National Flag

Kangaroos

The Opera House in Sydney,with the famous Harbour Bridge,floodlit behind

A section of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland

Ayers Rock in the Northern Territories is a sacred site to the Aboriginal people.

Australian cowboys herding cattle on a ranch in the outback

Australia’s capitol building in Canberra

COUNTRY STATISTICS

Area: 2,951,000 sq.miles (7,644,000 sq.km)

Population: 18,090,000

Currency: 1 Australian dollar = 100 cents

Exchange Rate: $A 1.362 = US$ 1

Capital: Canberra

Main Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide

Languages: English, Aboriginal languages

Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, others

Total GDP: US$ 321,100,000,000

Imports: US$ 67,970,000,000

Population Growth: 1.37%

Death Rate: 7.4/1000 people Life Expectancy: 77.6 years

Number of Goats: 241,000 Per Capita PPP: US$ 14,460

Exports: US$ 56,810,000,000 Population Density: 2people/sq.km

Birth Rate: 14.8/1000 people Infant Mortality: 7/1000 live births

Number of Pigs: 2,740,000

INTRODUCTION & HISTORY

Australia is a modern democracy, with a two-tier elected legislature. Strengthening international relations is currently high on the country's agenda. One consequence was a military pact with the United States and New Zealand in 1988. Although executive power resides with the prime minister, the British Crown is still officially head of state. This remains a controversial issue, especially since the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by the governor general in 1975. The first British settlement in Australia was established in 1788. Its primary function was as a penal colony, to relieve over- crowding in British jails.

Colonization had a disastrous effect on original Australians, or Aborigines. Having arrived some 60,000 to 40,000 years before, these nomadic hunters and gatherers had developed a balanced culture, utilizing scarce resources in a harsh environment. Since 1988, the government has accepted some responsibility for the mistreatment of Aborigines. Compensation is now available and land rights are being reassessed.

GEOGRAPHY & TOURISM

The world's sixth largest country includes the island of Tasmania off the southeast coast. A large part of the country, the Western Shield, is dry, much of it desert. Uluru (Ayers Rock), a huge sandstone formation in the middle of the desert, is a site of great spiritual importance to native Aborigines. In the east, the Great Dividing Range of mountains runs across the country from north to south, reaching their highest point in New South Wales. East of the mountains are coastal plains, where the climate is mild. Along the north Queensland coast is subtropical rain forest. The southeast

is home to most of Australia's major cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, and the capital, Canberra, which has a relatively small population. It is these eastern cities that attract most tourists. Off the northeast coast of the continent, the Great Barrier Reef runs roughly north to south for more than 1,200 mi (1,930 km). This chain of coral reefs and islands is rich in wildlife and forms a natural breakwater.

SPECIAL FACTS

Sacred Aboriginal song and dance ceremonies are believed to create links with the ancient spirits of the Dreamtime, the time of creation in the Aborigines' mythology.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest structure ever built by living creatures. Ironically, it is under environmental threat from the large numbers of tourists who come to enjoy its beauty.