Constitution of Australia|Constitution]] gives extensive [[wikipedia:Executive (government)|executive powers]] to the Governor-General, these are normally exercised only on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]. The most notable exercise of the Governor-General's [[reserve power]]s outside the Prime Minister's direction was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the [[Australian constitutional crisis of 1975|constitutional crisis of 1975]].{{mn|PL1997|6}}
 
   
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In the footnote Flinders wrote:
There are three branches of government.
 
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{{quote|*&nbsp;&nbsp;Had I permitted myself any innovation on the original term, it would have been to convert it to AUSTRALIA; as being more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Matthew|last=Flinders|year=1814|title=[[A Voyage to Terra Australis]]|publisher=G. and W. Nicol}}</ref>}} This is the only occurrence of the word ''Australia'' in that text; but in Appendix III, [[Robert Brown (botanist)|Robert Brown]]'s ''[[General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis]]'', Brown makes use of the adjectival form ''Australian'' throughout,<ref name="Bennett 1868">{{Cite book|editor=Bennett, J. J.|year=1866–68|title=The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown, Esq., D.C.L., F.R.S.|volume=2|chapter=General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis|pages=1–89|url=http://archive.org/details/generalremarksge00brow}}</ref>—the first known use of that form.<ref name="Mabberley 1985">{{Cite book|first=David|last=Mabberley|year=1985|title=Jupiter botanicus: Robert Brown of the British Museum|publisher=British Museum (Natural History)|isbn=3-7682-1408-7}}</ref> Despite popular conception, the book was not instrumental in the adoption of the name: the name came gradually to be accepted over the following ten years.<ref name="Estensen 2002 p450">Estensen, p. 450</ref>
*The legislature: the [[Parliament of Australia|Commonwealth Parliament]], comprising the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives; the Queen is represented by the Governor-General, who in practice exercises little or no power over the Parliament.
 
*The executive: the [[Federal Executive Council]] (the Governor-General as advised by the executive councillors); in practice, the councillors are the prime minister and ministers of state, whose advice the Governor-General accepts, with rare exceptions.
 
*The judiciary: the [[High Court of Australia]] and other [[Australian court hierarchy|federal courts]]. The State courts became formally independent from the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] when the ''[[Australia Act]]'' was passed in 1986.
 
   
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The first time that the name Australia appears to have been officially used was in a despatch to Lord Bathurst of 4 April 1817 in which Governor [[Lachlan Macquarie]] acknowledges the receipt of Capt. Flinders' charts of Australia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58549315 |title=WHO NAMED AUSTRALIA? |newspaper=[[The Mail (Adelaide)|The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 – 1954)]] |location=Adelaide|date=11 February 1928 |accessdate=14 February 2012 |page=16 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted.<ref>Weekend Australian, 30–31 December 2000, p. 16</ref> In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as ''Australia''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Department of Immigration and Citizenship|title=Life in Australia|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|year=2007|page=11|isbn=978-1-921446-30-6|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/values/book/english/lia_english_part1.pdf|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref>
The [[wikipedia:Bicameralism|bicameral]] Commonwealth Parliament consists of the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] (the upper house) of 76 senators, and a [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (the lower house) of 150 members. Members of the lower house are elected from single-member constituencies, commonly known as 'electorates' or 'seats'. Seats in the House of Representatives are allocated to states on the basis of population. In the Senate, each state, regardless of population, is represented by 12 senators, with the ACT and the NT each electing two. Elections for both chambers are held every three years; typically only half of the Senate seats are put to each election, because senators have overlapping six-year terms. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms Government, with its leader becoming Prime Minister.
 
   
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==History==
<!-- little relevance to even modern genealogy?
 
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{{Main|History of Australia}}
There are three major political parties: the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]], the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] and the [[National Party of Australia|National Party]]. Independent members and several minor parties—including the [[Australian Greens|Greens]], [[Family First Party|Family First]] and the [[Australian Democrats]]—have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses, although their influence has been marginal. Since the [[Australian legislative election, 1996|1996 election]], the [[Coalition (Australia)|Liberal/National Coalition]] led by the Prime Minister, [[John Howard]], has been in power in Canberra. In the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 election]], the Coalition won control of the Senate, the first time that a party has done so while in government in more than 30 years. The Labor Party is in power in every state and territory. [[Compulsory voting|Voting is compulsory]] in each state and territory and at the federal level.
 
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[[File:Bradshaw rock paintings.jpg|thumb|Aboriginal rock art in the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] region of Western Australia]]
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Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Gillespie, Richard |year=2002 |url=https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/radiocarbon/article/download/4118/3543 |title=Dating the First Australians (full text) |journal=Radiocarbon |volume=44 |issue=2 |format=PDF |pages=455–472 |accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref> possibly with the migration of people by [[land bridge]]s and short sea-crossings from what is now [[Southeast Asia|South-East Asia]]. These first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians.<ref>{{cite web|title=The spread of people to Australia|publisher=[[Australian Museum]]|url=http://australianmuseum.net.au/The-spread-of-people-to-Australia}}</ref> At the time of European settlement in the late 18th century, most Indigenous Australians were [[hunter-gatherer]]s, with a complex [[oral tradition|oral culture]] and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the [[Dreamtime]]. The [[Torres Strait Islanders]], ethnically [[Melanesia]]n, were originally horticulturalists and hunter-gatherers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Early Aussie Tattoos Match Rock Art|last=Viegas|first=Jennifer|publisher=Discovery News|date=3 July 2008|accessdate=30 March 2010|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/07/03/australia-tattoos-art.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710014604/http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/07/03/australia-tattoos-art.html|archivedate=10 July 2008}}</ref> The northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from [[Maritime Southeast Asia]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=MacKnight|first=CC|year=1976|title=The Voyage to Marege: Macassan Trepangers in Northern Australia|publisher=[[Melbourne University Press]]}}</ref>
   
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[[File:Captainjamescookportrait.jpg|left|upright|thumb|Portrait of Captain [[James Cook]], the first European to map the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770]]
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The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch navigator [[Willem Janszoon]]. He sighted the coast of [[Cape York Peninsula]] in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February at the [[Pennefather River]] near the modern town of [[Weipa, Queensland|Weipa]] on Cape York.<ref name=dhm233>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 233.</ref> The Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent "[[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]" during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement.<ref name=dhm233/> [[William Dampier]], an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688 and again in 1699 on a return trip.<ref>{{cite book|last=Marsh|first=Lindsay|title=History of Australia : understanding what makes Australia the place it is today|year=2010|publisher=Ready-Ed Publications|location=Greenwood, W.A.|isbn=978-1-86397-798-2|page=9}}</ref> In 1770, [[James Cook]] sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/australianhistory/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216230554/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/australianhistory/|archivedate=16 February 2011|title=European discovery and the colonisation of Australia|work=Australian Government: Culture Portal|publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia|date=11 January 2008}}</ref> With the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the "[[First Fleet]]", under the command of Captain [[Arthur Phillip]], to establish a new [[penal colony]] in New South Wales. A camp was set up and the flag raised at [[Sydney Cove]], [[Port Jackson]], on 26 January 1788,<ref name="Davison pp. 157, 254"/> a date which became Australia's national day, [[Australia Day]] although the British [[British Overseas Territories|Crown Colony]] of New South Wales was not formally promulgated until 7 February 1788. The first settlement led to the foundation of [[Sydney]], the establishment of farming, industry and commerce; and the exploration and settlement of other regions.
== States and territories==
 
{{mainarticle|States and territories of Australia}}
 
<!-- Commons probably has an equivalent map
 
[[Image:Map of Australia.png|thumb|260px|States and territories of Australia]] -->
 
   
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[[File:PortArthurPenitentiary.jpg|thumb|alt=A calm body of water is in the foreground. The shoreline is about 200 metres away. To the left, close to the shore, are three tall [[Eucalyptus|gum trees]]; behind them on an incline are ruins, including walls and watchtowers of light-coloured stone and brick, what appear to be the foundations of walls, and grassed areas. To the right lie the outer walls of a large rectangular four-storey building dotted with regularly spaced windows. Forested land rises gently to a peak several kilometres back from the shore.|Tasmania's [[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]] penal settlement is one of eleven UNESCO World Heritage-listed [[Australian Convict Sites]].]]
Australia consists of six states and several territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Queensland]], [[South Australia]], [[Tasmania]], [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], and [[Western Australia]]. The two mainland territories are the [[Northern Territory, Australia|Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]]; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the [[Jervis Bay Territory]], as a naval base and sea port for the national capital.
 
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A British settlement was established in [[Van Diemen's Land]], now known as Tasmania, in 1803 and it became a separate colony in 1825.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 464–65, 628–29.</ref> The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of [[Western Australia]] (the [[Swan River Colony]]) in 1828.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 678.</ref> Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales: [[South Australia]] in 1836, [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] in 1851, and Queensland in 1859.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 464.</ref> The [[Northern Territory]] was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 470.</ref> South Australia was founded as a "free province"—it was never a penal colony.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 598.</ref> Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted [[convicts in Australia|transported convicts]].<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 679.</ref><ref>[http://www.access.prov.vic.gov.au/public/PROVguides/PROVguide057/PROVguide057.jsp Convict Records] Public Record office of Victoria; [http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/collection/convict-records State Records Office of Western Australia].</ref> A campaign by the settlers of New South Wales led to the end of convict transportation to that colony; the last convict ship arrived in 1848.<ref>{{cite web|year=1988 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs%40.nsf/0/A890E87A9AB97424CA2569DE0025C18B?Open |title=1998 Special Article&nbsp;– The State of New South Wales&nbsp;– Timeline of History |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>
   
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The indigenous population, estimated to have been between 750,000 and 1,000,000 at the time European settlement began,<ref name=APR>{{cite book|last=Briscoe|first=Gordon|title=The Aboriginal Population Revisited: 70,000 years to the present|year=2002|publisher=Aboriginal History Inc.|location=Canberra, Australia|isbn=978-0-9585637-6-5|author2=Smith, Len|page=12}}</ref> declined for 150 years following settlement, mainly due to infectious disease.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Smallpox Through History|url=http://encarta.msn.com/media_701508643/Smallpox_Through_History.html|work=Encarta|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1257008292443871|archivedate=31 October 2009|deadurl=yes}}</ref> A government policy of "assimilation" beginning with the ''[[Aboriginal Protection Act 1869]]'' resulted in the removal of many Aboriginal children from their families and communities—often referred to as the [[Stolen Generations]]—a practice which may also have contributed to the decline in the indigenous population.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Attwood, Bain |title=Telling the truth about Aboriginal history |year=2005 |url=http://www.questia.com/read/109251500?title=Telling%20the%20Truth%20about%20Aboriginal%20History |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=1-74114-577-5 |location=Crows Nest, New South Wales}}</ref> The Federal government gained the power to make laws with respect to Aborigines following the [[Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)|1967 referendum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/messageclub/duknow/stories/s888141.htm|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|title=1967 Referendum|last=Dawkins|first=Kezia|date=1 February 2004|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420063848/http://www.abc.net.au/messageclub/duknow/stories/s888141.htm| archivedate= 20 April 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Traditional ownership of land—[[Native title in Australia|aboriginal title]]—was not recognised until 1992, when the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]] case ''[[Mabo v Queensland (No 2)]]'' overturned the legal doctrine that Australia had been ''[[terra nullius]]'' ("land belonging to no one") before the European occupation.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 5–7, 402.</ref>
In most respects, the territories function similarly to the states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. By contrast, federal legislation overrides state legislation only with respect to certain areas as set out in [[wikipedia:Section 51 of the Australian Constitution|Section 51]] of the [[Constitution of Australia|Constitution]]; all residual legislative powers are retained by the state parliaments, including powers over hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport, and local government.
 
   
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A [[gold rush]] began in Australia in the early 1850s<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 283–85.</ref> and the [[Eureka Rebellion]] against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp.227–29.</ref> Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained [[responsible government]], managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the [[British Empire]].<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 556.</ref> The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs,<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 138–39.</ref> defence,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Colonial Defence and Imperial Repudiation|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=DSC18601113.2.12&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0-all|date=13 November 1860|issue=vol XVII, issue 1349|newspaper=Daily Southern Cross|accessdate=4 April 2010}}</ref> and international shipping.
Each state and territory has its own bicameral [[Parliaments of the Australian states and territories|parliament]] ([[wikipedia:Unicameralism|unicameral]] in the case of Queensland and the mainland territories). The [[lower house]] is known as the [[Legislative Assembly]] ([[House of Assembly]] in South Australia and Tasmania) and the [[upper house]] the [[Legislative Council]]. The [[head of government|heads of the governments]] in each state and territory are called [[Premiers of the Australian states|premiers]] and [[Chief Minister|chief ministers]], respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a [[Governors of the Australian states|governor]]; an [[Administrator of the Northern Territory|administrator]] in the Northern Territory, and the Governor-General in the ACT, have analogous roles.
 
   
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[[File:Anzac2.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Photo of an ANZAC memorial with an elderly man playing a bugle. Rows of people are seated behind the memorial. Many small white crosses with red poppies have been stuck into the lawn in rows on either side of the memorial.|The [[Last Post]] is played at an [[Anzac Day]] ceremony in [[Port Melbourne, Victoria]]. Similar ceremonies are held in most suburbs and towns.]]
Australia has several inhabited external territories: [[Norfolk Island]], [[Christmas Island]], [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]], and several largely uninhabited external territories: [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]], [[Coral Sea Islands]], [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]] and the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]].
 
   
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On 1 January 1901, [[Federation of Australia|federation of the colonies]] was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 243–44.</ref> This established the Commonwealth of Australia as a [[dominion]] of the British Empire.<ref name=dominionstatus>{{cite web|title=History of the Commonwealth|url=http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/commonwealth/history/|website=Commonwealth Network|publisher=Commonwealth of Nations|accessdate=16 February 2015}}</ref> The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) was formed in 1911 as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra. Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from 1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/4332/|title=When Melbourne was Australia's capital city|last=Otto|first=Kristin|date=25 June – 9 July 2007|publisher=University of Melbourne|accessdate=29 March 2010|location=Melbourne, Victoria| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402083202/http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/news/4332/| archivedate= 2 April 2010 | deadurl=yes}}</ref> The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the federal parliament in 1911.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://books.google.com/?id=-embDa-x6MwC|title=Official year book of the Commonwealth of Australia|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|year=1957}}</ref> In 1914, Australia joined Britain in fighting World War I, with support from both the outgoing [[Commonwealth Liberal Party]] and the incoming [[Australian Labor Party]].<ref>Macintyre, Stuart (1986) ''The Oxford History of Australia'', vol. 4, p. 142</ref><ref>C. Bean Ed. (1941). [http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/1/index.asp Volume I&nbsp;– The Story of Anzac: the first phase], First World War Official Histories, Eleventh Edition.</ref> Australians took part in many of the major battles fought on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.htm|title=First World War 1914–1918|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=5 December 2006| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207011059/http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.htm| archivedate= 7 December 2006 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tucker|first=Spencer|title=Encyclopedia of World War I|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara, California|year=2005|page=273|isbn=1-85109-420-2|url=http://books.google.com/?id=2YqjfHLyyj8C&pg=PA273}}</ref> Many Australians regard the defeat of the [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]] (ANZACs) at [[Gallipoli Campaign|Gallipoli]] as the birth of the nation—its first major military action.<ref>Macintyre, Stuart (2000). ''A Concise History of Australia''. Cambridge, U.K.: [[Cambridge University Press]], pp. 151–153, ISBN 0-521-62359-6.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Reed|first=Liz|title=Bigger than Gallipoli: war, history, and memory in Australia|year=2004|page=5|location=Crawley, WA |publisher=University of Western Australia |isbn=1-920694-19-6}}</ref> The [[Kokoda Track campaign]] is regarded by many as an analogous nation-defining event during World War II.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nelson|first=Hank|year=1997|title=Gallipoli, Kokoda and the Making of National Identity|journal=Journal of Australian Studies|volume=53|issue=1|pages=148–60|url=http://www.api-network.com/main/pdf/scholars/jas53_nelson.pdf}}</ref>
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== Geography and climate ==
 
{{main|Geography of Australia}}
 
[[Image:Australia-climate-map MJC01.png|right|thumb|240px|Climatic zones in Australia.]]
 
Australia's 7,686,850 [[wikipedia:square metre#square kilometre|km²]] landmass is on the [[wikipedia:Indo-Australian Plate|]]. Surrounded by the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]], [[Southern Ocean|Southern]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the [[Arafura Sea|Arafura]] and [[Timor Sea|Timor]] seas. Australia has a total 25,760 [[wikipedia:kilometre|km]] of coastline and claims an extensive [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] of 8,148,250 km² (excluding the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]). Climate is highly influenced by ocean currents, including the [[wikipedia:El Niño|]] southern oscillation, which causes periodic [[drought]], and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces [[cyclone]]s in northern Australia.
 
   
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Britain's [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the UK. Australia [[Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942|adopted it]] in 1942,<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 609.</ref> but it was backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed by the Australian Parliament during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-did-25.html|title=Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (Cth)|publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]]|accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw/Legislation/ActCompilation1.nsf/0/AEA1CBA4FD61CFCFCA256F71005017A1/$file/StatuteWestminAdopt1942.pdf|title=Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942|publisher=ComLaw|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref> The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the [[Military history of Australia during World War II#Defence of Australia|threat of Japanese invasion]] caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 22–23.</ref> Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US, under the [[ANZUS]] treaty.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 30.</ref> After World War II Australia encouraged immigration from Europe. Since the 1970s and following the abolition of the [[White Australia policy]], immigration from Asia and elsewhere was also promoted.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 338–39, 681–82.</ref> As a result, Australia's demography, culture, and self-image were transformed.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 442–43.</ref> The final constitutional ties between Australia and the UK were severed with the passing of the [[Australia Act 1986]], ending any British role in the government of the Australian States, and closing the option of judicial appeals to the [[Privy council|Privy Council]] in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/aa1986114/index.html |title=Australia Act 1986 |accessdate=17 June 2010 | publisher=[[Australasian Legal Information Institute]]}}</ref> In a [[Australian republic referendum, 1999|1999 referendum]], 55% of voters and a majority in every state rejected a proposal to become a [[republic]] with a president appointed by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of the Australian Parliament. Since the election of the [[Gough Whitlam|Whitlam Government]] in 1972,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/whitlam-turned-focus-on-to-asia/2005/11/10/1131578173705.html|title=Whitlam turned focus on to Asia|last=Woodard|first=Garry|date=11 November 2005|publisher=[[The Age]]|accessdate=30 March 2010 | location=Melbourne}}</ref> there has been an increasing focus in foreign policy on ties with other [[Pacific Rim]] nations, while maintaining close ties with Australia's traditional allies and trading partners.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Pacific Basin since 1945: A history of the foreign relations of the Asian, Australasian, and American rim states and the Pacific islands|last=Thompson|first=Roger C.|isbn=0-582-02127-8|publisher=Longman|year=1994}}</ref>
By far the largest part of Australia is [[wikipedia:desert|]] or [[wikipedia:semi-arid|]]—40% of the land mass is covered by [[wikipedia:dune|sand dune]]s. Australia is the driest inhabited continent, the flattest, and has the oldest and least fertile soils. Only the south-east and south-west corners of the continent have a temperate climate. The northern part of the country has a [[wikipedia:tropics|tropical climate]]: part of this region is tropical [[wikipedia:rainforest|]], part is grassland, and part is desert. The [[Great Barrier Reef]], the world's largest [[wikipedia:coral reef|]], lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 1,200 km. The world's two largest [[wikipedia:monolith|]]s are located in Australia, [[Mount Augustus National Park|Mount Augustus]] in Western Australia is the largest and [[Uluru]] in central Australia is the second largest. At 2,228 [[metre|m]], [[Mount Kosciuszko]] on the [[Great Dividing Range]] is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although [[Mawson Peak]] on the remote Australian territory of [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands|Heard Island]] is taller at 2,745 m.
 
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== Economy ==
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==Government==
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{{Main|Government of Australia|Politics of Australia|Monarchy of Australia}}
Australia takes up 7.6 million square kilometers, making it the sixth largest country. 91% of the land is taken up by vegetation, which plays a significant part in why 68% of Australia’s exports are minerals and agriculture. Statistics show they import about twenty billion more than they ship out. In order to stay afloat in this everchanging and increasing environment, new innovation must take place before they so they can expand their industry. Of their many exports, Australia’s kiwi equities play a large role in the rising returns shown on Standard & Poor’s Stock Exchange, last reported at 43.52% over the past year. They have the ninth largest equity market in the world and are economically at their best since 1987 (The Business, London). Due to the lack of investments and high economic risk, the development down under isn’t a high demand. The market is slow world-wide, and when it rises again, the numbers are going to sky-rocket, increasing their strength economically. Not only is there plenty of room to grow financially, but technologically as well. As of October 31, 2007 the currency conversion states that 1 USD is equal to 1.08006 AUD, putting them at their highest in over twenty years. Their currency is the sixth most traded, while trading USD to AUD is ranked fourth.
 
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[[File:Parliament House Canberra NS.jpg|thumb|alt=A large white and cream coloured building with grass on its roof. The building is topped with a large flagpole.|[[Parliament House, Canberra]] was opened in 1988, replacing the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|provisional Parliament House building]] opened in 1927.]]
Having conservative fiscal policies and keeping their inflation to a minimum is substantial to their growing economy. Their robust global financial services define them as one of the most developed marketplace in their region. In 1997, they first adopted reforms to help maintain high stability and integrity. Five years later, they refined the standards to keep up with society. Today, the reforms are the backbone to the economic success. About half of the investment funds Australia is involved with are taken care of across seas. In the past decade, the GDP growth rate was 3.6%, ahead of usual leaders, USA and Japan. Also in that time, their turnover rate for foreign exchange processing hit a record high of 103%. As far as direct investment goes, Australia leaped from the nineteenth to the seventh most attractive nation to do business with. The two heavyweights, Australian Stock Exchange and Sydney Futures Exchange, combined forces, creating the seventh largest with over 2000 entities, totaling over $1.4 trillion. Because of this rapid growth, and a highly competitive price on office space, renowned heavy-hitters like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley have established offices and hubs in the area. “Money is time” holds true as far as Australia goes. In the Asian time zone, they’re first to open, giving them the benefit of starting first.
 
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Australia is a [[constitutional monarchy]] with a [[federalism|federal]] division of powers. It uses a [[parliamentary system]] of government<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/features/2010/08/how-australias-parliament-works|title=How Australia's Parliament works|publisher=Australian Geographic|accessdate=16 June 2014}}</ref> with [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] at its apex as the [[Queen of Australia]], a role that is distinct from her position as monarch of the other [[Commonwealth realm]]s. The Queen resides in the United Kingdom, and she is represented by her viceroys in Australia (the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] at the federal level and by the [[Governors of the Australian states|Governors]] at the state level), who by convention act on the advice of her ministers. Supreme executive authority is vested by the [[Constitution of Australia]] in the sovereign, but the power to exercise it is conferred by the Constitution specifically on the Governor-General.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 287–88.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/category.php?id=2|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804130529/http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/category.php?id=2|archivedate=4 August 2008|title=Governor-General's Role |publisher=Governor-General of Australia|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> The most notable exercise to date of the Governor-General's [[reserve power]]s outside the Prime Minister's request was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis|constitutional crisis of 1975]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Parliament of Australia]] | date=23 January 1998 |accessdate=18 June 2010 |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn25.htm |title=The Reserve Powers of the Governor-General |author=Downing, Susan| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726170040/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn25.htm| archivedate= 26 July 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
References:
 
www.wiki.com
 
www.wikia.com
 
   
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The federal government is [[Separation of powers in Australia|separated]] into three branches:
World Factbook – Australia. Central Intelligence Agency. (2007). https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html#Econ
 
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* The legislature: the bicameral [[Parliament of Australia|Parliament]], defined in section 1 of the constitution as comprising the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), the [[Australian Senate|Senate]], and the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]];
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Advancing the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. (2007). http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html
 
  +
* The executive: the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council]], in practice the Governor-General as advised by the Prime Minister and Ministers of State;<ref name="CIAfactbook">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html|title=The World Factbook 2009|year=2009|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|accessdate=29 March 2010|location=Washington, D.C.| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324151921/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html| archivedate= 24 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
Australian Government-Invest Australia. (2007). http://www.investaustralia.gov.au/
 
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* The judiciary: the [[High Court of Australia]] and other [[Australian court hierarchy|federal courts]], whose judges are appointed by the Governor-General on advice of the Council.
   
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In the Senate (the upper house), there are 76 senators: twelve each from the states and two each from the mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory).<ref name=sen>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/senatecomposition.htm|title=Senate Summary |publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506235552/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/senatecomposition.htm| archivedate= 6 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> The [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (the lower house) has 150 members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as "electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/Voting_HOR.htm|title=Voting HOR|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|date=31 July 2007|accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525053550/http://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/How_to_vote/Voting_HOR.htm| archivedate= 25 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> with each original state guaranteed a minimum of five seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/state_tas.htm|title=Election Summary: Tasmania |publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503053159/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/state_tas.htm| archivedate= 3 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Elections for both chambers are normally held every three years, simultaneously; senators have overlapping six-year terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to the electoral cycle for the lower house; thus only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate are put to each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a [[double dissolution]].<ref name=sen/>
   
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Australia's [[electoral system of Australia|electoral system]] uses [[Instant-runoff voting|preferential voting]] for all lower house elections with the exception of Tasmania and the ACT which, along with the Senate and most state upper houses, combine it with [[proportional representation]] in a system known as the [[single transferable vote]]. [[Compulsory voting|Voting is compulsory]] for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over in every jurisdiction,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/pdf/voting/compulsory_voting.pdf|title=Compulsory Voting in Australia|last=Evans|first=Tim|year=2006|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|page=4|accessdate=21 June 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618031223/http://www.aec.gov.au/pdf/voting/compulsory_voting.pdf| archivedate= 18 June 2009 | deadurl=no}}</ref> as is enrolment (with the exception of South Australia).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aec.gov.au/FAQs/Voting_Australia.htm#What%20happens%20if%20I%20do%20not%20vote|title=What happens if I do not vote?|work=Voting Australia&nbsp;– Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]]|accessdate=8 January 2008| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218045424/http://www.aec.gov.au/FAQs/Voting_Australia.htm#Why%20do%20they%20supply%20pencils%20in%20polling%20booths%20and%20not%20pens?| archivedate= 18 December 2007 | deadurl=no}}</ref> The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In cases where no party has majority support, the Governor-General has the constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and, if necessary, dismiss one that has lost the confidence of Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.gov.au/content.php/page/id/3/title/governor-generals-role|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014171300/http://www.gg.gov.au/content.php/page/id/3/title/governor-generals-role|archivedate=14 October 2012|title=Governor-General's Role|publisher=Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia|accessdate=13 January 2012}}</ref>
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{{main|Economy of Australia}}
 
[[Image:BrisbaneByNight2004.jpg|240px|thumb|right|[[Brisbane]] The population of Brisbane grew 2% per year between 1998 and 2003.{{mn|ABS2005|12}}]]
 
Australia has a prosperous, Western-style [[mixed economy]], with a per capita [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] slightly higher than those of the UK, [[Germany]] and [[France]]. The country was ranked third in the 2004 [[Human Development Index]] and sixth in ''[[The Economist]]'' worldwide quality-of-life index 2005. In recent years, the Australian economy has been resilient in the face of global economic downturn. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on reform is another key factor behind the economy's strength. In the 1980s, the Labor Party, led by [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Bob Hawke]] and [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]] [[Paul Keating]], started the process of modernising the Australian economy by [[Floating exchange rate|floating]] the [[Australian dollar]] in 1983, and deregulating the financial system.{{mn|Macfarlane1998|9}} Since 1996, the Howard government has continued the process of micro-economic reform, including the partial deregulation of the labour market and the privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the [[Communications in Australia|telecommunications]] industry.{{mn|Parham2002|10}} Substantial reform of the indirect tax system was achieved in [[July 2000]] with the introduction of a 10% [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]], which has slightly reduced the heavy reliance on personal and company income tax that still characterises Australia's tax system.
 
   
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There are two major political groups that usually form government, federally and in the states: the [[Australian Labor Party]]<!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: The name of the party is spelt "Labor" (i.e., no "u") even though the usual Australian spelling is "labour". --> and the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] which is a formal grouping of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] and its minor partner, the [[National Party of Australia|National Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/glossary.htm#coalition|title=Glossary of Election Terms |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/results/sop.htm|title=State of the Parties |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418163914/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/results/sop.htm| archivedate= 18 April 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Within Australian political culture, the Coalition is considered [[centre-right]] and the Labor Party is considered [[centre-left]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Fenna|first1=Alan|last2=Robbins|first2=Jane|last3=Summers|first3=John|title=Government Politics in Australia|publisher=Pearson Higher Education AU|location=London, United Kingdom|year=2013|isbn=978 1486 00138 5|page=139}}</ref> Independent members and several minor parties have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses.
The Australian economy has not suffered a [[recession]] since the early 1990s. As of July 2005, [[unemployment]] was 5.0% with 10,030,300 persons employed.{{mn|ABS6202|11}} The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, comprises 69% of GDP.{{mn|DFAT|13}} [[Agriculture in Australia|Agriculture]] and natural-resources represent only 3% and 5% of GDP, respectively, but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance. Australia's largest export markets include [[Japan]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], the United States, [[South Korea]] and New Zealand.{{mn|ABS2005|12}} Areas of concern to some economists include the chronically high [[current account deficit]] and also high levels of net foreign debt.
 
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Following a [[Australian Labor Party leadership spill, 2010|partyroom leadership challenge]], [[Julia Gillard]] became the first female Prime Minister in June 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gillard ousts Rudd in bloodless coup |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935500.htm|accessdate=24 June 2010|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=24 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625130706/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935500.htm| archivedate= 25 June 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> The [[Australian federal election, 2013|most recent federal election]] was held on 7 September 2013 and resulted in a [[majority government]] for the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]]. [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] leader [[Tony Abbott]] was sworn into office as Prime Minister by the [[Governor-General of Australia]] on 18 September.
== Demographics ==
 
{{main|Demographics of Australia}}
 
<!--[[Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge from the air.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Most Australians live in urban areas; [[Sydney]] is the most populous city in Australia.]] -->
 
   
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==States and territories==
Most of the estimated 20.4 million Australians are descended from 19th- and 20th-century [[immigrants]], the majority from Britain and [[Ireland]]. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I {{mn|ABS|19}}, spurred by an ambitious [[Immigration to Australia|immigration]] program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 27.4% of Australians who were born overseas were from the [[United Kingdom]], [[New Zealand]], [[Italy]], [[Vietnam]], and [[China]].{{mn|ABS2005|12}} Following the abolition of the [[White Australia policy]], numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of [[multiculturalism]]{{mn|DIMIA|15}}. Australia’s population has multiplied by about 60 since European settlement.
 
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{{Main|States and territories of Australia}}
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{{Australia states imagemap}}
   
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Australia has six [[federated state|states]]—[[New South Wales]] (NSW), [[Queensland]] (QLD), [[South Australia]] (SA), [[Tasmania]] (TAS), [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] (VIC) and [[Western Australia]] (WA)—and two major [[mainland]] territories—the [[Australian Capital Territory]] (ACT) and the [[Northern Territory]] (NT). In most respects these two territories function as states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. By contrast, federal legislation overrides state legislation only in areas that are set out in [[Section 51 of the Australian Constitution]]; state parliaments retain all residual legislative powers, including those over schools, state police, the state judiciary, roads, public transport and local government, since these do not fall under the provisions listed in Section 51.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/our-government/state-and-territory-government|title=State and Territory Government|publisher=Government of Australia|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref>
The self-declared indigenous population — including Torres Strait Islanders, who are of Melanesian descent — was 410,003 (2.2% of the total population) in 2001, a significant increase from the 1977 census, which showed an indigenous population of 115,953.{{mn|ABS2001|14}} Indigenous Australians have higher rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education and life expectancies for males and females that are 17 years lower than those of other Australians.{{mn|ABS2005|12}} Perceived racial inequality is an ongoing political and [[human rights in Australia|human rights]] issue for Australians.
 
<!-- [[Image:Tanunda.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Fewer than 15% of Australians live in rural areas. This picture shows the [[Barossa Valley]] wine producing region of [[South Australia]].]] -->
 
   
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Each state and major mainland territory has its own [[Parliaments of the Australian states and territories|parliament]]—[[unicameralism|unicameral]] in the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland—and bicameral in the other states. The states are sovereign entities, although subject to certain powers of the Commonwealth as defined by the Constitution. The [[lower house]]s are known as the [[Legislative Assembly]] (the [[House of Assembly]] in South Australia and Tasmania); the [[upper house]]s are known as the [[Legislative council|Legislative Council]]. The [[head of government|head of the government]] in each state is the [[Premiers of the Australian states|Premier]] and in each territory the [[Chief Minister]]. The [[Monarchy of Australia|Queen]] is represented in each state by a [[Governors of the Australian states|Governor]]; and in the Northern Territory, the [[Administrator of the Northern Territory|Administrator]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/administrator.shtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430111225/http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/administrator.shtml|archivedate=30 April 2013|publisher=Government House Northern Territory|title=Role of the Administrator|date=16 June 2008|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref> In the Commonwealth, the Queen's representative is the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/category.php?id=2|publisher=Governor–General of the Commonwealth of Australia|title=Governor-General's Role|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804130529/http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/category.php?id=2| archivedate = 4 August 2008}}</ref>
In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002&ndash;03{{mn|PoA2005|16}}) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active [[Immigration to Australia|immigration]] programs in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are skilled; the quota includes categories for family members and [[refugee]]s.
 
   
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The federal parliament directly administers the following territories:<ref name="CIAfactbook" />
[[English language|English]] is the [[official language]], and is spoken and written in a distinct variety known as [[Australian English]]. According to the [[2001 census of Australia|2001 census]], English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (2.1%), [[Italian language|Italian]] (1.9%) and [[Greek language|Greek]] (1.4%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are [[Multilingual|bilingual]]. It is believed that there were between 200 and 300 [[Australian Aboriginal languages]] at the time of first European contact. Only about 70 of these languages have survived, and all but 20 of these are now [[endangered languages|endangered]]. An indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 people (0.02%). Australia has a [[sign language]] known as [[Auslan]], which is the main language of about 6,500 [[deaf]] people.
 
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* [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
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* [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
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* [[Christmas Island]]
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* [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]
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* [[Coral Sea Islands]]
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* [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]]
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* [[Jervis Bay Territory]], a naval base and sea port for the national capital in land that was formerly part of New South Wales
   
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[[Norfolk Island]] is also technically an external territory; however, under the Norfolk Island Act 1979 it has been granted more autonomy and is governed locally by its own legislative assembly. The Queen is represented by an [[List of administrative heads of Norfolk Island|Administrator]].<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080806021653/http://ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Territories_of_AustraliaNorfolk_IslandAdministrator_of_Norfolk_Island|url=http://ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Territories_of_AustraliaNorfolk_Island |publisher=Australian Government Attorney-General's Department |title=Administrator of Norfolk Island|archivedate=6 August 2008}}</ref>
The [[Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900|Australian Constitution]] guarantees the [[separation of church and state]]; there is no [[state religion]]. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 21% identifying themselves as [[Anglican Church|Anglican]] and 27% as [[Roman Catholic Church in Australia|Roman Catholic]]. Five per cent of Australians identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions, and 26% as non-religious. Like many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population.{{mn|NCLSattsurvey|17}}
 
   
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[[Macquarie Island]] is administered by Tasmania, and [[Lord Howe Island]] by New South Wales.
School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6&ndash;15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania), contributing to an adult literacy rate that is assumed to be 99%. Government grants have supported the establishment of Australia's 38 universities, and although several private universities have been established, the majority receive government funding. There is a state-based system of vocational training colleges, known as "TAFE", and many trades conduct [[apprenticeship]]s for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications.{{mn|ABS2005|12}}
 
   
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==Foreign relations and military==
== Culture ==
 
{{main|Culture of Australia}}
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{{Main|Foreign relations of Australia|Australian Defence Force}}
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Over recent decades, [[Foreign relations of Australia|Australia's foreign relations]] have been driven by a close association with the United States through the [[ANZUS|ANZUS pact]], and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]] and the [[Pacific Islands Forum]]. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the [[East Asia Summit]] following its accession to the [[Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia]], and in 2011 attended the [[Sixth East Asia Summit]] in Indonesia. Australia is a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], in which the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government]] meetings provide the main forum for co-operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecommonwealth.org/subhomepage/33247/|title=Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting|year=2009|work=Commonwealth website|publisher=Commonwealth Secretariat|accessdate=16 April 2010|location=Pall Mall, London| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326233526/http://www.thecommonwealth.org/subhomepage/33247/| archivedate= 26 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
   
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[[File:Australian soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment conducts a foot patrol during exercise Talisman Sabre 2007.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A group of Australian soldiers with rifles moving along a path in a wooded area|[[Australian Army]] soldiers conducting a foot patrol during a joint training exercise with [[United States Armed Forces|US forces]] in [[Shoalwater Bay]] (2007).]]
<!-- [[Image:Golden Summer Eaglemont Arthur Streeton.jpg|right|thumb|240px|''Golden Summer, Eaglemont'' by [[Arthur Streeton]] (1889) is an early example of the rich tradition of Australian [[landscape painting]].]] -->
 
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Australia has pursued the cause of international [[trade liberalisation]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Capling|first=Ann|title=Australia and the Global Trade System: From Havana to Seattle|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|location=Cambridge, United Kingdom|year=2013|isbn=978-0-521-78525-9|page=116}}</ref> It led the formation of the [[Cairns Group]] and [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]].<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Gallagher, P. W. |title=Setting the agenda for trade negotiations: Australia and the Cairns group |journal=Australian Journal of International Affairs |volume=42 |issue=1 April 1988 |pages= 3–8 |doi=10.1080/10357718808444955 |year=1988}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apec2007.org/aa.htm|title=APEC and Australia|publisher=APEC 2007|date=1 June 2007|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> Australia is a member of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] and the [[World Trade Organization]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/about/0,3347,en_33873108_33873229_1_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=Australia:About|publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]]|accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420083545/http://www.oecd.org/about/0,3347,en_33873108_33873229_1_1_1_1_1,00.html| archivedate= 20 April 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/australia_e.htm|title=Australia&nbsp;– Member information|publisher=[[World Trade Organization]] |accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525011833/http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/australia_e.htm| archivedate= 25 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> and has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the [[Australia&nbsp;– United States Free Trade Agreement]]<ref name="AUSdfat">{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us_fta/index.html|title=Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|accessdate=30 March 2010|location=Canberra, ACT| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317095521/http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/us_fta/index.html| archivedate= 17 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> and [[Closer Economic Relations]] with New Zealand,<ref name="CERdfat">{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/new_zealand/anz_cer/anz_cer.html|title=Closer Economic Relations|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|accessdate=30 March 2010|location=Canberra, ACT|archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20091008192957/http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/new_zealand/anz_cer/anz_cer.html|archivedate=8 October 2009}}</ref> with another free trade agreement being negotiated with China—the [[Australia–China Free Trade Agreement]]—and Japan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/australia/index.html |title=Japan-Australia Relations |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|accessdate=19 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523220358/http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/australia/index.html| archivedate= 23 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> [[South Korea]] in 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/25/3200038.htm |title=Gillard confident of S Korean trade deal&nbsp;– ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |publisher=Abc.net.au |accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/full-coverage/9256348/s-korea-australia-set-freetrade-talks-deadline/ |title=S. Korea, Australia set free-trade talks deadline|publisher=Nz.news.yahoo.com |accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref> [[Australia–Chile Free Trade Agreement]], [[Closer Economic Relations|ASEAN – Australia – New Zealand Free Trade Area]], and the [[Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership]].
   
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Along with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore, Australia is party to the [[Five Power Defence Arrangements]], a regional defence agreement. A founding member country of the United Nations, Australia is strongly committed to [[multilateralism]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cpd.org.au/article/in-defence-multilateralism|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917192642/http://cpd.org.au/article/in-defence-multilateralism|archivedate=17 September 2009|title=In Defence of Multilateralism|author=Arvanitakis, James; Tyler, Amy|date=3 June 2008|work=Centre for Policy Development}}</ref> and maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005–06 budget provides A$2.5&nbsp;billion for development assistance.<ref name="budget">Australian Government. (2005). [http://www.budget.gov.au/ Budget 2005–2006]</ref> Australia ranks seventh overall in the [[Center for Global Development]]'s 2008 [[Commitment to Development Index]].<ref>Center for Global Development. [http://www.cgdev.org/section/initiatives/_active/cdi/_country/australia Commitment to Development Index: Australia], www.cgdev.org. Retrieved 5 January 2008.</ref>
The primary basis of Australian culture up until the mid-20th century was British, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and [[Australian Aborigine|indigenous]] culture. Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture (particularly television and cinema), large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbours.
 
   
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Australia's armed forces—the [[Australian Defence Force]] (ADF)—comprise the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN), the [[Australian Army]] and the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF), in total numbering 80,561 personnel (including 55,068 regulars and 25,493 reservists).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/budget/08-09/dar/vol1/append07_01.htm|title=Appendix 7: People: Defence actual staffing|work=Defence Annual Report 2008–09|publisher=[[Department of Defence (Australia)|Department of Defence]]|accessdate=28 June 2010}}</ref> The titular role of [[Commander-in-Chief]] is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]], who appoints a [[Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)|Chief of the Defence Force]] from one of the armed services on the advice of the government.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Australian Defence Almanac 2004–05|last=Khosa|first=Raspal|year=2004|publisher=[[Australian Strategic Policy Institute]]|location=Canberra|page=4}}</ref> Day-to-day force operations are under the command of the Chief, while broader administration and the formulation of defence policy is undertaken by the [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister]] and [[Department of Defence (Australia)|Department of Defence]].
Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the [[Cave painting|cave]] and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in [[Art of Australia|Australian art]] has been the Australian landscape, seen in the works of [[Arthur Streeton]], [[Arthur Boyd]], and [[Albert Namatjira]], among others. The traditions of indigenous Australians are largely transmitted orally and are closely tied to ceremony and the telling of the stories of the [[Dreamtime (mythology)|Dreamtime]]. [[Australian Aboriginal music]], dance and [[Australian Aboriginal art|art]] have a palpable influence on contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Australia has an active tradition of [[wikipedia:music|music]], [[wikipedia:ballet|ballet]] and [[wikipedia:theatre|theatre]]; many of its performing arts companies receive public funding through the federal government's [[wikipedia:The Australia Council|Australia Council]]. There is a [[Orchestra|symphony orchestra]] in each capital city, and a national [[opera]] company, [[Opera Australia]], first made prominent by the renowned diva [[Joan Sutherland|Dame Joan Sutherland]]; [[Music of Australia|Australian music]] includes classical, jazz, and many popular music genres.
 
   
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In the 2010–11 budget, defence spending was A$25.7&nbsp;billion,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Australian Department of Defence|year=2010|url=http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Faulknertpl.cfm?CurrentId=10273|title=Budget 2010–11: Portfolio budget overview|accessdate=28 June 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516044750/http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Faulknertpl.cfm?CurrentId=10273|archivedate=16 May 2011}}</ref> representing the [[List of countries by military expenditures|13th largest defence budget]].<ref>Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2011). [http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/resultoutput/15majorspenders The 15 major spender countries in 2011].</ref> Australia has been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping, disaster relief and armed conflict, including the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]; it [[Current Australian Defence Force deployments|currently has deployed]] about 3,330 defence force personnel in varying capacities to 12 international operations in areas including [[Operation Astute|East Timor]], [[Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands|Solomon Islands]] and [[Operation Slipper|Afghanistan]].<ref name="Global ops">Australian Department of Defence. [http://www.defence.gov.au/opEx/global/index.htm Global Operations]. Retrieved 9 March 2009.</ref>
[[Australian literature]] has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers such as [[Banjo Paterson]] and [[Henry Lawson]] captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, resonates with modern Australia and its perceived emphasis on [[egalitarianism]], mateship, and anti-authoritarianism. In 1973, [[Patrick White]] was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]], the only Australian to have achieved this; he is recognised as one of the great English-language writers of the 20th century. [[Australian English]] is a major variety of the language; its grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and phrases, some of which have found their way into standard English.
 
   
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==Geography and climate==
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{{Main|Geography of Australia|Climate of Australia|Geology of Australia}}
Australia has two public broadcasters (the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] and [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]]), three commercial [[television network]]s, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. [[Cinema of Australia|Australia's film industry]] has achieved critical and commercial successes. Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, ''[[The Australian]]'' and ''[[The Australian Financial Review]]''. According to [[Reporters Without Borders]] in 2004, Australia is in 41st position on a list of countries ranked by [[freedom of the press|press freedom]], well behind [[New Zealand]] (9th) and the [[United Kingdom]] (28th). This ranking is primarily due to the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian [[Publishing|print media]] in particular is under the control of either [[News Corporation]] or [[Publishing and Broadcasting Limited]]. -->
 
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[[File:Australia-climate-map MJC01.png|right|thumb|alt=Australia divided into different colours indicating its climatic zones|Climatic zones in Australia, based on the [[Köppen climate classification]].]]
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Australia's landmass of {{convert|7617930|km2|sqmi}}<ref name="Size">{{cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/dimensions/compare.htm|title=Australia's Size Compared|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|accessdate=19 May 2007| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070324194241/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/dimensions/compare.htm| archivedate = 24 March 2007}}</ref> is on the [[Indo-Australian Plate]]. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans,{{refn|Australia describes the body of water south of its mainland as the [[Southern Ocean]], rather than the Indian Ocean as defined by the [[International Hydrographic Organization]] (IHO). In 2000, a vote of IHO member nations defined the term "Southern Ocean" as applying only to the waters between [[Antarctica]] and [[60th parallel south|60 degrees south]] latitude.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geography.about.com/od/learnabouttheearth/a/fifthocean.htm|last=Rosenberg|first=Matt|title=The New Fifth Ocean–The World's Newest Ocean&nbsp;– The Southern Ocean|publisher=About.com: Geography|date=20 August 2009|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref>|name="Southern Ocean"|group="N"}} it is separated from Asia by the [[Arafura Sea|Arafura]] and [[Timor Sea|Timor]] seas, with the [[Coral Sea]] lying off the Queensland coast, and the [[Tasman Sea]] lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent<ref name="NatlGeo">{{cite web|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/continents/index.html|title=Continents: What is a Continent?|publisher=[[National Geographic Society]]|accessdate=22 August 2009}} "Most people recognize seven continents—Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia, from largest to smallest—although sometimes Europe and Asia are considered a single continent, Eurasia."</ref> and [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|sixth largest country by total area]],<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/43654/Australia|title=Australia|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|accessdate=22 August 2009}} "Smallest continent and sixth largest country (in area) on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans."</ref> Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent",<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424005732/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/islands.jsp|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/islands.jsp|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|title=Islands|archivedate=24 April 2010}} "Being surrounded by ocean, Australia often is referred to as an island continent. As a continental landmass it is significantly larger than the many thousands of fringing islands&nbsp;..."</ref> and is sometimes considered the [[List of islands by area|world's largest island]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/island_continent.html|title=Australia in Brief: The island continent|publisher=[[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]|accessdate=29 May 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604082917/http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/island_continent.html| archivedate= 4 June 2009 | deadurl=no}} "Mainland Australia, with an area of 7.69 million square kilometres, is the Earth's largest island but smallest continent."</ref> Australia has {{convert|34218|km|mi|0}} of coastline (excluding all offshore islands),<ref name="Coast">{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/drs/indicator/142/index.html|title=State of the Environment 2006|publisher=Department of the Environment and Water Resources|accessdate=19 May 2007}}</ref> and claims an extensive [[Exclusive economic zone|Exclusive Economic Zone]] of {{convert|8148250|km2|sqmi}}. This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703204723/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/dimensions/oceans-seas.jsp|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/dimensions/oceans-seas.jsp|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|title=Oceans and Seas&nbsp;– Geoscience Australia|archivedate=3 July 2009}}</ref> Apart from [[Macquarie Island]], Australia lies between latitudes [[9th parallel south|9°]] and [[44th parallel south|44°S]], and longitudes [[112th meridian east|112°]] and [[154th meridian east|154°E]].
   
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The [[Great Barrier Reef]], the world's largest coral reef,<ref name=UNEP>{{cite web|author=UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre|year=1980|title=Protected Areas and World Heritage&nbsp;– Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area|url=http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/gbrmp.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528210526/http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/gbrmp.html|archivedate=28 May 2007|publisher=[[Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts|Department of the Environment and Heritage]]|accessdate=19 May 2007}}</ref> lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over {{convert|2000|km|mi|-1}}. [[Mount Augustus National Park|Mount Augustus]], claimed to be the world's largest monolith,<ref name="Monolith">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Western-Australia/Mount-Augustus/2005/02/17/1108500208314.html|title=Mount Augustus|publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=17 February 2005 |accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref> is located in Western Australia. At {{convert|2228|m|ft|0}}, [[Mount Kosciuszko]] on the [[Great Dividing Range]] is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland. Even taller are [[Mawson Peak]] (at {{convert|2745|m|ft|0|disp=or}}), on the remote Australian territory of [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands|Heard Island]], and, in the Australian Antarctic Territory, [[Mount McClintock]] and [[Mount Menzies]], at {{convert|3492|m|ft|0}} and {{convert|3355|m|ft|0}} respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/geoscience-basics/landforms/highest-mountains.html|publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]]|title=Highest Mountains|accessdate=2 February 2012}}</ref>
<!-- [[Image:Aussie rules wikipedia.jpg|thumb|230px|right|[[Australian rules football]] was developed in Australia and is played at amateur and professional levels.]] -->
 
   
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[[File:Coral Outcrop Flynn Reef.jpg|thumb|left|Coral of the [[Great Barrier Reef]], the world's largest [[coral reef]] system.]]
[[Sport]] is an important part of Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities{{mn|ABS2005|12}}. At national and international levels, Australia has particularly strong teams in [[Australian rules football]], [[Rugby League]], [[Rugby Union]], [[cricket]] and [[netball]] and excels in [[cycling]] and [[swimming]]. <!--
 
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Australia's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with tropical [[rainforest]]s in the north-east, mountain ranges in the south-east, south-west and east, and dry desert in the centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/national-landscapes/index.html |title=Parks and Reserves—Australia's National Landscapes |publisher=Environment.gov.au |date=23 November 2011 |accessdate=4 January 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2014}}</ref> It is the flattest continent,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Map-from-above-shows-Australia-is-a-very-flat-place/2005/01/21/1106110947946.html|title=Map from above shows Australia is a very flat place|date=21 January 2005|last=Macey|first=Richard|publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref> with the oldest and least fertile soils;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/info/q95-19-5.htm|title=A Chat with Tim Flannery on Population Control|last=Kelly|first=Karina|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=13 September 1995|accessdate=23 April 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}} "Well, Australia has by far the world's least fertile soils".</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Damaged Dirt|work=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]]|last=Grant|first= Cameron|url=http://www.1degree.com.au/files/AdvertiserPartworks_Part3_Page8.pdf?download=1&filename=AdvertiserPartworks_Part3_Page8.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706100423/http://www.1degree.com.au/files/AdvertiserPartworks_Part3_Page8.pdf?download=1&filename=AdvertiserPartworks_Part3_Page8.pdf|archivedate=6 July 2011|date=August 2007|accessdate=23 April 2010|quote=Australia has the oldest, most highly weathered soils on the planet.}}</ref> [[Deserts of Australia|desert]] or semi-arid land commonly known as the [[outback]] makes up by far the largest portion of land.<ref name="portrait">{{Cite book|title=Australia: Portrait of a continent |last=Loffler |first=Ernst|author2=Anneliese Loffler |author3=A. J. Rose |author4=Denis Warner |year=1983 |publisher=Hutchinson Group (Australia) |location=Richmond, Victoria |isbn=0-09-130460-1 |pages=37–39}}</ref> The driest inhabited continent, its annual rainfall averaged over continental area is less than 500&nbsp;mm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/zones.htm|title=Australia&nbsp;– Climate of a Continent|publisher=Bureau of Meterorology|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326150946/http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/zones.htm| archivedate= 26 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> The [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|population density]], 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, is among the lowest in the world,<ref name="worldatlas1">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctydensityl.htm|title=Countries of the World (by lowest population density)|publisher=WorldAtlas|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324180451/http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/ctydensityl.htm| archivedate= 24 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> although a large proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/bb8db737e2af84b8ca2571780015701e/5A717784C2562A99CA2573D20010FF17?opendocument|title=1301.0&nbsp;– Year Book Australia, 2008|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=7 February 2008|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref>
Australia has participated in every summer [[Olympic Games]] of the modern era, and every [[Commonwealth Games]], and has hosted the [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]] and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] Summer Olympics; Australia has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Corporate and government sponsorship of many sports and élite athletes is common in Australia. Televised sport is popular; some of the highest rating television programs include the summer Olympic Games and the grand finals of local and international football competitions.{{mn|AFC|18}} -->
 
   
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Eastern Australia is marked by the Great Dividing Range, which runs parallel to the coast of Queensland, New South Wales and much of Victoria. The name is not strictly accurate, because parts of the range consist of low hills, and the highlands are typically no more than {{convert|1600|m|ft|0}} in height.<ref name="Johnson2009p202">{{Cite book| last = Johnson | first = David | year = 2009 | title = The Geology of Australia | edition = 2 | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]] | isbn = 978-0-521-76741-5 | page = 202}}</ref> The [[Eastern Australian temperate forests|coastal uplands]] and a [[Brigalow Belt|belt of Brigalow grasslands]] lie between the coast and the mountains, while inland of the dividing range are large areas of grassland.<ref name="Johnson2009p202" /><ref>{{Cite journal| last1 = Seabrooka | first1 = Leonie | last2 = McAlpinea | first2 = Clive | last3 = Fenshamb | first3 = Rod | year = 2006 | title = Cattle, crops and clearing: Regional drivers of landscape change in the Brigalow Belt, Queensland, Australia, 1840–2004 | journal = Landscape and Urban Planning | volume = 78 | issue = 4 | pages = 375–376 | doi = 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2005.11.00}}</ref> These include the [[Southeast Australia temperate savanna|western plains]] of New South Wales, and the [[Einasleigh Uplands]], [[Barkly Tableland]], and [[Mulga Lands]] of inland Queensland. The northernmost point of the east coast is the tropical-rainforested [[Cape York Peninsula]].<ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Einasleigh upland savanna| id=aa0705 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Mitchell grass downs | id=aa0707 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion | name = Eastern Australia mulga shrublands| id=aa0802 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Southeast Australia temperate savanna | id=aa0803 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref>
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[[File:Reliefmap of Australia.png|thumb|alt=Map showing the topography of Australia, showing some elevation in the west and very high elevation in mountains in the southeast|Topographic map of Australia]]
==References==
 
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The landscapes of the [[Top End]] and the [[Gulf Country]]{{mdash}}with their tropical climate{{mdash}}include forest, [[woodland]], wetland, [[grassland]], rainforest and desert.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Arnhem Land tropical savanna|id=aa0701|accessdate=16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=27 June 2009|title=Rangelands&nbsp;– Overview|work=Australian Natural Resources Atlas|publisher=Australian Government|url=http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/rangelands/overview/qld/ibra-gup.html|accessdate =16 June 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430171751/http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/rangelands/overview/qld/ibra-gup.html|archivedate=30 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Cape York Peninsula tropical savanna | id=aa0703| accessdate=16 June 2010}}</ref> At the north-west corner of the continent are the sandstone cliffs and gorges of [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|The Kimberley]], and below that the [[Pilbara]]. To the south of these and inland, lie more areas of grassland: the [[Ord Victoria Plain]] and the [[Western Australian Mulga shrublands]].<ref>{{Cite book| last = Van Driesum | first = Rob | year = 2002 | title = Outback Australia | publisher = Lonely Planet | isbn = 1-86450-187-1 | page = 306}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Victoria Plains tropical savanna | id=aa0709 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Western Australian Mulga shrublands | id=aa1310 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref> At the heart of the country are the [[Central Ranges xeric scrub|uplands of central Australia]]. Prominent features of the centre and south include [[Uluru]] (also known as Ayers Rock), the famous sandstone monolith, and the inland [[Simpson Desert|Simpson]], [[Tirari-Sturt stony desert|Tirari and Sturt Stony]], [[Gibson Desert|Gibson]], [[Great Sandy-Tanami desert|Great Sandy, Tanami]], and [[Great Victoria Desert|Great Victoria]] deserts, with the famous [[Nullarbor Plain]] on the southern coast.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Central Ranges xeric scrub | id=aa1302 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| last = Banting | first = Erinn | year = 2003 | title = Australia: The land | publisher = Crabtree Publishing Company | isbn = 0-7787-9343-5 | page = 10}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Tirari-Sturt stony desert | id=aa1309 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{WWF ecoregion| name = Great Sandy-Tanami desert | id=aa1304 | accessdate =16 June 2010}}</ref>
<!--This article uses [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Footnote4]]; please add references using that system and adjust the other references as necessary-->
 
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{{mnb|Gillespie2002|1}}Gillsepie, R. (2002). Dating the first Australians. ''Radiocarbon'' 44:455-472<br>
 
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The climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including the [[Indian Ocean Dipole]] and the [[El Niño–Southern Oscillation]], which is correlated with periodic [[Drought in Australia|drought]], and the seasonal tropical low-pressure system that produces [[cyclone]]s in northern Australia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/climate-watch/no-more-drought-its-a-permanent-dry/2007/09/06/1188783415754.html|title=No more drought: it's a 'permanent dry'|last=Kleinman|first=Rachel|date=6 September 2007|accessdate=30 March 2010|work=[[The Age]] | location=Melbourne}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/australasia/article2465960.ece|title=Australia's epic drought: The situation is grim|last=Marks|first=Kathy|work=[[The Independent]]|date=20 April 2007|accessdate=30 March 2010|location=London}}{{Dead link|date=July 2014}}</ref> These factors cause rainfall to vary markedly from year to year. Much of the northern part of the country has a tropical, predominantly summer-rainfall (monsoon) climate.<ref name=bomclim>{{cite web| title = Australia&nbsp;– Climate of Our Continent | publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/zones.htm | accessdate =17 June 2010|year=2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> The [[Southwest corner of Western Australia|southwest corner of the country]] has a [[Mediterranean climate]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Climate of Western Australia | publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/ausclim/ausclimwa.htm | accessdate =6 December 2009}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> Much of the southeast (including Tasmania) is temperate.<ref name=bomclim/>
{{mnb|Smith1980|2}}Smith, L. (1980), The Aboriginal Population of Australia, Australian National University Press, Canberra<br>
 
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{{mnb|Tatz1999|3}}Tatz, C. (1999). ''[http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/rsrch/rsrch_dp/genocide.htm Genocide in Australia]'', AIATSIS Research Discussion Papers No 8, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra<br>
 
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==Environment==
{{mnb|Bean1941|4}}Bean, C. Ed. (1941). [http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/1/index.asp Volume I - The Story of Anzac: the first phase], First World War Official Histories 11th Edition.<br>
 
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{{Main|Environment of Australia}}
{{mnb|AEC|5}}Australian Electoral Commission (2000). [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/what/publications/electoral_events/referendum99/ 1999 Referendum Reports and Statistics]<br>
 
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{{See also|Fauna of Australia|Flora of Australia|Fungi of Australia}}
{{mnb|PL1997|6}}Parliamentary Library (1997).
 
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[[File:Koala climbing tree.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A koala holding onto a eucalyptus tree with its head turned so both eyes are visible|The [[koala]] and the ''[[eucalyptus]]'' form an iconic Australian pair.]]
[http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn25.htm The Reserve Powers of the Governor-General]<br>
 
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Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it includes a diverse range of habitats from [[alpine climate|alpine]] heaths to [[tropical rainforest]]s, and is recognised as a [[megadiverse countries|megadiverse country]]. Fungi typify that diversity; an estimated 250,000 species—of which only 5% have been described—occur in Australia.<ref>Pascoe, I.G. (1991). History of systematic mycology in Australia. ''History of Systematic Botany in Australasia.'' Ed. by: P. Short. Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc. pp. 259–264.</ref> Because of the continent's great age, extremely variable weather patterns, and long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's [[biota (ecology)|biota]] is unique and diverse. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of [[List of birds of Australia|birds]], and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are [[endemism|endemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/about-biodiversity.html|title=About Biodiversity|accessdate=18 September 2007|publisher=Department of the Environment and Heritage|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205015628/www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/about-biodiversity.html|archivedate=5 February 2007}}</ref> Australia has the greatest number of reptiles of any country, with 755 species.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lambertini|first=Marco|title=A Naturalist's Guide to the Tropics|year=2000|isbn=0-226-46828-3|publisher=University of Chicago Press|url=http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/468283.html|format=excerpt|accessdate=30 March 2010}}</ref>
{{mnb|AGov2005|7}}Australian Government. (2005). [http://www.budget.gov.au/ Budget 2005-2006]<br>
 
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{{mnb|DEH|8}}Department of the Environment and Heritage. [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/about-biodiversity.html About Biodiversity]<br>
 
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[[Forests of Australia|Australian forests]] are mostly made up of evergreen species, particularly [[eucalyptus]] trees in the less arid regions, [[Acacia|wattles]] replace them in drier regions and deserts as the most dominant species.<ref name=dfat>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/flora_and_fauna.html|title=About Australia: Flora and fauna|accessdate=15 May 2010|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|date=May 2008|work=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> Among well-known [[fauna of Australia|Australian animals]] are the [[monotreme]]s (the [[platypus]] and [[echidna]]); a host of [[marsupial]]s, including the [[kangaroo]], [[koala]], and [[wombat]], and birds such as the [[emu]] and the [[kookaburra]].<ref name=dfat/> Australia is home to [[Animal attacks in Australia|many dangerous animals]] including some of the most venomous snakes in the world.<ref>"Snake Bite", ''[http://www.avru.org/compendium/biogs/A000084b.htm The Australian Venom Compendium]''.</ref> The [[dingo]] was introduced by Austronesian people who traded with Indigenous Australians around 3000 [[Common Era|BCE]].<ref name="savolainen2004">{{cite pmid|15299143}}</ref> Many animal and plant species became extinct soon after first human settlement,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/view.php?articleID=170|title=Humans to blame for extinction of Australia's megafauna|publisher=The [[University of Melbourne]]|date=8 June 2001|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402065113/http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/view.php?articleID=170| archivedate= 2 April 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> including the [[Australian megafauna]]; others have disappeared since European settlement, among them the [[thylacine]].<ref name="NW">{{cite web|url=http://www.naturalworlds.org/thylacine/index.htm|title=The Thylacine Museum – A Natural History of the Tasmanian Tiger|publisher=The Thylacine Museum|accessdate=14 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ts-day/index.html|title=National Threatened Species Day|publisher=Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government|year=2006|accessdate=21 November 2006| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209084616/http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ts-day/index.html| archivedate= 9 December 2006 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
{{mnb|Macfarlane1998|9}} Macfarlane, I. J. (1998). [http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Bulletin/bu_oct98/bu_1098_2.pdf Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century]. ''Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin'', October<br>
 
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{{mnb|Parham2002|10}}Parham, D. (2002). [http://www.pc.gov.au/research/confproc/mrrag/mrrag.pdf Microeconomic reforms and the revival in Australia’s growth in productivity and living standards]. ''Conference of Economists'', Adelaide, [[1 October]] <br>
 
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Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and [[Invasive species in Australia|introduced]] animal, [[chromista]]n, fungal and plant species.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/index.html |title=Invasive species |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |date=17 March 2010 |accessdate=14 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629001302/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/index.html| archivedate= 29 June 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> All these factors have led to Australia having the highest mammal extinction rate of any country in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2012/10/australias-most-endangered-species|title=Australia's most endangered species|publisher=Australian Geographic|accessdate=16 June 2014}}</ref> The federal ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' is the legal framework for the protection of threatened species.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/about/index.html |title=About the EPBC Act |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |accessdate=14 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531084042/http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/about/index.html| archivedate= 31 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Numerous [[Protected areas of Australia|protected areas]] have been created under the [[Biodiversity action plan|National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity]] to protect and preserve unique ecosystems;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/strategy/index.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312021249/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/strategy/index.html|archivedate=12 March 2011|title=National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
{{mnb|ABS6202|11}} Australian Bureau of Statistics. Labour Force Australia. Cat#6202<br>
 
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|date=21 January 2010 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/strategy/chap1.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313222100/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/strategy/chap1.html |archivedate=13 March 2011 |title=Conservation of biological diversity across Australia |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts|date=19 January 2009 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref> 65 [[wetland]]s are [[List of Ramsar sites in Australia|listed]] under the [[Ramsar Convention]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/sitelist.pdf |title=The List of Wetlands of International Importance |publisher=[[Ramsar Convention]] |pages=6–7 |format=PDF |date=22 May 2010 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> and 16 natural [[World Heritage Site]]s have been established.<ref name="WHC">{{cite web|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/au|title=Australia|work=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=5 September 2009}}</ref> Australia was ranked 3rd out of 178 countries in the world on the 2014 [[Environmental Performance Index]].<ref name="EPI">{{cite web|url=http://epi.yale.edu/epi/country-rankings|title=2014 Environmental Performance Index|publisher=[[Yale University]]|accessdate=11 November 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704103128/http://epi.yale.edu/epi/country-rankings <!-- Added by Forward Unto Dawn -->|archivedate=4 July 2014}}</ref>
{{mnb|ABS2005|12}}Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]<br>
 
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{{mnb|DFAT|13}} Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2003). ''Advancing the National Interest'', [http://www.dfat.gov.au/ani/appendix_one.pdf Appenidix 1]<br>
 
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===Environmental issues===
{{mnb|ABS2001|14}}Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2001 Census, [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@census.nsf/ddc9b4f92657325cca256c3e000bdbaf/7dd97c937216e32fca256bbe008371f0!OpenDocument A Snapshot of Australia]<br>
 
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{{See also|Climate change in Australia|Greenhouse gas emissions in Australia|Pollution in Australia}}
{{mnb|DIMIA|15}}Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affiars. (2005). [http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/06evolution.htm The Evolution of Australia's Multicultural Policy]<br>
 
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[[File:Lake Hume on the Upper Murray.jpg|thumb|right|Drought affecting [[Lake Hume]] on the Upper [[Murray River]].]]
{{mnb|PoA2005|16}}Parliament of Australia, Senate (2005). [http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/expats03/ Inquiry into Australian Expatriates]<br>
 
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Protection of the environment is a major political issue in Australia.<ref>[http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/commentaries/atmosphere/climate-change.html Atmosphere: Major issue: climate change], Australian State of the Environment Committee, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://news.anu.edu.au/?p=335 ANU poll finds 'it's the environment, stupid'], [[Australian National University]]. Retrieved 8 January 2008.</ref> In 2007, the [[First Rudd Government]] signed the instrument of ratification of the [[Kyoto Protocol]]. Nevertheless, Australia's [[List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita|carbon dioxide emissions per capita]] are among the highest in the world, lower than those of only a few other industrialised nations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/australias-greenhouse-emissions-twice-world-rate/2007/05/22/1179601374518.html|title=Australia's carbon dioxide emissions twice world rate|publisher=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|last=Smith|first=Deborah|date=22 May 2007|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317133709/http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/australias-greenhouse-emissions-twice-world-rate/2007/05/22/1179601374518.html| archivedate= 17 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Rainfall in Australia has slightly increased over the past century, both nationwide and for two quadrants of the nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/rerain.shtml|title=Regional Rainfall Trends|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|accessdate=8 July 2009}}</ref>
{{mnb|NCLSattsurvey|17}} [http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 NCLS releases latest estimates of church attendance], National Church Life Survey, Media release, [[28 February]] [[2004]]<br>
 
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{{mnb|AFC|18}}Australian Film Commission. What are Australians Watching?, [http://www.afc.gov.au/gtp/freetv.html Free-to-Air, 1999-2004 TV]<br>
 
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According to the [[Bureau of Meteorology]]'s 2011 Australian Climate Statement, Australia had lower than average temperatures in 2011 as a consequence of a [[La Niña]] weather pattern, however, "the country's 10-year average continues to demonstrate the rising trend in temperatures, with 2002–2011 likely to rank in the top two warmest 10-year periods on record for Australia, at 0.52 °C above the long-term average".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/climate/change/20120104.shtml |title=Annual Australian Climate Statement 2011 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2012 |accessdate=15 April 2012}}</ref> Furthermore, 2014 was Australia's third warmest year since national temperature observations commenced in 1910.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/|title=Annual climate statement of 2014|work=[[Bureau of Meteorology]]|date=6 January 2015|accessdate=2 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-06/bureau-weather-wrap-2014/6001826|title=2014 was Australia's warmest year on record: BoM|work=[[ABC (Australia)|ABC Online]]|date=21 January 2015|accessdate=2 February 2015}}</ref> [[Water restrictions in Australia|Water restrictions]] are frequently in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages due to urban population increases and localised [[Drought in Australia|drought]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7361210.stm |title=Saving Australia's water |work=BBC News |date=23 April 2008 |accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nwc.gov.au/urban/more/national-review-of-water-restrictions-in-australia| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227083656/http://www.nwc.gov.au/urban/more/national-review-of-water-restrictions-in-australia| archivedate=27 February 2012|title=National review of water restrictions in Australia|publisher=Australian Government National Water Commission|date=15 January 2010 |accessdate=27 September 2012}}</ref> Throughout much of the continent, [[Floods in Australia|major flooding]] regularly follows extended periods of drought, flushing out inland river systems, overflowing dams and inundating large inland flood plains, as occurred throughout Eastern Australia in 2010, 2011 and 2012 after the [[2000s Australian drought]].
{{mnb|ABS|19}} Australian Bureau of Statistics, [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/68180154bf128d91ca2569d000164365?OpenDocument Population Growth - Australia’s Population Growth]<br>
 
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A [[carbon tax]] was introduced in 2012 and helped to reduce Australia's emissions but was scrapped in 2014 under the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Government]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/carbon-price-helped-curb-emissions-anu-study-finds-20140716-ztuf6.html|title=Carbon price helped curb emissions, ANU study finds|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=17 July 2014|accessdate=8 April 2015}}</ref> Since the carbon tax was repealed, emissions have again continued to rise.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.energy.unimelb.edu.au/documents/australia-repealed-its-carbon-tax-—-and-emissions-are-now-soaring|title=Australia repealed its carbon tax — and emissions are now soaring|first=Brad|last=Palmer|work=[[The University of Melbourne]]|date=6 November 2014|accessdate=8 April 2015}}</ref>
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==Economy==
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{{Main|Economy of Australia}}
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{{See also|Economic history of Australia|Median household income in Australia and New Zealand|Transport in Australia}}
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[[File:Barossa Valley South Australia.jpg|thumb|alt=Aerial view of farming fields interspersed with roads, a small forest near the front of the photo|Australia is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine. The [[Barossa Valley (wine)|Barossa Valley]] is a major [[Australian wine|wine-producing]] region in [[South Australian wine|South Australia]].]]
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Australia is a wealthy country; it generates its income from various sources including mining-related exports, telecommunications, banking and manufacturing.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cassen|first=Robert |title=Rich Country Interests and Third World Development |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1982 |location=United Kingdom|isbn=0-7099-1930-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/8362821/australia-wealthiest-nation-in-world-report|title=Australia, wealthiest nation in the world|date=20 October 2011|accessdate=24 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/luxury/australians-the-worlds-wealthiest-20111101-1mt2r.html|title=Australian's the world's wealthiest|date=31 October 2011|accessdate=24 July 2012|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> It has a [[market economy]], a relatively high GDP per capita, and a relatively low rate of poverty. In terms of average wealth, Australia ranked second in the world after Switzerland in 2013, although the nation's poverty rate increased from 10.2% to 11.8%, from 2000/01 to 2013.<ref name="Credit" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Richest nation but poverty increasing|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/richest-nation-but-poverty-increasing/story-fn3dxiwe-1226738699752?from=public_rss&utm_source=The%20Australian&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&net_sub_uid=44933799|accessdate=12 October 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=12 October 2013|author=AAP}}</ref> It was identified by the Credit Suisse Research Institute as the nation with the highest median wealth in the world and the second-highest average wealth per adult in 2013.<ref name="Credit">{{cite web|title=Global Wealth Reaches New All-Time High|url=http://www.thefinancialist.com/global-wealth-reaches-new-all-time-high/|work=The Financialist|publisher=Credit Suisse|accessdate=10 October 2013|author=Credit Suisse Research Institute|date=9 October 2013}}</ref>
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The [[Australian dollar]] is the currency for the nation, including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent [[Pacific Islands|Pacific Island states]] of [[Kiribati]], [[Nauru]], and [[Tuvalu]]. With the 2006 merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange, the [[Australian Securities Exchange]] became the ninth largest in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asx.com.au/about/pdf/asx_speech_eric_mayne_061106.pdf|title=On the International Realignment of Exchanges and Related Trends in Self-Regulation&nbsp;– Australian Stock Exchange|format=PDF|accessdate=3 January 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213134633/http://asx.com.au/about/pdf/asx_speech_eric_mayne_061106.pdf|archivedate=13 December 2010}}</ref>
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Ranked third in the [[Index of Economic Freedom]] (2010),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/index/Country/Australia|title=Australia|publisher=2010 Index of Economic Freedom|accessdate=30 March 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330033949/http://www.heritage.org/index/Country/Australia| archivedate= 30 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Australia is the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|world's twelfth largest economy]] and has the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|fifth highest per capita GDP]] (nominal) at $66,984. The country was ranked second in the United Nations 2011 [[Human Development Index]] and first in [[Legatum]]'s 2008 [[Legatum Prosperity Index|Prosperity Index]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2010_EN_Tables_reprint.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2010 – tables|year=2010|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=25 April 2011| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429045417/http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2010_EN_Tables_reprint.pdf| archivedate= 29 April 2011 | deadurl=no}}</ref> All of Australia's major cities fare well in global comparative livability surveys;<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/06/1075854028808.html|title=Melbourne 'world's top city'|date=6 February 2004|work=The Age|accessdate=31 January 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130144426/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/06/1075854028808.html| archivedate= 30 January 2009 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Melbourne reached top spot for the fourth year in a row on ''[[The Economist]]'''s 2014 list of the [[World's most livable cities|world's most liveable cities]], followed by Adelaide, Sydney, and Perth in the fifth, seventh, and ninth places respectively.<ref>Dyett, Kathleen (19 August 2014). [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-19/melbourne-worlds-most-liveable-city-for-the-fourth-year-running/5681014 "Melbourne named world's most liveable city for the fourth year running, beating Adelaide, Sydney and Perth"], [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]. Retrieved 14 April 2015.</ref> Total government debt in Australia is about $190 billion<ref>{{cite web|author=Hughes, Tim |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/money/money-matters/australian-dollar-continues-astronomical-rise-to-30-year-highs-as-us-dollar-euro-tank/story-fn3hskur-1226044717380 |title=Australian dollar continues astronomical rise to 30-year highs as US dollar, euro tank |publisher=Courier Mail |accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref> – 20% of [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indexmundi.com/australia/public_debt.html |title=Australia Public debt – Economy |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=9 January 2012 |accessdate=15 April 2012}}</ref> Australia has among the highest house prices and some of the highest household-debt levels in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/nickbryant/2011/04/australian_affordablity.html |title=Nick Bryant's Australia: Australian affordablity |publisher=BBC |accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref>
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[[File:2006Australian exports.svg|thumb|left|300px|alt=World map showing the distribution of Australian goods|Destination and value of Australian exports in 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/5368.0Apr%202007?OpenDocument |title=5368.0&nbsp;– International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia, April 2007 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=31 May 2007 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref>]]
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An emphasis on exporting commodities rather than manufactured goods has underpinned a significant increase in Australia's [[terms of trade]] since the start of the 21st century, due to rising commodity prices. [[Balance of payments of Australia|Australia has a balance of payments]] that is more than 7% of GDP negative, and has had persistently large [[current account]] deficits for more than 50 years.<ref name="downwonder">{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8931798 |title=Might Australia's economic fortunes turn? |work=The Economist |date=29 March 2007 |accessdate=28 May 2010}}</ref> Australia has grown at an average annual rate of 3.6% for over 15 years, in comparison to the OECD annual average of 2.5%.<ref name="downwonder"/> Australia was the only advanced economy not to experience a recession due to the [[Late-2000s recession|global financial downturn]] in 2008–2009.<ref name="IMFOutlook2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/ |title=World Economic Outlook (WEO) 2010 Rebalancing Growth |publisher=International Monetary Fund | accessdate=31 May 2012}}</ref> However, the economies of six of Australia's major trading partners have been in recession, which in turn has affected Australia, significantly hampering its economic growth in recent years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australia-slashes-immigration-as-recession-looms-1646048.html |title=Australia slashes immigration as recession looms |publisher=The Independent |date=16 March 2009 |accessdate=26 April 2011 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mclennan |first=David |url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/australian-economy-growing-as-new-recession-fears-fade/2130847.aspx |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011082911/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/australian-economy-growing-as-new-recession-fears-fade/2130847.aspx |archivedate=11 October 2011 |title=Australian economy growing as new recession fears fade |publisher=The Canberra Times |date=12 April 2011 |accessdate=26 April 2011}}</ref> From 2012 to early 2013, Australia's national economy grew, but some non-mining states and Australia's non-mining economy experienced a recession.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://theconversation.com/national-economy-grows-but-some-non-mining-states-in-recession-12670 |title=National economy grows but some non-mining states in recession |publisher=The Conversation |accessdate=22 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/mining-punches-through-recession/story-fn7kjcme-1226320756339 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416091909/http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/mining-punches-through-recession/story-fn7kjcme-1226320756339 |archivedate=16 April 2012 |title=Mining punches through recession |publisher=Courier Mail|author=Syvret, Paul |date=7 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-23/non-mining-states-27going-backwards27/3967622 |title=Non-mining states going backwards|publisher=ABC |accessdate=22 March 2013}}</ref>
  +
  +
The [[Bob Hawke|Hawke Government]] [[Floating exchange rate|floated]] the Australian dollar in 1983 and partially deregulated the financial system.<ref>{{cite web
  +
|url=http://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/1998/oct/pdf/bu-1098-2.pdf
  +
|title=Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century
  +
|author=Macfarlane, I. J.
  +
|publisher=Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin
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|format=PDF
  +
|date=October 1998
  +
|accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref> The [[Howard Government]] followed with a [[WorkChoices|partial deregulation of the labour market]] and the further [[privatisation]] of state-owned businesses, most notably in the [[telecommunications in Australia|telecommunications]] industry.<ref>{{cite web
  +
|url=http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/9369/mrrag.pdf
  +
|title=Microeconomic reforms and the revival in Australia's growth in productivity and living standards
  +
|author=Parham, Dean
  +
|publisher=Conference of Economists, Adelaide
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|format=PDF
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|date=1 October 2002
  +
|accessdate=7 December 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> The indirect tax system was substantially changed in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10% [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST).<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/JATax/2000/23.html|author=Tran-Nam, Binh |title=The Implementation Costs of the GST in Australia: Concepts, Preliminary Estimates and Implications [2000&#93; JlATax 23; (2000) 3(5) |journal=Journal of Australian Taxation 331|publisher=[[Australasian Legal Information Institute]]|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> In [[Taxation in Australia|Australia's tax system]], personal and company [[Income tax in Australia|income tax]] are the main sources of government revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.budget.gov.au/2008-09/content/fbo/html/part_1.htm|title=Part 1: Australian Government Budget Outcome|publisher=Budget 2008–09&nbsp;– Australian Government|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref>
  +
[[File:Kalgoorlie The Big Pit DSC04498.JPG|thumb|alt=A deep opencut mine in which some roads can be seen, the dirt is a rusty colour|The [[Super Pit gold mine]] in [[Kalgoorlie]], Australia's largest [[Open-pit mining|open cut]] mine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/20/2877497.htm |title=Government to help Kalgoorlie quake victims |accessdate=2 June 2010 |date=20 April 2010 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606061719/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/20/2877497.htm| archivedate= 6 June 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>]]
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  +
In May 2012, there were 11,537,900&nbsp;people employed (either full- or part-time), with an unemployment rate of 5.1%.<ref name="ABSLabourForce">Australian Bureau of Statistics. 6202.0 – Labour Force, Australia, April 2012 [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0/]</ref> Youth unemployment (15–24) stood at 11.2%.<ref name="ABSLabourForce"/> Data released in mid-November 2013 showed that the number of welfare recipients had grown by 55%. In 2007 228,621 [[Newstart Allowance|Newstart unemployment allowance]] recipients were registered, a total that increased to 646,414 in March 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Call for end to welfare poverty|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/call-for-end-to-welfare-poverty/story-fn59niix-1226758553935?from=public_rss&utm_source=The%20Australian&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&net_sub_uid=44933799#|accessdate=15 November 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=13 November 2013|author=Patricia Karvelas}}</ref> According to the Graduate Careers Survey, full-time employment for newly qualified professionals from various occupations has declined since 2011 but it increases for graduates three years after graduation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/research/surveys/australiangraduatesurvey|title=Australian Graduate Survey|work=graduatecareers.com.au}}</ref><ref>http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/GCA_GradStats_2014.pdf</ref>
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Over the past decade<!--MOS breach—see "Vague chronological terms". "Since ?1998"-->, inflation has typically been 2–3% and the base interest rate 5–6%. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, accounts for about 70% of GDP.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html |title=Australia. CIA&nbsp;– The World Factbook |publisher=Cia.gov |accessdate=22 January 2011| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229010858/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html| archivedate= 29 December 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, particularly wheat and wool, minerals such as iron-ore and gold, and energy in the forms of liquified natural gas and coal. Although [[Agriculture in Australia|agriculture]] and natural resources account for only 3% and 5% of GDP respectively, they contribute substantially to export performance. Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.<ref name="Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005].</ref> Australia is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine, and the wine industry contributes $5.5 billion per year to the nation's economy.<ref name="wineaustralia1">{{cite news |publisher=wineaustralia |url=http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/ |title= Wine Australia |accessdate=22 October 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023194405/http://www.wineaustralia.com/australia/| archivedate= 23 October 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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==Demographics==
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{{Main|Demographics of Australia|Immigration to Australia|List of cities in Australia by population}}
  +
[[File:Gold Coast skyline.jpg|thumb|alt=A beach populated by people; a city can be seen in the horizon|Australia has one of the world's most highly urbanised populations with the majority living in metropolitan cities on the coast.]]
  +
For generations, the vast majority of immigrants came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still mainly of British and/or Irish ethnic origin. In the 2011 Australian census, the most commonly nominated ancestry was [[English Australian|English]] (36.1%), followed by Australian (35.4%),<ref>The Australian Bureau of Statistics has stated that most who list "Australian" as their ancestry are part of the [[Anglo-Celtic Australian|Anglo-Celtic]] group. [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/49f609c83cf34d69ca2569de0025c182!OpenDocument]</ref> [[Irish Australian|Irish]] (10.4%), [[Scottish Australian|Scottish]] (8.9%), [[Italian Australian|Italian]] (4.6%), [[German Australian|German]] (4.5%), [[Chinese Australian|Chinese]] (4.3%), [[Indian Australian|Indian]] (2.0%), [[Greek Australian|Greek]] (1.9%), and [[Dutch Australian|Dutch]] (1.7%).<ref><!-- 36.1 + 35.4 + 10.4 + 8.9 + 4.6 + 4.5 + 4.3 + 2.0 + 1.9 + 1.7 = 109.8 !! "Table presents collective responses to ancestry question. As some people stated two ancestries, the total persons for all ancestries exceed Australia's total population." -->{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013 |title=Reflecting a Nation: Stories from the 2011 Census, 2012–2013 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=21 June 2012 |accessdate=25 June 2012}}</ref>
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  +
Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3105.0.65.0012006?OpenDocument |title=3105.0.65.001—Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2006 |accessdate=18 September 2007 |date=23 May 2006 |format=[[Microsoft Excel|XLS]] |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |quote=Australian population: (1919) 5,080,912; (2006) 20,209,993 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070908212308/http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3105.0.65.0012006?OpenDocument| archivedate= 8 September 2007 | deadurl=no}}</ref> much of this increase from [[Immigration to Australia|immigration]]. Following World War II and through to 2000, almost 5.9&nbsp;million of the total population settled in the country as new immigrants, meaning that nearly two out of every seven Australians were born in another country.<ref name="Immigration">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2698.htm|title=Background note: Australia|publisher=US Department of State|accessdate=19 May 2007| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520140730/http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2698.htm| archivedate= 20 May 2007 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Most immigrants are skilled,<ref name="immig">{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/20planning.htm |title=Fact Sheet 20&nbsp;– Migration Program Planning Levels |accessdate=17 June 2010 |date=11 August 2009 |publisher=Department of Immigration and Citizenship| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507054151/http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/20planning.htm| archivedate= 7 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and [[refugee]]s.<ref name="immig"/> By 2050, Australia's population is currently projected to reach around 42 million.<ref>"[http://www.news.com.au/national/australias-population-to-grow-to-42m-by-2050-modelling-shows/story-e6frfkvr-1225854742172 Australia's population to grow to 42 million by 2050, modelling shows]". News.com.au. 17 April 2010</ref> Nevertheless, its [[List of countries and dependencies by population density|population density]], 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, remains among the lowest in the world.<ref name="worldatlas1"/> As such, Australians have more living space per person than the inhabitants of any other nation.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.switzer.com.au/business-news/news-stories/australian-homes-are-biggest-in-the-world2/ | title=Australian homes are biggest in the world | publisher=''Switzer Daily'' | date=23 August 2011 | accessdate=5 November 2014}}</ref>
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  +
In 2011, 24.6% of Australians were born elsewhere and 43.1% of people had at least one overseas-born parent;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/CO-59?opendocument&navpos=620|title=2011 Census reveals one in four Australians is born overseas|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=21 June 2012|accessdate=21 June 2012}}</ref> the five largest immigrant groups were those from the [[Anglo-Celtic Australian|United Kingdom]], New Zealand, China, India, and [[Vietnam]].<ref name="census2011"/> Following the abolition of the [[White Australia policy]] in 1973, numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of [[multiculturalism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/06evolution.htm|title=The Evolution of Australia's Multicultural Policy|accessdate=18 September 2007|year=2005|publisher=Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219130703/http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/06evolution.htm|archivedate=19 February 2006}}</ref> In 2005–06, more than 131,000&nbsp;people emigrated to Australia, mainly from Asia and Oceania.<ref>{{cite web
  +
|url=http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2006/v06297.htm
  +
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609123847/http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/media-releases/2006/v06297.htm
  +
|archivedate=9 June 2007
  +
|title=Settler numbers on the rise
  +
|publisher=Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
  +
|date=27 December 2006
  +
|accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref> The migration target for 2012–13 is 190,000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb186408.htm|title=Targeted migration increase to fill skills gaps|work=Department of Immigration and Citizenship|date=8 May 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511231240/http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb186408.htm|archivedate=11 May 2012}}</ref> compared to 67,900 in 1998–99.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/02key.htm |title=Fact Sheet 2 – Key Facts In Immigration – Department of Immigration and Citizenship |publisher=Immi.gov.au |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref>
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The Indigenous population—[[Aboriginal Australians|Aborigines]] and [[Torres Strait Islands|Torres Strait Islanders]]—was counted at 548,370 (2.5% of the total population) in 2011,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/CO-63?opendocument&navpos=620 |title=Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia revealed as 2011 Census data is released |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=21 June 2012 |accessdate=21 June 2012}}</ref> a significant increase from 115,953 in the 1976 census.<ref name="Year Book 2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article52004?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2004&num=&view=|title=1301.0&nbsp;– Year Book Australia, 2004
  +
|date=27 February 2004|accessdate=24 April 2009|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515231152/http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article52004?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2004&num=&view=| archivedate= 15 May 2009 | deadurl=no}}</ref> The increase is partly due to many people with Indigenous heritage previously having been overlooked by the census due to undercount and cases where their Indigenous status had not been recorded on the form. Indigenous Australians experience higher than average rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education, and life expectancies for males and females that are, respectively, 11 and 17 years lower than those of non-indigenous Australians.<ref name="Year Book 2005"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/life-gap-figures-not-black-and-white/story-e6frg6nf-1111118141529 |title=Life gap figures not black and white |author=Lunn, Stephen |work=[[The Australian]] |date=26 November 2008 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/indigenous-health-gap-closes-by-five-years-20090409-a27x.html |title=Indigenous health gap closes by five years |author=Gibson, Joel |work= [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=10 April 2009 |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref><!-- The Australian and SMH refs should be replaced with the finalised ABS estimate when this becomes available. --> Some remote Indigenous communities have been described as having "[[failed state]]"-like conditions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/australia-hides-a-failed-state/2006/12/07/1165081088385.html |title=Australia hides a 'failed state' |author=Grattan, Michelle |publisher=[[The Age]] |location=Melbourne |date=8 December 2006 |accessdate=17 October 2008 |authorlink=Michelle Grattan| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119005946/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/australia-hides-a-failed-state/2006/12/07/1165081088385.html| archivedate= 19 November 2008 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2004, the [[Population pyramid|average age]] of the civilian population was 38.8 years.<ref>Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library (7 March 2005). [https://web.archive.org/web/20090324202331/http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/pubs/rn/2004-05/05rn35.pdf Australia's aging workforce].</ref> A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002–03;<ref>Parliament of Australia, Senate (2005). [https://web.archive.org/web/20090413130639/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/completed_inquiries/2004-07/expats03/index.htm Inquiry into Australian Expatriates].</ref> 1 million or 5% of the total population in 2005<ref>{{cite book|title=Imagining Australia|author=Duncan, Macgregor; Leigh, Andrew; Madden, David and Tynan, Peter |publisher=Allen &amp; Unwin|year=2004|isbn=978-1-74114-382-9|url=http://books.google.com/?id=YeKqBMjrObIC&printsec=frontcover|page=44}}</ref>) live outside their home country.
  +
{{clear}}
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{{Largest cities of Australia}}
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===Language===
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{{Main|Languages of Australia}}
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Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the ''[[de facto]]'' national language.<ref name=language>{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/04/speech18b.htm|title=Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies?|work=1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney|publisher=[[Department of Immigration and Citizenship]]|accessdate=11 January 2009| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220020910/http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/04/speech18b.htm| archivedate= 20 December 2008 | deadurl=no}} "English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."</ref> [[Australian English]] is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nma.gov.au/libraries/attachments/exhibitions/vocabulary_of_australian_english/files/5471/Vocabulary%20of%20Australian%20English.pdf|title=The Vocabulary Of Australian English|last=Moore|first=Bruce|publisher=National Museum of Australia|accessdate=5 April 2010}}</ref> and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling.<ref name="Fourth Edition 2005">"The Macquarie Dictionary", Fourth Edition. The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, 2005.</ref> [[General Australian]] serves as the standard dialect. According to the 2011 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 81% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] (1.7%), [[Italian language|Italian]] (1.5%), [[Arabic language|Arabic]] (1.4%), [[Cantonese]] (1.3%), [[Greek language|Greek]] (1.3%), and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] (1.2%);<ref name="census2011"/> a considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual. A 2010–2011 study by the Australia Early Development Index found the most common language spoken by children after English was Arabic, followed by Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese, and Hindi.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.rch.org.au/aedi/media/Snapshot_of_Early_Childhood_DevelopmentinAustralia_AEDI_National_Report.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408162508/http://www.rch.org.au/aedi/media/Snapshot_of_Early_Childhood_DevelopmentinAustralia_AEDI_National_Report.pdf |archivedate=8 April 2011 |title=A Snapshot of Early Childhood Development in Australia| page= 8 |date=December 2009|isbn=978-0-9807246-0-8 |publisher=Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations}}</ref><ref>[[Agence France-Presse]]/[[Jiji Press]], "Arabic Australia's second language", ''[[The Japan Times]]'', 16 April 2011, p. 4.</ref>
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Over 250 [[Indigenous Australian languages]] are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact, of which less than 20 are still in daily use by all age groups.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2011/08/a-mission-to-save-indigenous-languages| title=A mission to save indigenous languages| publisher=Australian Geographic|accessdate=16 June 2014}}</ref><ref name=nilsr/> About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people.<ref name=nilsr>{{cite web |url=http://arts.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/nils-report-2005.pdf |title=National Indigenous Languages Survey Report 2005 |publisher=Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts |accessdate=5 September 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709141342/http://www.arts.gov.au/indigenous/national_indigenous_languages_survey_report_2005 <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archivedate=9 July 2009}}</ref> At the time of the 2006 census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous language at home.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4713.0 |title=4713.0&nbsp;– Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006 |last=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=4 May 2010 |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |language=Canberra |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref> Australia has a [[sign language]] known as [[Auslan]], which is the main language of about 5,500 deaf people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?action=404&documentproductno=0&documenttype=Details&order=1&tabname=Details&areacode=0&issue=2006&producttype=Census%20Tables&javascript=true&textversion=false&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=POTLD&&collection=Census&period=2006&productlabel=Language%20Spoken%20at%20Home%20(full%20classification%20list)%20by%20Sex&producttype=Census%20Tables&method=Place%20of%20Usual%20Residence&topic=Language& |title=20680-Language Spoken at Home (full classification list) by Sex&nbsp;– Australia |last=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=27 June 2007 |work=2006 Census Tables : Australia |location=Canberra |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |accessdate=7 December 2010}}</ref>
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===Religion===
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{{Main|Religion in Australia}}
  +
{{bar box
  +
|title = Religion in Australia<ref name="census2011"/>
  +
|titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right
  +
|bars =
  +
{{bar percent|[[Roman Catholic]]|purple|25.3}}
  +
{{bar percent|[[Anglican]]|blue|17.1}}
  +
{{bar percent|[[Other Christian]]|lightblue|18.7<!-- = 61.1 – 25.3 -17.1 -->}}
  +
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism]]|pink|2.5}}
  +
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|green|2.2}}
  +
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism]]|orange|1.3}}
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{{bar percent|[[Judaism]]|brown|0.5}}
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{{bar percent|Other|black|0.8}}
  +
{{bar percent|No religion|red|22.3}}
  +
{{bar percent|Undefined or not stated|grey|9.4<!-- = 100 – 61.1 Christian – 7.2 non-Christian – 22.3 no religion -->}}
  +
}}
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Australia has no [[state religion]]; Section 116 of the [[Australian Constitution]] prohibits the [[Federal Government of Australia|federal government]] from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/religion.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806061716/http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/religion.html|archivedate=6 August 2011|title=About Australia: Religious Freedom |publisher=Dfat.gov.au |accessdate=31 December 2011}}</ref> In the 2011 census, 61.1% of Australians were counted as [[Christian]], including 25.3% as [[Roman Catholicism in Australia|Roman Catholic]] and 17.1% as [[Anglicanism|Anglican]]; 22.3% of the population reported having "[[Irreligion in Australia|no religion]]"; 7.2% identify with non-Christian religions, the largest of these being [[Buddhism]] (2.5%), followed by [[Islam]] (2.2%), [[Hinduism]] (1.3%) and [[Judaism]] (0.5%). The remaining 9.4%<!-- = 100 – 61.1 Christian – 7.2 non-Christian – 22.3 no religion --> of the population did not provide an adequate answer.<ref name="census2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features902012-2013|title=Cultural Diversity In Australia |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=16 April 2013|accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref>
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Before European settlement, the animist beliefs of Australia's indigenous people had been practised for many thousands of years. Mainland [[Aboriginal Australians]]', spirituality is known as the [[Dreamtime]] and it places a heavy emphasis on belonging to the land. The collection of stories that it contains shaped Aboriginal law and customs. [[Indigenous Australian art|Aboriginal art]], story and dance continue to draw on these spiritual traditions. The spirituality and customs of [[Torres Strait Islanders]], who inhabit the islands between Australia and New Guinea, reflected their Melanesian origins and dependence on the sea. The 1996 Australian census counted more than 7000 respondents as followers of a traditional Aboriginal religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s790117.htm |title=Indigenous Traditions – Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders |publisher=Abc.net.au |date=14 December 1999 |accessdate=31 December 2011}}</ref>
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Since the arrival of the [[First Fleet]] of British ships in 1788, Christianity has grown to be the major religion practised in Australia. Christian churches have played an integral role in the development of education, health and welfare services in Australia. For much of Australian history the [[Church of England]] (now known as the [[Anglican Church of Australia]]) was the largest religious affiliation. However, multicultural immigration has contributed to a decline in its relative position, and the Roman Catholic Church has benefitted from recent immigration to become the largest group. Similarly, [[Islam in Australia|Islam]], [[Buddhism in Australia|Buddhism]], [[Hinduism in Australia|Hinduism]] and [[History of the Jews in Australia|Judaism]] have all grown in Australia over the past half-century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/CO-61?opendocument&navpos=620|title=2011 Census reveals Hinduism as the fastest growing religion in Australia|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=21 June 2012|accessdate=21 June 2012}}</ref>
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Australia has one of the lowest levels of religious adherence in the world.<ref>[http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2008/07/04/australia-among-worlds-least-religious-countries "Australia 'among world's least religious countries'"] (23 August 2013), SBS. Retrieved 14 April 2015.</ref> It was reported in 2001 that only 7% of Australians attended church on a weekly basis.<ref>[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 NCLS releases latest estimates of church attendance], National Church Life Survey, Media release, 28 February 2004.</ref>
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===Education===
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{{Main|Education in Australia}}
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[[File:Main Quadrangle, University of Sydney.jpg|thumb|left|The [[University of Sydney]] is the oldest university in Australia.]]
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School attendance, or registration for home schooling,<ref>{{cite news|title=Thousands of parents illegally home schooling|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-28/thousands-of-parents-illegally-home-schooling/3798008|accessdate=13 October 2013|newspaper=ABC News|date=30 January 2012|author=Ian Townsend}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homeschoolingdownunder.com/homeschooling-australia/|title=Homeschool In Australia|publisher=Homeschooling DownUnder|accessdate=29 July 2014}} (Includes links to relevant page on each state's education department website.)</ref> is compulsory throughout Australia. Education is the responsibility of the individual states and territories<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Pages/overview.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110328132033/http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Pages/overview.aspx|archivedate=28 March 2011|title=Schooling Overview|publisher=Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations}}</ref> so the rules vary between states, but in general children are required to attend school from the age of about 5 up until about 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/everyday-life/education/|title=Education|publisher=[[Department of Immigration and Citizenship]]|accessdate=14 January 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/education_in_australia.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514101140/http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/education_in_australia.html|archivedate=14 May 2011|title=Our system of education|publisher=Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|accessdate=13 January 2012}}</ref> In some states (e.g., Western Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://det.wa.edu.au/schoolsandyou/detcms/navigation/parents-and-community/schooling/?oid=Category-id-3869597 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321204923/http://det.wa.edu.au/schoolsandyou/detcms/navigation/parents-and-community/schooling/?oid=Category-id-3869597 |archivedate=21 March 2012 |title=The Department of Education – Schools and You – Schooling |publisher=Det.wa.edu.au |accessdate=31 December 2011}}</ref> the Northern Territory<ref>{{cite web|title=Education Act (NT) – Section 20|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/consol_act/ea104/s20.html|work=austlii.edu.au}}</ref> and New South Wales<ref>{{cite web|title=Education Act 1990 (NSW) – Section 21|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ea1990104/s21b.html|work=austlii.edu.au}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Minimum school leaving age jumps to 17|url=http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/minimum-school-leaving-age-jumps-to-17-20090128-7r4d.html|work=The Age|accessdate=30 May 2013|date=28 January 2009}}</ref>), children aged 16–17 are required to either attend school or participate in vocational training, such as an [[apprenticeship]].
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Australia has an adult literacy rate that was estimated to be 99% in 2003.<ref name=cialittab>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2103.html#136|title=Literacy|work=[[CIA World Factbook]]|accessdate=10 October 2013}}</ref> However, a 2011–12 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that Tasmania has a literacy and numeracy rate of only 50%.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2013-09-22/4962902|title=A literacy deficit|work=abc.net.au|date=22 September 2013|accessdate=10 October 2013}}</ref> In the [[Programme for International Student Assessment]], Australia regularly scores among the top five of thirty major developed countries (member countries of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]]). [[Catholic education in Australia|Catholic education]] accounts for the largest non-government sector.
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Australia has 37 government-funded universities and two private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ausitaleem.com.pk/australian-education-system.shtml |title=Australian Education &#124; Australian Education System &#124; Education &#124; Study in Australia |publisher=Ausitaleem.com.pk|accessdate=31 December 2011}}</ref> The [[University of Sydney]] is Australia's oldest university, having been founded in 1850. Other notable universities include those of the [[Group of Eight (Australian universities)|Group of Eight]] leading tertiary institutions. {{fact|date=May 2015}}
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The OECD places Australia among the most expensive nations to attend university.<ref>[http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/44/35/37376068.pdf Education at a Glance 2006]. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development</ref> There is a state-based system of vocational training, known as [[Technical and further education|TAFE]], and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/about/default.asp |title=About Australian Apprenticeships |publisher=Australian Government |accessdate=23 April 2010 |archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20091111234035/http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/about/default.asp |archivedate=11 November 2009}}</ref> About 58% of Australians aged from 25 to 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications,<ref name="Year Book 2005"/> and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is the highest among OECD countries. The ratio of international to local students in tertiary education in Australia is the highest in the OECD countries.<ref>[http://www.ecs.org/html/offsite.asp?document=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eoecd%2Eorg%2Fdataoecd%2F20%2F25%2F35345692%2Epdf Education at Glance 2005]{{Dead link|date=July 2014}} by OECD: Percentage of foreign students in tertiary education.</ref>
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===Health===
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{{See also|Health care in Australia}}
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Australia has the third and seventh highest life expectancy of males and females respectively in the world.<ref>[http://www.aihw.gov.au/life-expectancy-how-australia-compares/ How Australia compares]{{Dead link|date=July 2014}} Australian Institute of Health and Welfare</ref> Life expectancy in Australia in 2010 was 79.5 years for males and 84.0 years for females.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by+Subject/4125.0~Jan+2012~Main+Features~Life+expectancy~3110|title=Life expectancy |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |accessdate=16 August 2012}}</ref> Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/skincancer/publishing.nsf/Content/fact-2 |title=Skin cancer&nbsp;– key statistics |year=2008 |publisher=[[Department of Health and Ageing]] }}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> while [[Tobacco smoking|cigarette smoking]] is the largest preventable cause of death and disease, responsible for 7.8% of the total mortality and disease. Ranked second in preventable causes is [[hypertension]] at 7.6%, with obesity third at 7.5%.<ref>[http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/hwe/bodaiia03/bodaiia03-c05.pdf Risks to health in Australia]{{Dead link|date=July 2014}} [[Australian Institute of Health and Welfare]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110219073743/http://quitnow.info.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/warnings-graph Smoking&nbsp;– A Leading Cause of Death]. The National Tobacco Campaign.</ref> Australia ranks 35th in the world<ref>[http://www.iaso.org/site_media/uploads/Global_prevalence_of_adult_obesity_Ranking_by_country_2012.pdf % Global prevalence of adult obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²): country rankings 2012]{{dead link|date=March 2015}} IASO</ref> and near the top of [[Developed country|developed nations]] for its proportion of [[Obesity in Australia|obese]] adults.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/Publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-hlthwt-obesity.htm |title=About Overweight and Obesity |publisher=Department of Health and Ageing| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507033011/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-hlthwt-obesity.htm| archivedate= 7 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
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Total expenditure on health (including private sector spending) is around 9.8% of GDP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/healthcare.html |title=Health care in Australia |year=2008 |work=About Australia |publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404084746/http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/healthcare.html <!-- Added by H3llBot --> |archivedate=4 April 2010}}</ref> Australia introduced [[universal health care]] in 1975.<ref name="medicbrief">{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/SP/medicare.htm |title=Medicare&nbsp;– Background Brief |last=Biggs |first=Amanda |date=29 October 2004 |work=Parliament of Australia: Parliamentary Library |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |accessdate=16 April 2010 |location=Canberra, ACT| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414012007/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/SP/medicare.htm| archivedate= 14 April 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Known as [[Medicare (Australia)|Medicare]], it is now nominally funded by an income tax surcharge known as the [[Medicare levy]], currently set at 1.5%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/17482.htm&pc=001/002/030/003/001&mnu=&mfp=&st=&cy=1 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610171946/http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/17482.htm&pc=001/002/030/003/001&mnu=&mfp=&st=&cy=1 |archivedate=10 June 2008 |title=What is the Medicare levy? |accessdate=17 April 2010 |author=Australian Taxation Office |work=Australian Taxation Office website |publisher=Australian Government |date=19 June 2007}}</ref> The states manage hospitals and attached outpatient services, while the Commonwealth funds the [[Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme]] (subsidising the costs of medicines) and general practice.<ref name="medicbrief"/>
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==Culture==
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{{Main|Culture of Australia}}
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[[File:Royal exhibition building tulips straight.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Ornate white building with an elevated dome in the middle, fronted by a golden fountain and orange flowers|The [[Royal Exhibition Building]] in Melbourne was the first building in Australia to be listed as a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/world_heritage.html |title=About Australia: World Heritage properties|publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |accessdate=14 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725033040/http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/world_heritage.html| archivedate= 25 July 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>]]
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Since 1788, the basis of Australian culture has been strongly influenced by [[Anglo-Celtic]] [[Western culture]].<ref>[[#Jupp|Jupp]], pp. 796–802.</ref><ref>[[#Teo|Teo and White]], pp. 118–20.</ref> Distinctive cultural features have also arisen from Australia's natural environment and Indigenous cultures.<ref name=bush>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 98–99.</ref><ref>[[#Teo|Teo and White]], pp. 125–27.</ref> Since the mid-20th century, [[Culture of the United States|American popular culture]] has strongly influenced Australia, particularly through television and cinema.<ref name=tw>[[#Teo|Teo and White]], pp. 121–23.</ref> Other cultural influences come from neighbouring Asian countries, and through large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking nations.<ref name=tw/><ref>[[#Jupp|Jupp]], pp. 808–12, 74–77.</ref>
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===Arts===
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{{Main|Australian art|Australian literature|Theatre of Australia|Dance in Australia}}
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The [[rock art]] of Australia's Indigenous peoples is the oldest and richest in the world, dating as far back as 60,000 years and spread across hundreds of thousands of sites.<ref>Taçon, Paul S. C. (2001). "Australia". In Whitely, David S.. ''Handbook of Rock Art Research''. [[Rowman & Littlefield]]. pp. 531–575. ISBN 978-0-7425025-6-7</ref> Traditional designs, patterns and stories infuse [[contemporary Indigenous Australian art]], "the last great art movement of the 20th century";<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/arts/06iht-aborigine.html |title=Powerful growth of Aboriginal art |last=Henly |first=Susan Gough |date=6 November 2005 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> its exponents include [[Emily Kame Kngwarreye]].<ref>Smith, Terry (1996) "Kngwarreye Woman, Abstract Painter", p. 24 in ''Emily Kngwarreye – Paintings'', North Ryde NSW: Craftsman House / G + B Arts International. ISBN 90-5703-681-9.</ref> During the first century of European settlement, colonial artists, trained in Europe, showed a fascination with the unfamiliar land.<ref name=art/> The [[realism (arts)|naturalistic]], sun-filled works of [[Arthur Streeton]], [[Tom Roberts]] and others associated with the 19th-century [[Heidelberg School]]—the first "distinctively Australian" movement in Western art—gave expression to a burgeoning Australian nationalism in the lead-up to Federation.<ref name=art>[http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/discover-art/learn-more/australian-art/ Australian art], [[Art Gallery of New South Wales]]. Retrieved 27 August 2014.</ref> While the school remained influential into the new century, [[modern art|modernists]] such as [[Margaret Preston]], and, later, [[Sidney Nolan]] and [[Arthur Boyd]], explored new artistic trends.<ref name=art/> The landscape remained a central subject matter for [[Fred Williams]], [[Brett Whiteley]] and other post-World War II artists whose works, eclectic in style yet uniquely Australian, moved between the [[figurative art|figurative]] and the [[abstract art|abstract]].<ref name=art/><ref>[http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/brett-whiteley-nature/ Brett Whiteley: Nature], Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2015.</ref> The [[National Gallery of Australia]] and state galleries maintain collections of Australian and international art.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Artists & Galleries of Australia|publisher=Craftsman House|location=Roseville, Vic.|year=1990|isbn=976-8097-02-7|author=Germaine, Max|pages=756–58, 796–97, 809–10, 814–15, 819–20, 826–27, 829–30}}</ref> Australia has one of the world's highest attendances of art galleries and museums per head of population.<ref>Ron Radford, Director of the [[National Gallery of Australia]], quoted in {{cite news|last=Blake|first=Elissa|title=The art of persuasion|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] (Spectrum section)|date=4–5 February 2012}}</ref>
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[[File:Sidney Nolan Snake.jpg|thumb|[[Sidney Nolan]]'s ''Snake'' mural (1970), held at the [[Museum of Old and New Art]] in Hobart, Tasmania, is inspired by the Aboriginal creation myth of the [[Rainbow Serpent]], as well as desert flowers in bloom after a drought.<ref>"Sidney Nolan's Rainbow Serpent is larger than life" (16 June 2012), ''The Australasian''.</ref>]]
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[[Australian literature]] grew slowly in the decades following European settlement though Indigenous [[oral tradition]]s, many of which have since been recorded in writing, are much older.<ref>Sarwal, Amit; Sarwal, Reema (2009). ''Reading Down Under: Australian Literary Studies Reader''. SSS Publications. p. xii. ISBN 978-8190228213.</ref> Writers of the 19th-century [[The Bulletin#Early history|Bulletin School]], such as [[Henry Lawson]] and [[Banjo Paterson]], captured the experience of [[The bush#Australia|the bush]] using a distinctive Australian vocabulary. Their works are still very popular; Paterson's [[bush poetry|bush poem]] "[[Waltzing Matilda]]" (1895) is regarded as Australia's unofficial national anthem.<ref>O'Keeffe, Dennis (2012). ''Waltzing Matilda: The Secret History of Australia's Favourite Song''. [[Allen & Unwin]]. p. back cover. ISBN 978-1-74237-706-3.</ref> [[Miles Franklin]] is the namesake of Australia's [[Miles Franklin Award|most prestigious literary prize]], awarded to the best novel about Australian life.<ref>[http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/miles-franklin-literary-award Miles Franklin Literary Award], australia.gov.au. Retrieved 18 April 2015.</ref> Its first recipient, [[Patrick White]], went on to win the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1973.<ref>[http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/australias-nobel-laureates Australia's Nobel Laureates and the Nobel Prize], australia.gov.au. Retrieved 17 April 2015.</ref> Australian winners of the [[Man Booker Prize]] include [[Peter Carey (novelist)|Peter Carey]], [[Thomas Keneally]] and [[Richard Flanagan]].<ref>Hughes-D'Aeth, Tony (15 October 2014). [http://theconversation.com/australias-booker-prize-record-suggests-others-will-come-in-flanagans-wake-33025 "Australia’s Booker prize record suggests others will come in Flanagan’s wake"], ''[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]''. Retrieved 17 April 2014.</ref> [[David Malouf]] and [[David Williamson]] are also renowned writers<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, p. 394.</ref> and [[Les Murray (poet)|Les Murray]] is regarded as "one of the leading poets of his generation".<ref name="JT77">{{cite web|url=http://johntranter.com/reviewer/1977-murray.shtml |title=Tranter, John (1977) A warrior poet living still at Anzac Cove: Review of ''The Vernacular Republic: Selected Poems'' |publisher=Johntranter.com |date=29 January 1977 |accessdate=14 June 2010}}</ref>
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Many of Australia's performing arts companies receive funding through the federal government's [[Australia Council for the Arts|Australia Council]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/13753/Australia_Council_for_the_Arts_-_Funding_Guide_2010.pdf |year=2010 |title=Arts funding guide 2010 |publisher=[[Australia Council]] |format=PDF |accessdate=14 June 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705002654/http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/13753/Australia_Council_for_the_Arts_-_Funding_Guide_2010.pdf| archivedate= 5 July 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> There is a symphony orchestra in each state,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/50231/LECG_Orchestras_Review_evaluation_summary.pdf |title=Evaluation of the Orchestras Review 2005 funding package implementation |format=PDF |accessdate=23 April 2010 |publisher=Australia Council}}{{dead link|date=March 2015}}</ref> and a national opera company, [[Opera Australia]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080723135113/http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/the_arts/artists_and_orgs/artists/opera_australia |title=Opera Australia |publisher=Australia Council |accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> well known for its famous [[soprano]] [[Joan Sutherland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/music/opera/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406111552/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/music/opera/ |archivedate=6 April 2011 |title=Opera in Australia |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |date=5 March 2007}}</ref> At the beginning of the 20th century, [[Nellie Melba]] was one of the world's leading opera singers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themonthly.com.au/encounters-shane-maloney-nellie-melba-enrico-caruso--160 |title=Nellie Melba & Enrico Caruso |work=[[The Monthly]]|author=Maloney, Shane |date=December 2005 – January 2006 |accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> Ballet and dance are represented by [[The Australian Ballet]] and various state companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/brandis/media/media_releases/2007/35_per_cent_increase_in_funding_for_australias_major_performing_arts_companies/ |title=35 per cent increase in funding for Australia's major performing arts companies |author=Brandis, George |publisher=Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts |date=8 May 2007 |accessdate=23 April 2010 |authorlink=George Brandis|archiveurl=http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36698/20071112-1356/www.minister.dcita.gov.au/brandis/media/media_releases/2007/35_per_cent_increase_in_funding_for_australias_major_performing_arts_companies.html|archivedate=12 November 2007}}</ref>
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===Media===
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{{Main|Cinema of Australia|Television in Australia|Media of Australia|Music of Australia}}
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[[File:The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906.jpg|thumb|Actor playing the [[bushranger]] [[Ned Kelly]] in ''[[The Story of the Kelly Gang]]'' (1906), the world's first feature film]]
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''[[The Story of the Kelly Gang]]'' (1906), the world's first [[feature length]] film, spurred a boom in [[cinema of Australia|Australian cinema]] during the [[silent film]] era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=37899&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |title=Return of the Kelly Gang |work=[[UNESCO Courier]] |author=Chichester, Jo |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |year=2007 |accessdate=1 February 2009}}</ref> After World War I, [[Hollywood]] monopolised the industry,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:a0bny9r0rpkJ:www.afc.gov.au/downloads/policies/early%2520history_final1.pdf+australian+film+production+%2B+hollywood+%2B+1920s&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgSRefiOTOyLQEmeKt6CgCdo2vNSCscav9DLNNt0yc9iUfLnuc0S02qForlyo3T0wLCj_8Hnw2kRlN8jZxyZer_9QXlngel05Rr8NDnAsZWP-8UqmzB0kWW9T4yVDlWQYmhsm7-&sig=AHIEtbRziGrWdip9B8rYLyNLrH02b8IYuQ |title=The first wave of Australian feature film production |publisher=Docs.google.com |accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> and by the 1960s Australian film production had effectively ceased.<ref>{{cite web |work=Australian Government: Culture Portal |url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/film/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110327002350/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/film/ |archivedate=27 March 2011 |title=Culture.gov.au&nbsp;– "Film in Australia" |publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia |date=22 November 2007 }}</ref> With the benefit of government support, the [[Australian New Wave]] of the 1970s brought provocative and successful films, many exploring the nation's colonial past, such as ''[[Picnic at Hanging Rock]]'' and ''[[Breaker Morant (film)|Breaker Morant]]'',<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 252–53.</ref> while the so-called [[Ozploitation]] genre produced international blockbusters, including the ''[[Mad Max (franchise)|Mad Max]]'' series.<ref>{{cite interview |last=Sowada |first=Richard | interviewer=Patricia Karvelas |title=Mad Max |callsign=[[Radio National|RN Drive]] |date=6 February 2013 |program=Historyonics | url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/historyonics3a-mad-max/4504578 |accessdate=31 January 2015}}</ref> More recent successes included ''[[Shine (film)|Shine]]'' and ''[[Rabbit-Proof Fence (film)|Rabbit-Proof Fence]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/shine/notes/|title=Shine|publisher=[[National Film and Sound Archive]]|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://aso.gov.au/titles/features/rabbit-proof-fence/notes/|title=Rabbit-Proof Fence |publisher=[[National Film and Sound Archive]]|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> Notable Australian actors include [[Errol Flynn]], [[Judith Anderson]], [[Geoffrey Rush]], [[Nicole Kidman]], [[Heath Ledger]] and [[Cate Blanchett]].<ref>[http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/australians-in-hollywood-2003 Australians in Hollywood], [[National Portrait Gallery (Australia)|National Portrait Gallery]]. Retrieved 15 April 2015.</ref>
  +
  +
Australia has two public broadcasters (the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] and the multicultural [[Special Broadcasting Service]]), three commercial television networks, several pay-TV services,<ref name=bbc>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1250188.stm|work=BBC News|title=Country profile: Australia|date=13 October 2009|accessdate=7 April 2010}}</ref> and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Each major city has at least one daily newspaper,<ref name=bbc/> and there are two national daily newspapers, ''[[The Australian]]'' and ''[[The Australian Financial Review]]''.<ref name=bbc/> In 2010, [[Reporters Without Borders]] placed Australia 18th on a list of 178 countries ranked by [[freedom of the press|press freedom]], behind New Zealand (8th) but ahead of the United Kingdom (19th) and United States (20th).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2010,1034.html|title=Press Freedom Index 2010|publisher=[[Reporters Without Borders]] |author=Reporters Without Borders |year=2010|accessdate=22 November 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124050702/http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2010,1034.html| archivedate= 24 November 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> This relatively low ranking is primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia;<ref>Barr, Trevor. "[http://www.australianpolitics.com/issues/media-ownership/1999ownership.shtml Media Ownership in Australia]", australianpolitics.com. Retrieved 2 January 2008.</ref> most print media are under the control of [[News Corporation]] and [[Fairfax Media]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/INTGUIDE/SP/Media_Regulation.htm|title=Media Ownership Regulation in Australia|publisher=[[Parliament of Australia]] |author=Gardiner-Garden, John and Chowns, Jonathan |date=30 May 2006| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328020533/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/SP/Media_Regulation.htm| archivedate= 28 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref>
  +
  +
===Cuisine===
  +
{{Main|Australian cuisine}}
  +
Most Indigenous Australian tribal groups subsisted on a simple [[hunter-gatherer diet]] of native fauna and flora, otherwise called [[bushfood|bush tucker]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/bushtucker/ |title=Bush Tucker Plants, or Bush Food |publisher=Teachers.ash.org.au |accessdate=26 April 2011| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511094258/http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/bushtucker/| archivedate= 11 May 2011 | deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theepicentre.com/Australia/aufood2.html |title=Bush Tucker |publisher=Theepicentre.com |accessdate=26 April 2011| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513084614/http://www.theepicentre.com/Australia/aufood2.html| archivedate= 13 May 2011 | deadurl=no}}</ref> The first settlers introduced [[British cuisine|British food]] to the continent, much of which is now considered typical Australian food, such as the [[Sunday roast]].<ref name=food>{{cite web|url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/foodanddrink/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326134155/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/foodanddrink/|archivedate=26 March 2010|title=Australian food and drink|publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts |date=23 September 2008}}</ref><ref name=f2>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/food/cuisineindex/RecipeByCuisineMain/383|title=Modern Australian recipes and Modern Australian cuisine|publisher=[[Special Broadcasting Service]]|accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503111747/http://www.sbs.com.au/food/cuisineindex/RecipeByCuisineMain/383| archivedate= 3 May 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> Multicultural immigration transformed Australian cuisine; post-World War II European migrants, particularly from the Mediterranean, helped to build a thriving Australian [[coffee culture]], and the influence of [[Culture of Asia|Asian cultures]] has led to Australian variants of their staple foods, such as the [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]]-inspired [[dim sim]] and [[Chiko Roll]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Jonsen|first=Helen|title=Kangaroo's Comments and Wallaby's Words: The Aussie Word Book|publisher=[[Hippocrene Books]]|year=1999|isbn=978-0-7818-0737-1|page=23}}</ref> [[Vegemite]], [[pavlova]], [[lamington]]s and [[meat pie (Australia and New Zealand)|meat pie]]s are regarded as iconic Australian foods.<ref>{{cite book|last=Santich|first=Barbara|title=Bold Palates: Australia's Gastronomic Heritage|publisher=[[Wakefield Press]]|year=2012|isbn=978-1-74305-094-1|page=290}}</ref> [[Australian wine]] is produced mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country.
  +
  +
===Sport and recreation===
  +
{{Main|Sport in Australia}}
  +
[[File:AFL Grand Final 2010 on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.jpg|thumb|The [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] is strongly associated with the history and development of [[cricket]] and [[Australian rules football]], Australia's two most popular spectator sports.<ref>[http://www.nsm.org.au/the%20mcg/heritage%20listing.aspx?p=1 National Sports Museum Heritage Listing], National Sports Museum. Retrieved 15 April 2015.</ref>]]
  +
About 24% of Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.<ref name="Year Book 2005" /> At an international level, Australia has excelled at [[cricket]], [[field hockey]], [[netball]], [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Pereira da Costa|first=Lamartine|title=Worldwide Experiences and Trends in Sport for All|publisher=Meyer & Meyer Verlag|year=2013|isbn=978-1-84126-085-3|page=68}}</ref> The majority of Australians live within the coastal zone, making the beach a popular recreation spot and an integral part of the nation's identity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/beach|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226144234/http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/beach|archivedate=26 February 2010|title=The Beach|work=Australian Government: Culture Portal|publisher=Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia|date=17 March 2008}}</ref> Australia is a powerhouse in water-based sports, such as swimming and surfing.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pike|first=Jeffrey|title=Australia|publisher=Langenscheidt Publishing Group|year=2004|isbn=978-9812347992|page=103}}</ref> The [[surf lifesaving]] movement originated in Australia, and the volunteer lifesaver is one of the country's icons.<ref>{{cite book|last=Booth|first=Douglas|title=Australian Beach Cultures: The History of Sun, Sand and Surf|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=978-0714681788|page=39}}</ref> Nationally, other popular sports include [[Australian rules football]], horse racing, squash, surfing, soccer, and motor racing. The annual [[Melbourne Cup]] horse race and the [[Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race|Sydney to Hobart]] yacht race attract intense interest.<ref>{{cite web|last=Campbell|first=Peter|title=Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race|url=http://www.cyca.com.au/racing/rolex-sydney-hobart-yacht-race/|work=cyca.com.au|publisher=[[Cruising Yacht Club of Australia]]|accessdate=6 June 2015}}</ref>
  +
  +
Australia is one of five nations to have participated in every [[Summer Olympics]] of the modern era,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Oxlade|first=Chris|author-link=Chris Oxlade (writer)|author2=Ballheimer, David|title=Olympics|publisher=DK|series=DK Eyewitness|page=61|isbn=0-7566-1083-4}}</ref> and has hosted the Games twice: [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956]] in Melbourne and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] in Sydney.<ref>Davison, Hirst and Macintyre, pp. 479–480.</ref> Australia has also participated in every [[Commonwealth Games]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.commonwealthgames.org.au/page/65/by-games|publisher=Australian Commonwealth Games Association |title=Flag Bearers|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref> hosting the event in [[1938 British Empire Games|1938]], [[1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1962]], [[1982 Commonwealth Games|1982]], [[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006]] and will host the [[2018 Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/games/games_index.asp?linkresults=1|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation |title=Past Commonwealth Games|accessdate=23 April 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315102922/http://www.thecgf.com/games/games_index.asp?linkresults=1| archivedate= 15 March 2010 | deadurl=no}}</ref> As well as being a regular [[FIFA World Cup]] participant, Australia has won the [[OFC Nations Cup]] four times and the [[AFC Asian Cup]] once – the only country to have won championships in two different FIFA confederations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Linden|first=Julian|title=Factbox - Asian Cup champions Australia|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/31/uk-soccer-asia-australia-factbox-idUKKBN0L40BQ20150131|work=Reuters|publisher=Thomson Reuters|date=31 January 2015|accessdate=6 June 2015}}</ref> Other major international events held in Australia include the [[Australian Open]] tennis [[Grand Slam (tennis)|grand slam]] tournament, international cricket matches, and the [[Australian Grand Prix|Australian Formula One Grand Prix]]. Australia hosted the [[2003 Rugby World Cup]] and the annual Australia–New Zealand [[Bledisloe Cup]] is keenly watched.{{fact|date=May 2015}} The highest-rating television programs include sports telecasts such as the Summer Olympics, FIFA World Cup, [[The Ashes]], [[Rugby League State of Origin]], and the [[grand final]]s of the [[National Rugby League]] and [[Australian Football League]].<ref>"Australian Film Commission. What are Australians Watching?" [https://web.archive.org/web/20100611004833/http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/gtp/freetv.html Free-to-Air, 1999–2004 TV]. screenaustralia.gov.au</ref> [[Skiing in Australia]] began in the 1860s and snow sports take place in the [[Australian Alps]] and parts of [[Tasmania]].
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
  +
{{portal|Australia|Oceania|Commonwealth realms|Geography}}
*[[Australian Cemeteries Index]]
 
  +
* [[Transport in Australia]]
  +
* [[Tourism in Australia]]
  +
* [[Visa policy of Australia]]
  +
* [[Outline of Australia]]
  +
* [[Book:Australia]]
  +
  +
==Notes==
  +
{{reflist|group="N"|30em}}
  +
  +
==References==
  +
{{Reflist|30em}}
  +
  +
==Bibliography==
  +
{{refbegin}}
  +
* {{Cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Australian History|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne|year=1999|isbn=0-19-553597-9|author=Davison, Graeme; Hirst, John; [[Stuart Macintyre|Macintyre, Stuart]]}}
  +
* {{Cite book|first=James|last=Jupp|year=2001|title=The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people, and their origins|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-80789-1|ref=Jupp}}
  +
* {{Cite book|title=Australian painting 1788–1990|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Melbourne|year=1991|isbn=0-19-554901-5|author=Smith, Bernard; Smith, Terry|ref=Smith}}
  +
* {{Cite book|author=Teo, Hsu-Ming; White, Richard|year=2003|title=Cultural history in Australia|publisher=University of New South Wales Press|isbn=0-86840-589-2|ref=Teo}}
  +
{{refend}}
  +
  +
==Further reading==
  +
{{refbegin}}
  +
* Denoon, Donald, et al. (2000). ''A History of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific''. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-17962-3
  +
* Goad, Philip and Julie Willis (eds) (2011). ''The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture'' Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, Victoria. ISBN 978-0-521-88857-8
  +
* Hughes, Robert (1986). ''The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding''. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-50668-5.
  +
* Powell JM (1988). ''An Historical Geography of Modern Australia: The Restive Fringe''. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-25619-4
  +
* Robinson GM, Loughran RJ, and Tranter PJ (2000) ''Australia and New Zealand: economy, society and environment''. London: Arnold; NY: OUP; 0340720336 paper 0-340720328 hard.
  +
{{refend}}
   
== External links ==
+
==External links==
{{commons|Australia}}
+
{{Sister project links|voy=Australia}}
*[http://www.cyndislist.com/austnz.htm Cyndi's List - Australia]
+
*[http://trove.nla.gov.au/ Trove] - National Library of Australia digitised newspapers etc etc
  +
{{Spoken Wikipedia-2|2006-01-17|AustraliaPart1.ogg|AustraliaPart2.ogg|}}
*[http://www.ozreunion.com.au/ Oz Reunion]
 
  +
* {{Wikiatlas|Australia}}
*[http://www.familytreeoz.com/ Family Tree Oz] - free site
 
  +
* {{osmrelation-inline|80500}}
*[http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia Wikitravel guide to Australia]
 
  +
* [http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/ About Australia] from the [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]] website
*[http://www.gov.au/ Australian Government Entry Portal]
 
*[http://www.virtualaustralia.com/australia/photos/ Australia Photos]
+
* [http://www.gov.au/ Governments of Australia website] (federal, states and territories)
*[http://www.australia.gov.au/ Commonwealth Government Online]
+
* [http://www.australia.gov.au/ Australian Government website]
*[http://www.immi.gov.au/ Department of Immigration]
+
* [http://www.abs.gov.au/ Australian Bureau of Statistics]
*[http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html DFAT: Country Information]
+
* [http://www.community.gov.au/ Community organisations portal]
  +
* [http://www.australia.com/ Tourism Australia]
*[http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.000000,133.000000&spn=38.871300,61.703613&t=h&hl=en Satellite images of Australia] (Google Maps)
 
  +
* {{CIA World Factbook link|as|Australia}}
*[http://www.nla.gov.au/ National Library of Australia]
 
  +
* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/australia.htm Australia] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*[http://www.nma.gov.au/ National Museum of Australia]
 
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* {{dmoz|Regional/Oceania/Australia}}
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Revision as of 11:34, 9 November 2015

Main Births etc
Commonwealth of Australia
A blue field with the Union Flag in the upper hoist quarter, a large white seven-pointed star in the lower hoist quarter, and constellation of five white stars in the fly – one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars. Coat of Arms of Australia
Anthem: "Advance Australia Fair"[N 1]
Australia (orthographic projection)
CapitalCanberra
35°18.48′S 149°7.47′E / -35.308, 149.1245
Largest city Sydney
Official languages None[N 2]
National language English[N 2]
Demonym
Government Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
 -  Monarch Elizabeth II
 -  Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove
 -  Prime Minister Tony Abbott
 -  Chief Justice Robert French
Legislature Parliament
 -  Upper house Senate
 -  Lower house House of Representatives
Independence from the United Kingdom
 -  Federation, Constitution 1 January 1901 
 -  Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 9 October 1942 (with effect
from 3 September 1939)
 
 -  Australia Act 3 March 1986 
Area
 -  Total 7,692,024 km2 (6th)
2,969,907 sq mi 
Population
 -  2024 estimate Template:Data Australia[5] (51st)
 -  2011 census 21,507,717[6]
 -  Density 2.8/km2 (233rd)
7.3/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2015 estimate
 -  Total $1.137 trillion[7] (19th)
 -  Per capita $47,608[7] (17th)
GDP (nominal) 2015 estimate
 -  Total $1.252 trillion[7] (12th)
 -  Per capita $52,454[7] (9th)
Gini (2012)33.6[8]
medium · 19th
HDI (2013)steady 0.933[9]
very high · 2nd
Currency Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone various[N 3] (UTC+8 to +10.5)
 -  Summer (DST) various[N 3] (UTC+8 to +11.5)
Date format dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the left
Calling code +61
Internet TLD .au

Australia ( /ɒˈstrliə/, /əʔ/, colloquially /ʔjə/),[10][11] officially the Commonwealth of Australia,[12] is an Oceanian country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.

For at least 40,000 years[13] before the first British settlement in the late 18th century,[14][15] Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians,[16] who spoke languages grouped into roughly 250 language groups.[17][18]

After the European discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing crown colonies were established. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy comprising six states and several territories. The population of 23.6 million[5] is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated in the eastern states and on the coast.[19]

Australia is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the world's 12th-largest economy. In 2014 Australia had the world's fifth-highest per capita income.[20] Australia's military expenditure is the world's 13th-largest. With the second-highest human development index globally, Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights.[21] Australia is a member of the United Nations, G20, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Etymology

Pronounced [əˈstɹæɪljə, -liə] in Australian English,[22] the name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern". The country has been referred to colloquially as Oz since the early 20th century.[N 4] Aussie is a common colloquial term for "Australian". In neighbouring New Zealand, and less commonly in Australia itself, the noun "Aussie" is also used to refer to the nation, as distinct from its residents.[27][28][29] The sporting anthem C'mon Aussie C'mon is an example of the use of Aussie as a synonym for Australia.[28][30]

Austrialia First use of word Quiros

The name "Austrialia" was used for the first time by Quiros – in May 1606.[31][32][33]

Austrialia changed to Australia

Austrialia was altered or 'corrected' to Australia over time (one example shown).[34]

Australia First use of word Shaw Zoology

The name Australia was specifically applied to the continent for the first time in 1794.[35]

Legends of Terra Australis Incognita—an "unknown land of the South"—date back to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval geography, although not based on any documented knowledge of the continent. Following European discovery, names for the Australian landmass were often references to the famed Terra Australis.

The earliest recorded use of the word Australia in English was in 1625 in "A note of Australia del Espíritu Santo, written by Sir Richard Hakluyt", published by Samuel Purchas in Hakluytus Posthumus, a corruption of the original Spanish name "Tierra Austral del Espíritu Santo" (Southern Land of the Holy Spirit)[36] for an island in Vanuatu.[37] The Dutch adjectival form Australische was used in a Dutch book in Batavia (Jakarta) in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south.[38] Australia was later used in a 1693 translation of Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe, a 1676 French novel by Gabriel de Foigny, under the pen-name Jacques Sadeur.[39] Referring to the entire South Pacific region, Alexander Dalrymple used it in An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean in 1771. By the end of the 18th century, the name was being used to refer specifically to Australia, with the botanists George Shaw and Sir James Smith writing of "the vast island, or rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or New Holland" in their 1793 Zoology and Botany of New Holland,[40] and James Wilson including it on a 1799 chart.[41]

The name Australia was popularised by the explorer Matthew Flinders, who pushed for it to be formally adopted as early as 1804.[42] When preparing his manuscript and charts for his 1814 A Voyage to Terra Australis, he was persuaded by his patron, Sir Joseph Banks, to use the term Terra Australis as this was the name most familiar to the public. Flinders did so, and published the following rationale:

There is no probability, that any other detached body of land, of nearly equal extent, will ever be found in a more southern latitude; the name Terra Australis will, therefore, remain descriptive of the geographical importance of this country, and of its situation on the globe: it has antiquity to recommend it; and, having no reference to either of the two claiming nations, appears to be less objectionable than any other which could have been selected.*[43]

In the footnote Flinders wrote:

*  Had I permitted myself any innovation on the original term, it would have been to convert it to AUSTRALIA; as being more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth.[44]

This is the only occurrence of the word Australia in that text; but in Appendix III, Robert Brown's General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis, Brown makes use of the adjectival form Australian throughout,[45]—the first known use of that form.[46] Despite popular conception, the book was not instrumental in the adoption of the name: the name came gradually to be accepted over the following ten years.[47]

The first time that the name Australia appears to have been officially used was in a despatch to Lord Bathurst of 4 April 1817 in which Governor Lachlan Macquarie acknowledges the receipt of Capt. Flinders' charts of Australia.[48] On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted.[49] In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia.[50]

History

Bradshaw rock paintings

Aboriginal rock art in the Kimberley region of Western Australia

Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago,[51] possibly with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea-crossings from what is now South-East Asia. These first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians.[52] At the time of European settlement in the late 18th century, most Indigenous Australians were hunter-gatherers, with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, were originally horticulturalists and hunter-gatherers.[53] The northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from Maritime Southeast Asia.[54]

Captainjamescookportrait

Portrait of Captain James Cook, the first European to map the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770

The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February at the Pennefather River near the modern town of Weipa on Cape York.[55] The Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent "New Holland" during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement.[55] William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688 and again in 1699 on a return trip.[56] In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain.[57] With the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the "First Fleet", under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, to establish a new penal colony in New South Wales. A camp was set up and the flag raised at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, on 26 January 1788,[15] a date which became Australia's national day, Australia Day although the British Crown Colony of New South Wales was not formally promulgated until 7 February 1788. The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, the establishment of farming, industry and commerce; and the exploration and settlement of other regions.

A calm body of water is in the foreground. The shoreline is about 200 metres away. To the left, close to the shore, are three tall gum trees; behind them on an incline are ruins, including walls and watchtowers of light-coloured stone and brick, what appear to be the foundations of walls, and grassed areas. To the right lie the outer walls of a large rectangular four-storey building dotted with regularly spaced windows. Forested land rises gently to a peak several kilometres back from the shore.

Tasmania's Port Arthur penal settlement is one of eleven UNESCO World Heritage-listed Australian Convict Sites.

A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803 and it became a separate colony in 1825.[58] The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Western Australia (the Swan River Colony) in 1828.[59] Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859.[60] The Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia.[61] South Australia was founded as a "free province"—it was never a penal colony.[62] Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts.[63][64] A campaign by the settlers of New South Wales led to the end of convict transportation to that colony; the last convict ship arrived in 1848.[65]

The indigenous population, estimated to have been between 750,000 and 1,000,000 at the time European settlement began,[66] declined for 150 years following settlement, mainly due to infectious disease.[67] A government policy of "assimilation" beginning with the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 resulted in the removal of many Aboriginal children from their families and communities—often referred to as the Stolen Generations—a practice which may also have contributed to the decline in the indigenous population.[68] The Federal government gained the power to make laws with respect to Aborigines following the 1967 referendum.[69] Traditional ownership of land—aboriginal title—was not recognised until 1992, when the High Court case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) overturned the legal doctrine that Australia had been terra nullius ("land belonging to no one") before the European occupation.[70]

A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s[71] and the Eureka Rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience.[72] Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire.[73] The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs,[74] defence,[75] and international shipping.

Photo of an ANZAC memorial with an elderly man playing a bugle. Rows of people are seated behind the memorial. Many small white crosses with red poppies have been stuck into the lawn in rows on either side of the memorial.

The Last Post is played at an Anzac Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Similar ceremonies are held in most suburbs and towns.

On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting.[76] This established the Commonwealth of Australia as a dominion of the British Empire.[77] The Federal Capital Territory (later renamed the Australian Capital Territory) was formed in 1911 as the location for the future federal capital of Canberra. Melbourne was the temporary seat of government from 1901 to 1927 while Canberra was being constructed.[78] The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the federal parliament in 1911.[79] In 1914, Australia joined Britain in fighting World War I, with support from both the outgoing Commonwealth Liberal Party and the incoming Australian Labor Party.[80][81] Australians took part in many of the major battles fought on the Western Front.[82] Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded.[83] Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation—its first major military action.[84][85] The Kokoda Track campaign is regarded by many as an analogous nation-defining event during World War II.[86]

Britain's Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the UK. Australia adopted it in 1942,[87] but it was backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed by the Australian Parliament during World War II.[88][89] The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and protector.[90] Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US, under the ANZUS treaty.[91] After World War II Australia encouraged immigration from Europe. Since the 1970s and following the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and elsewhere was also promoted.[92] As a result, Australia's demography, culture, and self-image were transformed.[93] The final constitutional ties between Australia and the UK were severed with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending any British role in the government of the Australian States, and closing the option of judicial appeals to the Privy Council in London.[94] In a 1999 referendum, 55% of voters and a majority in every state rejected a proposal to become a republic with a president appointed by a two-thirds vote in both Houses of the Australian Parliament. Since the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972,[95] there has been an increasing focus in foreign policy on ties with other Pacific Rim nations, while maintaining close ties with Australia's traditional allies and trading partners.[96]

Government

A large white and cream coloured building with grass on its roof. The building is topped with a large flagpole.

Parliament House, Canberra was opened in 1988, replacing the provisional Parliament House building opened in 1927.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a federal division of powers. It uses a parliamentary system of government[97] with Queen Elizabeth II at its apex as the Queen of Australia, a role that is distinct from her position as monarch of the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen resides in the United Kingdom, and she is represented by her viceroys in Australia (the Governor-General at the federal level and by the Governors at the state level), who by convention act on the advice of her ministers. Supreme executive authority is vested by the Constitution of Australia in the sovereign, but the power to exercise it is conferred by the Constitution specifically on the Governor-General.[98][99] The most notable exercise to date of the Governor-General's reserve powers outside the Prime Minister's request was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the constitutional crisis of 1975.[100]

The federal government is separated into three branches:

  • The legislature: the bicameral Parliament, defined in section 1 of the constitution as comprising the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate, and the House of Representatives;
  • The executive: the Federal Executive Council, in practice the Governor-General as advised by the Prime Minister and Ministers of State;[101]
  • The judiciary: the High Court of Australia and other federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the Governor-General on advice of the Council.


Tony Abbott - 2010
Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia
General Peter Cosgrove AC MC (Ret'd) at the Centenary of the Kangaroo March launch
Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of Australia

In the Senate (the upper house), there are 76 senators: twelve each from the states and two each from the mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory).[102] The House of Representatives (the lower house) has 150 members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as "electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population,[103] with each original state guaranteed a minimum of five seats.[104] Elections for both chambers are normally held every three years, simultaneously; senators have overlapping six-year terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to the electoral cycle for the lower house; thus only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate are put to each election unless the cycle is interrupted by a double dissolution.[102]

Australia's electoral system uses preferential voting for all lower house elections with the exception of Tasmania and the ACT which, along with the Senate and most state upper houses, combine it with proportional representation in a system known as the single transferable vote. Voting is compulsory for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over in every jurisdiction,[105] as is enrolment (with the exception of South Australia).[106] The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister. In cases where no party has majority support, the Governor-General has the constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and, if necessary, dismiss one that has lost the confidence of Parliament.[107]

There are two major political groups that usually form government, federally and in the states: the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition which is a formal grouping of the Liberal Party and its minor partner, the National Party.[108][109] Within Australian political culture, the Coalition is considered centre-right and the Labor Party is considered centre-left.[110] Independent members and several minor parties have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses.

Following a partyroom leadership challenge, Julia Gillard became the first female Prime Minister in June 2010.[111] The most recent federal election was held on 7 September 2013 and resulted in a majority government for the Coalition. Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott was sworn into office as Prime Minister by the Governor-General of Australia on 18 September.

States and territories

PerthAdelaideMelbourneCanberraSydneyBrisbaneDarwinHobartTasmaniaAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryWestern AustraliaNorthern TerritorySouth AustraliaQueenslandNew South WalesVictoriaTasmaniaGreat Australian BightTasman SeaIndian OceanCoral SeaIndonesiaPapua New GuineaGulf of CarpentariaArafura SeaEast TimorTimor SeaGreat Barrier ReefMap of Australia
About this image

A clickable map of Australia's states and mainland territories

Australia has six statesNew South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA)—and two major mainland territories—the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT). In most respects these two territories function as states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. By contrast, federal legislation overrides state legislation only in areas that are set out in Section 51 of the Australian Constitution; state parliaments retain all residual legislative powers, including those over schools, state police, the state judiciary, roads, public transport and local government, since these do not fall under the provisions listed in Section 51.[112]

Each state and major mainland territory has its own parliamentunicameral in the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland—and bicameral in the other states. The states are sovereign entities, although subject to certain powers of the Commonwealth as defined by the Constitution. The lower houses are known as the Legislative Assembly (the House of Assembly in South Australia and Tasmania); the upper houses are known as the Legislative Council. The head of the government in each state is the Premier and in each territory the Chief Minister. The Queen is represented in each state by a Governor; and in the Northern Territory, the Administrator.[113] In the Commonwealth, the Queen's representative is the Governor-General.[114]

The federal parliament directly administers the following territories:[101]

  • Ashmore and Cartier Islands
  • Australian Antarctic Territory
  • Christmas Island
  • Cocos (Keeling) Islands
  • Coral Sea Islands
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • Jervis Bay Territory, a naval base and sea port for the national capital in land that was formerly part of New South Wales

Norfolk Island is also technically an external territory; however, under the Norfolk Island Act 1979 it has been granted more autonomy and is governed locally by its own legislative assembly. The Queen is represented by an Administrator.[115]

Macquarie Island is administered by Tasmania, and Lord Howe Island by New South Wales.

Foreign relations and military

Over recent decades, Australia's foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the United States through the ANZUS pact, and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the East Asia Summit following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and in 2011 attended the Sixth East Asia Summit in Indonesia. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, in which the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provide the main forum for co-operation.[116]

A group of Australian soldiers with rifles moving along a path in a wooded area

Australian Army soldiers conducting a foot patrol during a joint training exercise with US forces in Shoalwater Bay (2007).

Australia has pursued the cause of international trade liberalisation.[117] It led the formation of the Cairns Group and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.[118][119] Australia is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Trade Organization,[120][121] and has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the Australia – United States Free Trade Agreement[122] and Closer Economic Relations with New Zealand,[123] with another free trade agreement being negotiated with China—the Australia–China Free Trade Agreement—and Japan,[124] South Korea in 2011,[125][126] Australia–Chile Free Trade Agreement, ASEAN – Australia – New Zealand Free Trade Area, and the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership.

Along with New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore, Australia is party to the Five Power Defence Arrangements, a regional defence agreement. A founding member country of the United Nations, Australia is strongly committed to multilateralism[127] and maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005–06 budget provides A$2.5 billion for development assistance.[128] Australia ranks seventh overall in the Center for Global Development's 2008 Commitment to Development Index.[129]

Australia's armed forces—the Australian Defence Force (ADF)—comprise the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in total numbering 80,561 personnel (including 55,068 regulars and 25,493 reservists).[130] The titular role of Commander-in-Chief is vested in the Governor-General, who appoints a Chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services on the advice of the government.[131] Day-to-day force operations are under the command of the Chief, while broader administration and the formulation of defence policy is undertaken by the Minister and Department of Defence.

In the 2010–11 budget, defence spending was A$25.7 billion,[132] representing the 13th largest defence budget.[133] Australia has been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping, disaster relief and armed conflict, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq; it currently has deployed about 3,330 defence force personnel in varying capacities to 12 international operations in areas including East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan.[134]

Geography and climate

Australia divided into different colours indicating its climatic zones

Climatic zones in Australia, based on the Köppen climate classification.

Australia's landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi)[135] is on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans,[N 5] it is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent[137] and sixth largest country by total area,[138] Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent",[139] and is sometimes considered the world's largest island.[140] Australia has 34,218 kilometres (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands),[141] and claims an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.[142] Apart from Macquarie Island, Australia lies between latitudes and 44°S, and longitudes 112° and 154°E.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef,[143] lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 mi). Mount Augustus, claimed to be the world's largest monolith,[144] is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland. Even taller are Mawson Peak (at 2,745 metres or 9,006 ft), on the remote Australian territory of Heard Island, and, in the Australian Antarctic Territory, Mount McClintock and Mount Menzies, at 3,492 metres (11,457 ft) and 3,355 metres (11,007 ft) respectively.[145]

Coral Outcrop Flynn Reef

Coral of the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system.

Australia's size gives it a wide variety of landscapes, with tropical rainforests in the north-east, mountain ranges in the south-east, south-west and east, and dry desert in the centre.[146] It is the flattest continent,[147] with the oldest and least fertile soils;[148][149] desert or semi-arid land commonly known as the outback makes up by far the largest portion of land.[150] The driest inhabited continent, its annual rainfall averaged over continental area is less than 500 mm.[151] The population density, 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, is among the lowest in the world,[152] although a large proportion of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline.[153]

Eastern Australia is marked by the Great Dividing Range, which runs parallel to the coast of Queensland, New South Wales and much of Victoria. The name is not strictly accurate, because parts of the range consist of low hills, and the highlands are typically no more than 1,600 metres (5,249 ft) in height.[154] The coastal uplands and a belt of Brigalow grasslands lie between the coast and the mountains, while inland of the dividing range are large areas of grassland.[154][155] These include the western plains of New South Wales, and the Einasleigh Uplands, Barkly Tableland, and Mulga Lands of inland Queensland. The northernmost point of the east coast is the tropical-rainforested Cape York Peninsula.[156][157][158][159]

Map showing the topography of Australia, showing some elevation in the west and very high elevation in mountains in the southeast

Topographic map of Australia

The landscapes of the Top End and the Gulf Country – with their tropical climate – include forest, woodland, wetland, grassland, rainforest and desert.[160][161][162] At the north-west corner of the continent are the sandstone cliffs and gorges of The Kimberley, and below that the Pilbara. To the south of these and inland, lie more areas of grassland: the Ord Victoria Plain and the Western Australian Mulga shrublands.[163][164][165] At the heart of the country are the uplands of central Australia. Prominent features of the centre and south include Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock), the famous sandstone monolith, and the inland Simpson, Tirari and Sturt Stony, Gibson, Great Sandy, Tanami, and Great Victoria deserts, with the famous Nullarbor Plain on the southern coast.[166][167][168][169]

The climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low-pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia.[170][171] These factors cause rainfall to vary markedly from year to year. Much of the northern part of the country has a tropical, predominantly summer-rainfall (monsoon) climate.[172] The southwest corner of the country has a Mediterranean climate.[173] Much of the southeast (including Tasmania) is temperate.[172]

Environment

A koala holding onto a eucalyptus tree with its head turned so both eyes are visible

The koala and the eucalyptus form an iconic Australian pair.

Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it includes a diverse range of habitats from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests, and is recognised as a megadiverse country. Fungi typify that diversity; an estimated 250,000 species—of which only 5% have been described—occur in Australia.[174] Because of the continent's great age, extremely variable weather patterns, and long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic.[175] Australia has the greatest number of reptiles of any country, with 755 species.[176]

Australian forests are mostly made up of evergreen species, particularly eucalyptus trees in the less arid regions, wattles replace them in drier regions and deserts as the most dominant species.[177] Among well-known Australian animals are the monotremes (the platypus and echidna); a host of marsupials, including the kangaroo, koala, and wombat, and birds such as the emu and the kookaburra.[177] Australia is home to many dangerous animals including some of the most venomous snakes in the world.[178] The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people who traded with Indigenous Australians around 3000 BCE.[179] Many animal and plant species became extinct soon after first human settlement,[180] including the Australian megafauna; others have disappeared since European settlement, among them the thylacine.[181][182]

Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and introduced animal, chromistan, fungal and plant species.[183] All these factors have led to Australia having the highest mammal extinction rate of any country in the world.[184] The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is the legal framework for the protection of threatened species.[185] Numerous protected areas have been created under the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity to protect and preserve unique ecosystems;[186][187] 65 wetlands are listed under the Ramsar Convention,[188] and 16 natural World Heritage Sites have been established.[189] Australia was ranked 3rd out of 178 countries in the world on the 2014 Environmental Performance Index.[190]

Environmental issues

Lake Hume on the Upper Murray

Drought affecting Lake Hume on the Upper Murray River.

Protection of the environment is a major political issue in Australia.[191][192] In 2007, the First Rudd Government signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Nevertheless, Australia's carbon dioxide emissions per capita are among the highest in the world, lower than those of only a few other industrialised nations.[193] Rainfall in Australia has slightly increased over the past century, both nationwide and for two quadrants of the nation.[194]

According to the Bureau of Meteorology's 2011 Australian Climate Statement, Australia had lower than average temperatures in 2011 as a consequence of a La Niña weather pattern, however, "the country's 10-year average continues to demonstrate the rising trend in temperatures, with 2002–2011 likely to rank in the top two warmest 10-year periods on record for Australia, at 0.52 °C above the long-term average".[195] Furthermore, 2014 was Australia's third warmest year since national temperature observations commenced in 1910.[196][197] Water restrictions are frequently in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages due to urban population increases and localised drought.[198][199] Throughout much of the continent, major flooding regularly follows extended periods of drought, flushing out inland river systems, overflowing dams and inundating large inland flood plains, as occurred throughout Eastern Australia in 2010, 2011 and 2012 after the 2000s Australian drought.

A carbon tax was introduced in 2012 and helped to reduce Australia's emissions but was scrapped in 2014 under the Liberal Government.[200] Since the carbon tax was repealed, emissions have again continued to rise.[201]

Economy

Aerial view of farming fields interspersed with roads, a small forest near the front of the photo

Australia is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine. The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region in South Australia.

Australia is a wealthy country; it generates its income from various sources including mining-related exports, telecommunications, banking and manufacturing.[202][203][204] It has a market economy, a relatively high GDP per capita, and a relatively low rate of poverty. In terms of average wealth, Australia ranked second in the world after Switzerland in 2013, although the nation's poverty rate increased from 10.2% to 11.8%, from 2000/01 to 2013.[205][206] It was identified by the Credit Suisse Research Institute as the nation with the highest median wealth in the world and the second-highest average wealth per adult in 2013.[205]

The Australian dollar is the currency for the nation, including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. With the 2006 merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange became the ninth largest in the world.[207]

Ranked third in the Index of Economic Freedom (2010),[208] Australia is the world's twelfth largest economy and has the fifth highest per capita GDP (nominal) at $66,984. The country was ranked second in the United Nations 2011 Human Development Index and first in Legatum's 2008 Prosperity Index.[209] All of Australia's major cities fare well in global comparative livability surveys;[210] Melbourne reached top spot for the fourth year in a row on The Economist's 2014 list of the world's most liveable cities, followed by Adelaide, Sydney, and Perth in the fifth, seventh, and ninth places respectively.[211] Total government debt in Australia is about $190 billion[212] – 20% of GDP in 2010.[213] Australia has among the highest house prices and some of the highest household-debt levels in the world.[214]

World map showing the distribution of Australian goods

Destination and value of Australian exports in 2006[215]

An emphasis on exporting commodities rather than manufactured goods has underpinned a significant increase in Australia's terms of trade since the start of the 21st century, due to rising commodity prices. Australia has a balance of payments that is more than 7% of GDP negative, and has had persistently large current account deficits for more than 50 years.[216] Australia has grown at an average annual rate of 3.6% for over 15 years, in comparison to the OECD annual average of 2.5%.[216] Australia was the only advanced economy not to experience a recession due to the global financial downturn in 2008–2009.[217] However, the economies of six of Australia's major trading partners have been in recession, which in turn has affected Australia, significantly hampering its economic growth in recent years.[218][219] From 2012 to early 2013, Australia's national economy grew, but some non-mining states and Australia's non-mining economy experienced a recession.[220][221][222]

The Hawke Government floated the Australian dollar in 1983 and partially deregulated the financial system.[223] The Howard Government followed with a partial deregulation of the labour market and the further privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the telecommunications industry.[224] The indirect tax system was substantially changed in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST).[225] In Australia's tax system, personal and company income tax are the main sources of government revenue.[226]

A deep opencut mine in which some roads can be seen, the dirt is a rusty colour

The Super Pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Australia's largest open cut mine.[227]

In May 2012, there were 11,537,900 people employed (either full- or part-time), with an unemployment rate of 5.1%.[228] Youth unemployment (15–24) stood at 11.2%.[228] Data released in mid-November 2013 showed that the number of welfare recipients had grown by 55%. In 2007 228,621 Newstart unemployment allowance recipients were registered, a total that increased to 646,414 in March 2013.[229] According to the Graduate Careers Survey, full-time employment for newly qualified professionals from various occupations has declined since 2011 but it increases for graduates three years after graduation.[230][231]

Over the past decade, inflation has typically been 2–3% and the base interest rate 5–6%. The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, accounts for about 70% of GDP.[232] Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, particularly wheat and wool, minerals such as iron-ore and gold, and energy in the forms of liquified natural gas and coal. Although agriculture and natural resources account for only 3% and 5% of GDP respectively, they contribute substantially to export performance. Australia's largest export markets are Japan, China, the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.[233] Australia is the world's fourth largest exporter of wine, and the wine industry contributes $5.5 billion per year to the nation's economy.[234]

Demographics

A beach populated by people; a city can be seen in the horizon

Australia has one of the world's most highly urbanised populations with the majority living in metropolitan cities on the coast.

For generations, the vast majority of immigrants came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still mainly of British and/or Irish ethnic origin. In the 2011 Australian census, the most commonly nominated ancestry was English (36.1%), followed by Australian (35.4%),[235] Irish (10.4%), Scottish (8.9%), Italian (4.6%), German (4.5%), Chinese (4.3%), Indian (2.0%), Greek (1.9%), and Dutch (1.7%).[236]

Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I,[237] much of this increase from immigration. Following World War II and through to 2000, almost 5.9 million of the total population settled in the country as new immigrants, meaning that nearly two out of every seven Australians were born in another country.[238] Most immigrants are skilled,[239] but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees.[239] By 2050, Australia's population is currently projected to reach around 42 million.[240] Nevertheless, its population density, 2.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, remains among the lowest in the world.[152] As such, Australians have more living space per person than the inhabitants of any other nation.[241]

In 2011, 24.6% of Australians were born elsewhere and 43.1% of people had at least one overseas-born parent;[242] the five largest immigrant groups were those from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, India, and Vietnam.[243] Following the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1973, numerous government initiatives have been established to encourage and promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism.[244] In 2005–06, more than 131,000 people emigrated to Australia, mainly from Asia and Oceania.[245] The migration target for 2012–13 is 190,000,[246] compared to 67,900 in 1998–99.[247]

The Indigenous population—Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders—was counted at 548,370 (2.5% of the total population) in 2011,[248] a significant increase from 115,953 in the 1976 census.[249] The increase is partly due to many people with Indigenous heritage previously having been overlooked by the census due to undercount and cases where their Indigenous status had not been recorded on the form. Indigenous Australians experience higher than average rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education, and life expectancies for males and females that are, respectively, 11 and 17 years lower than those of non-indigenous Australians.[233][250][251] Some remote Indigenous communities have been described as having "failed state"-like conditions.[252]

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. In 2004, the average age of the civilian population was 38.8 years.[253] A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002–03;[254] 1 million or 5% of the total population in 2005[255]) live outside their home country.

Language

Although Australia has no official language, English has always been entrenched as the de facto national language.[2] Australian English is a major variety of the language with a distinctive accent and lexicon,[258] and differs slightly from other varieties of English in grammar and spelling.[259] General Australian serves as the standard dialect. According to the 2011 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 81% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin (1.7%), Italian (1.5%), Arabic (1.4%), Cantonese (1.3%), Greek (1.3%), and Vietnamese (1.2%);[243] a considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are bilingual. A 2010–2011 study by the Australia Early Development Index found the most common language spoken by children after English was Arabic, followed by Vietnamese, Greek, Chinese, and Hindi.[260][261]

Over 250 Indigenous Australian languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact, of which less than 20 are still in daily use by all age groups.[262][263] About 110 others are spoken exclusively by older people.[263] At the time of the 2006 census, 52,000 Indigenous Australians, representing 12% of the Indigenous population, reported that they spoke an Indigenous language at home.[264] Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 5,500 deaf people.[265]

Religion

Religion in Australia[243]
Religion Percent
Roman Catholic
  
25.3%
Anglican
  
17.1%
Other Christian
  
18.7%
Buddhism
  
2.5%
Islam
  
2.2%
Hinduism
  
1.3%
Judaism
  
0.5%
Other
  
0.8%
No religion
  
22.3%
Undefined or not stated
  
9.4%

Australia has no state religion; Section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion.[266] In the 2011 census, 61.1% of Australians were counted as Christian, including 25.3% as Roman Catholic and 17.1% as Anglican; 22.3% of the population reported having "no religion"; 7.2% identify with non-Christian religions, the largest of these being Buddhism (2.5%), followed by Islam (2.2%), Hinduism (1.3%) and Judaism (0.5%). The remaining 9.4% of the population did not provide an adequate answer.[243]

Before European settlement, the animist beliefs of Australia's indigenous people had been practised for many thousands of years. Mainland Aboriginal Australians', spirituality is known as the Dreamtime and it places a heavy emphasis on belonging to the land. The collection of stories that it contains shaped Aboriginal law and customs. Aboriginal art, story and dance continue to draw on these spiritual traditions. The spirituality and customs of Torres Strait Islanders, who inhabit the islands between Australia and New Guinea, reflected their Melanesian origins and dependence on the sea. The 1996 Australian census counted more than 7000 respondents as followers of a traditional Aboriginal religion.[267]

Since the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788, Christianity has grown to be the major religion practised in Australia. Christian churches have played an integral role in the development of education, health and welfare services in Australia. For much of Australian history the Church of England (now known as the Anglican Church of Australia) was the largest religious affiliation. However, multicultural immigration has contributed to a decline in its relative position, and the Roman Catholic Church has benefitted from recent immigration to become the largest group. Similarly, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism have all grown in Australia over the past half-century.[268]

Australia has one of the lowest levels of religious adherence in the world.[269] It was reported in 2001 that only 7% of Australians attended church on a weekly basis.[270]

Education

Main Quadrangle, University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia.

School attendance, or registration for home schooling,[271][272] is compulsory throughout Australia. Education is the responsibility of the individual states and territories[273] so the rules vary between states, but in general children are required to attend school from the age of about 5 up until about 16.[274][275] In some states (e.g., Western Australia,[276] the Northern Territory[277] and New South Wales[278][279]), children aged 16–17 are required to either attend school or participate in vocational training, such as an apprenticeship.

Australia has an adult literacy rate that was estimated to be 99% in 2003.[280] However, a 2011–12 report for the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that Tasmania has a literacy and numeracy rate of only 50%.[281] In the Programme for International Student Assessment, Australia regularly scores among the top five of thirty major developed countries (member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Catholic education accounts for the largest non-government sector.

Australia has 37 government-funded universities and two private universities, as well as a number of other specialist institutions that provide approved courses at the higher education level.[282] The University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university, having been founded in 1850. Other notable universities include those of the Group of Eight leading tertiary institutions.

The OECD places Australia among the most expensive nations to attend university.[283] There is a state-based system of vocational training, known as TAFE, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople.[284] About 58% of Australians aged from 25 to 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications,[233] and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is the highest among OECD countries. The ratio of international to local students in tertiary education in Australia is the highest in the OECD countries.[285]

Health

Australia has the third and seventh highest life expectancy of males and females respectively in the world.[286] Life expectancy in Australia in 2010 was 79.5 years for males and 84.0 years for females.[287] Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world,[288] while cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of death and disease, responsible for 7.8% of the total mortality and disease. Ranked second in preventable causes is hypertension at 7.6%, with obesity third at 7.5%.[289][290] Australia ranks 35th in the world[291] and near the top of developed nations for its proportion of obese adults.[292]

Total expenditure on health (including private sector spending) is around 9.8% of GDP.[293] Australia introduced universal health care in 1975.[294] Known as Medicare, it is now nominally funded by an income tax surcharge known as the Medicare levy, currently set at 1.5%.[295] The states manage hospitals and attached outpatient services, while the Commonwealth funds the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (subsidising the costs of medicines) and general practice.[294]

Culture

Ornate white building with an elevated dome in the middle, fronted by a golden fountain and orange flowers

The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne was the first building in Australia to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.[296]

Since 1788, the basis of Australian culture has been strongly influenced by Anglo-Celtic Western culture.[297][298] Distinctive cultural features have also arisen from Australia's natural environment and Indigenous cultures.[299][300] Since the mid-20th century, American popular culture has strongly influenced Australia, particularly through television and cinema.[301] Other cultural influences come from neighbouring Asian countries, and through large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking nations.[301][302]

Arts

The rock art of Australia's Indigenous peoples is the oldest and richest in the world, dating as far back as 60,000 years and spread across hundreds of thousands of sites.[303] Traditional designs, patterns and stories infuse contemporary Indigenous Australian art, "the last great art movement of the 20th century";[304] its exponents include Emily Kame Kngwarreye.[305] During the first century of European settlement, colonial artists, trained in Europe, showed a fascination with the unfamiliar land.[306] The naturalistic, sun-filled works of Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and others associated with the 19th-century Heidelberg School—the first "distinctively Australian" movement in Western art—gave expression to a burgeoning Australian nationalism in the lead-up to Federation.[306] While the school remained influential into the new century, modernists such as Margaret Preston, and, later, Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, explored new artistic trends.[306] The landscape remained a central subject matter for Fred Williams, Brett Whiteley and other post-World War II artists whose works, eclectic in style yet uniquely Australian, moved between the figurative and the abstract.[306][307] The National Gallery of Australia and state galleries maintain collections of Australian and international art.[308] Australia has one of the world's highest attendances of art galleries and museums per head of population.[309]

Sidney Nolan Snake

Sidney Nolan's Snake mural (1970), held at the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania, is inspired by the Aboriginal creation myth of the Rainbow Serpent, as well as desert flowers in bloom after a drought.[310]

Australian literature grew slowly in the decades following European settlement though Indigenous oral traditions, many of which have since been recorded in writing, are much older.[311] Writers of the 19th-century Bulletin School, such as Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, captured the experience of the bush using a distinctive Australian vocabulary. Their works are still very popular; Paterson's bush poem "Waltzing Matilda" (1895) is regarded as Australia's unofficial national anthem.[312] Miles Franklin is the namesake of Australia's most prestigious literary prize, awarded to the best novel about Australian life.[313] Its first recipient, Patrick White, went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973.[314] Australian winners of the Man Booker Prize include Peter Carey, Thomas Keneally and Richard Flanagan.[315] David Malouf and David Williamson are also renowned writers[316] and Les Murray is regarded as "one of the leading poets of his generation".[317]

Many of Australia's performing arts companies receive funding through the federal government's Australia Council.[318] There is a symphony orchestra in each state,[319] and a national opera company, Opera Australia,[320] well known for its famous soprano Joan Sutherland.[321] At the beginning of the 20th century, Nellie Melba was one of the world's leading opera singers.[322] Ballet and dance are represented by The Australian Ballet and various state companies. Each state has a publicly funded theatre company.[323]

Media

The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906

Actor playing the bushranger Ned Kelly in The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), the world's first feature film

The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), the world's first feature length film, spurred a boom in Australian cinema during the silent film era.[324] After World War I, Hollywood monopolised the industry,[325] and by the 1960s Australian film production had effectively ceased.[326] With the benefit of government support, the Australian New Wave of the 1970s brought provocative and successful films, many exploring the nation's colonial past, such as Picnic at Hanging Rock and Breaker Morant,[327] while the so-called Ozploitation genre produced international blockbusters, including the Mad Max series.[328] More recent successes included Shine and Rabbit-Proof Fence.[329][330] Notable Australian actors include Errol Flynn, Judith Anderson, Geoffrey Rush, Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger and Cate Blanchett.[331]

Australia has two public broadcasters (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the multicultural Special Broadcasting Service), three commercial television networks, several pay-TV services,[332] and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Each major city has at least one daily newspaper,[332] and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.[332] In 2010, Reporters Without Borders placed Australia 18th on a list of 178 countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (8th) but ahead of the United Kingdom (19th) and United States (20th).[333] This relatively low ranking is primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia;[334] most print media are under the control of News Corporation and Fairfax Media.[335]

Cuisine

Most Indigenous Australian tribal groups subsisted on a simple hunter-gatherer diet of native fauna and flora, otherwise called bush tucker.[336][337] The first settlers introduced British food to the continent, much of which is now considered typical Australian food, such as the Sunday roast.[338][339] Multicultural immigration transformed Australian cuisine; post-World War II European migrants, particularly from the Mediterranean, helped to build a thriving Australian coffee culture, and the influence of Asian cultures has led to Australian variants of their staple foods, such as the Chinese-inspired dim sim and Chiko Roll.[340] Vegemite, pavlova, lamingtons and meat pies are regarded as iconic Australian foods.[341] Australian wine is produced mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country.

Sport and recreation

AFL Grand Final 2010 on the Melbourne Cricket Ground

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is strongly associated with the history and development of cricket and Australian rules football, Australia's two most popular spectator sports.[342]

About 24% of Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.[233] At an international level, Australia has excelled at cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby league and rugby union.[343] The majority of Australians live within the coastal zone, making the beach a popular recreation spot and an integral part of the nation's identity.[344] Australia is a powerhouse in water-based sports, such as swimming and surfing.[345] The surf lifesaving movement originated in Australia, and the volunteer lifesaver is one of the country's icons.[346] Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, squash, surfing, soccer, and motor racing. The annual Melbourne Cup horse race and the Sydney to Hobart yacht race attract intense interest.[347]

Australia is one of five nations to have participated in every Summer Olympics of the modern era,[348] and has hosted the Games twice: 1956 in Melbourne and 2000 in Sydney.[349] Australia has also participated in every Commonwealth Games,[350] hosting the event in 1938, 1962, 1982, 2006 and will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[351] As well as being a regular FIFA World Cup participant, Australia has won the OFC Nations Cup four times and the AFC Asian Cup once – the only country to have won championships in two different FIFA confederations.[352] Other major international events held in Australia include the Australian Open tennis grand slam tournament, international cricket matches, and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Australia hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the annual Australia–New Zealand Bledisloe Cup is keenly watched. The highest-rating television programs include sports telecasts such as the Summer Olympics, FIFA World Cup, The Ashes, Rugby League State of Origin, and the grand finals of the National Rugby League and Australian Football League.[353] Skiing in Australia began in the 1860s and snow sports take place in the Australian Alps and parts of Tasmania.

See also

Flag of Australia Australia
大洋 Oceania
Portal Commonwealth realms
  • Transport in Australia
  • Tourism in Australia
  • Visa policy of Australia
  • Outline of Australia
  • Book:Australia

Notes

  1. ^ Australia's royal anthem is "God Save the Queen", played in the presence of a member of the Royal family when they are in Australia. In all other appropriate contexts, the national anthem of Australia, "Advance Australia Fair", is played.[1]
  2. ^ a b English does not have de jure status.[2]
  3. ^ a b There are minor variations from three basic time zones; see Time in Australia.
  4. ^ The Oxford English Dictionary records a first occurrence in 1908, in the form Oss. Oz is often taken as an oblique reference to the fictional Land of Oz in the film The Wizard of Oz (1939), based on L. Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).[23] Australians' "image of Australia as a 'Land of Oz' is not new, and dedication to it runs deep".[24] The spelling Oz is likely to have been influenced by the 1939 film, though the pronunciation was probably always with a /z/, as it is also for Aussie, sometimes spelt Ozzie.[25] The Baz Luhrmann film Australia (2008) makes repeated reference to The Wizard of Oz, which appeared just before the wartime action of Australia. Some critics have even speculated that Baum was inspired by Australia, in naming the Land of Oz: "In Ozma of Oz (1907), Dorothy gets back to Oz as the result of a storm at sea while she and Uncle Henry are travelling by ship to Australia. So, like Australia, Oz is somewhere to the west of California. Like Australia, Oz is an island continent. Like Australia, Oz has inhabited regions bordering on a great desert. One might almost imagine that Baum intended Oz to be Australia, or perhaps a magical land in the center of the great Australian desert."[26]
  5. ^ Australia describes the body of water south of its mainland as the Southern Ocean, rather than the Indian Ocean as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). In 2000, a vote of IHO member nations defined the term "Southern Ocean" as applying only to the waters between Antarctica and 60 degrees south latitude.[136]

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  2. ^ a b "Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies?". 1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney. Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/multicultural/confer/04/speech18b.htm. Retrieved 11 January 2009.  "English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."
  3. ^ See entry in the Macquarie Dictionary.
  4. ^ Collins English Dictionary. Bishopbriggs, Glasgow: HarperCollins. 2009. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-00-786171-2. 
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  31. ^ "He named it Austrialia del Espiritu Santo and claimed it for Spain" The Spanish quest for Terra Australis | State Library of New South Wales Page 1.
  32. ^ "before reaching the New Hebrides or what he called Austrialis del Espiritu Santo on 3 May 1606" Quiros, Pedro Fernandez de (1563–1615) Para 4 | Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  33. ^ Cartouche of La Gran Baya de S. Philippe y S. Santiago, Prado y Tovar ca.1606-1614 (España. Ministerio de Cultura. Archivo General de Simancas).
  34. ^ "A note on 'Austrialia' or 'Australia' Rupert Gerritsen - Journal of The Australian and New Zealand Map Society Inc.- The Globe, Number 72, 2013 " Posesion en nombre de Su Magestad (Archivo del Museo Naval, Madrid, MS 951) Page 3.
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Bibliography

  • Davison, Graeme; Hirst, John; Macintyre, Stuart (1999). The Oxford Companion to Australian History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553597-9. 
  • Jupp, James (2001). The Australian people: an encyclopedia of the nation, its people, and their origins. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80789-1. 
  • Smith, Bernard; Smith, Terry (1991). Australian painting 1788–1990. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-554901-5. 
  • Teo, Hsu-Ming; White, Richard (2003). Cultural history in Australia. University of New South Wales Press. ISBN 0-86840-589-2. 


Further reading

  • Denoon, Donald, et al. (2000). A History of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-17962-3
  • Goad, Philip and Julie Willis (eds) (2011). The Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, Victoria. ISBN 978-0-521-88857-8
  • Hughes, Robert (1986). The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-50668-5.
  • Powell JM (1988). An Historical Geography of Modern Australia: The Restive Fringe. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-25619-4
  • Robinson GM, Loughran RJ, and Tranter PJ (2000) Australia and New Zealand: economy, society and environment. London: Arnold; NY: OUP; 0340720336 paper 0-340720328 hard.


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