| Facts & Figures on Australia |
| Friday, 22 June 2007 | |
HistoryAustralia comes from the Latin wording Terris Australis Igognita, which means: Unknown Southern Land. Australia's first inhabitants, the Aboriginal people, are believed to have migrated from some unknown point in Asia to Australia between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. While Captain James Cook is credited with Australia's European discovery in 1770, a Portuguese possibly first sighted the country, while the Dutch are known to have explored the coastal regions in the 1640s. The first European settlement of Australia was in January 1788, when the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Originally established as a penal colony, by the 1830s the number of free settlers was increasing. Transportation of convicts to the eastern colonies was abolished in 1852 and to the western colonies in 1868. The Australian ContinentAustralia is located in the Southern Hemisphere. It has an area of nearly 7.7 million square kilometres. It is the world's sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil. Lying between the Indian and Pacific oceans, the country is approximately 4,000 km from east to west and 3,200 km from north to south, with a coastline 36,735 km long. Australia has 16 listed World Heritage properties:
Australia is also famous for its landmark buildings including the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge; its ancient geology, as well as for its high country. People & PopulationAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples inhabited most areas of the Australian continent before the arrival of European settlers. Today, Australia is a culturally diverse society with a population of over 20 million. English is Australia's official language but more than four million residents speak a second language. Environment & AnimalsAustralia's continental plate drifted away from Antarctica towards the equator between 10 and 55 million years ago. This isolation of Australian plants, landscape and wildlife led to a unique evolutionary process. Australia has an exceptional range of species with more than 80 percent of our mammals, frogs, reptiles and flowering plants found nowhere else in the world. Weather & ClimateClimatic zones range from deserts to snow-capped mountains; from tropical rainforests to cool climate forests. The summer months are December to February, autumn months are March to May, winter months are June to August and spring months are September to November. Australia experiences many of nature's more extreme phenomena, including floods, droughts and bushfires. Some regions also experience storms and tropical cyclones. States & TerritoriesAustralia is divided into six states:
And two main territories:
Under Australia's federal system of government, the states and territories also play a major role in providing government information and services to the public. Minor territories of Australia include part of Antarctica (the Australian Antarctic Territory) as well as:
Capital CitiesCanberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory, is Australia's national capital. The Parliament of Australia is located in Canberra, as is most of the Australian Government public service. The other State and Territory capital cities are:
National SymbolsAustralian FlagsThe Australian National flag, the Australian Aboriginal people flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag and the Australian Defence Force flag are all proclaimed flags of Australia. National AnthemThe Australian National Anthem, 'Advance Australia Fair', was declared the national anthem in 1984. It is a revised version of a song written by Peter Dodds McCormick (also known as Amicus) in the late 1900s. Commonwealth Coat of ArmsThe Commonwealth Coat of Arms is the formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia and its ownership and authority. Floral Emblems of Australia
National ColoursGreen and gold were proclaimed Australia's national colours by the Governor-General in 1984. Law & JusticeThe Australian legal system is responsible for the processing of both criminal and civil matters. More broadly, it is responsible for dealing with persons convicted or accused of committing a crime, assisting the victims of crime, and overseeing other justice-related matters. In accordance with the Constitution, the states and territories hold legislative power in relation to all matters where power is not specifically vested in the Commonwealth. Everyday life in Australia is mainly governed by the laws of the states and territories. Australia follows a Westminster system of government and law inherited from the British who originally colonised the country. There are two main political parties and a number of minor parties, which make up the Federal parliament. Each state and territory also has its own government. Economy & CurrencyEconomyThe Australian economy has experienced strong growth in recent years producing a high-growth, low-inflation economy. With the economy still booming and the lowest unemployment in 30+ years, the economic future looks good! CurrencyThe Australian currency is the Australian dollar (AUD). Australia was the first country to implement a complete system of polymer (plastic) bank notes. The polymer notes are much harder to counterfeit and are extremely durable compared to the conventional paper notes. Exchange RateThe exchange rate is the price of an Australian dollar expressed in terms of another currency. The two most common measures of the exchange rate used in Australia are:
Sports, Culture & ArtsSport plays an important part of the Australian lifestyle. Some popular Australian sports include Australian Rules football, cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, swimming and tennis. Australia has a rich and diverse contemporary arts scene which reflects our society, ancient landscape, cultural traditions and varied mix of migrant cultures. All forms of the performing arts, including music, dance and theatre have strong followings in Australia. School Terms & Public HolidaysSchool TermsSchool terms in Australia are designated on a state and territory basis. Public HolidaysPublic holidays are also designated on a state and territory basis with the exception of national public holidays eg: Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day etc. For more information about Australia's public holidays please visit: Public Holidays subject page National Public HolidaysAustralia Day January 26 is celebrated as Australia Day and is a national public holiday. ANZAC Day April 25 is ANZAC Day which is a national public holiday to commemorate the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Telephone Country & Area CodesThe phone country code to use when telephoning Australia from another country is 61. The area codes for the capital cities are:
For example, if you are calling Canberra from outside Australia, first dial your country's international access number, then dial 61, then dial 2, then dial the local phone number. |
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