Capital: CanberraSurface area: 7,692,024 sq. kmPopulation: 22.5 million (2011)Main language: EnglishCurrency: Australian dollar (AUD)National day: 26 JanuaryTime Difference: PST+5 HoursInternational students: 426,748 (2011)International Calling Code: 61Literacy Rate: 99%Overseas visitors: 5,875,000 (2011)Political System : Parliamentary

Australia-General Facts

Australia – Down Under• Australia is in the Southern

Hemisphere.• Almost same size as the USA• 2 x size of India• 32 x size of UK• Smallest and flattest continent• Largest Island in the world• 6th British colony.

• Most people speak English but there are over 150 aboriginal languages. • 2.5% of the population are Aboriginal and the rest are migrants and

descendants of migrants from about 200 countries since the first European settlement in 1778

• Religion is freedom of choice - 61.1% Christian

• Australia is home to one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Aboriginal peoples arrived at least 50,000 years, and Torres Strait Islander people 10,000 years, before European settlement.

• Discovered by the Dutch in the early 1600’s.• Captain James Cook discovered Australia in 1770. He

landed south of present day Sydney in New South Wales. • The First Fleet came on 26th Jan 1788 in Sydney Cove

with Convicts and free settlers. Britain 1st used the country as a penal colony and a total of 160,000 people came to Australia as convicts.

• In 1851 gold was discovered about 300 km west of Sydney. People rushed to the gold fields to find their fortunes. This attracted robbers called bushrangers.

• Finally in 1901 that the whole of Australia came under 1 constitution.

HISTORY

Aboriginal People• Aboriginal people have

lived in Australia for thousandsof years.

• They are the original peopleof the land.

• Aboriginal means native.• They play clapping sticks and

men play the didgeridoo.• Art has been found on cave

walls in the outback of the Northern Territory.

Australia – States and Territories

States Capital

NSW SYDNEY

VIC MELBOURNE

QLD BRISBANE

WA PERTH

SA ADELAIDE

TAS HOBART

Territories Capital

ACT CANBERRA

NT DARWIN

MAP /States

Climate

• Bikini in Dec; Winter coats in June• Mainly temperate • Warm and Humid (tropical) – Qld/NT/Northern WA• Snows only in Thredbo/Kosciusko and Victorian Alps

Climates

Arid Dessert

Lush Forest

Snowcapped Mountains

Political System

The Queen

Executive Council

Parliament Heads of Public Service

Departments

Ministers

Cabinet

Governor General

Government Departments

House of Representatives(148 electorates)

The Senate(78 state/territory)

VOTERS

Head of State

Prime MinisterHead of

GovernmentAnd Cabinet

Upper House

Lower House

Federal Parliament

Appointed byGovernor General

On advice of PM

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Prime minister-Malcolm Bligh Turnbull

Relations Australia\foreign countries• Australia‘s foreign relations driven by close associations

with the UNITED –STATES • Australia has a strong desire to develop relationships with

Asia and the Pacific• Australia is also a member of the Commonwealth of

Nations.• Australia has pursued the cause of international trade

liberation. Australia is a founding member of the United Nations

The currency is the Australian dollar.1 Australian Dollar equals -47.85 Indian Rupee

ResourcesAustralia is rich in mineral resources, notably bauxite, coal, diamonds, gold, iron ore, mineral sands, natural gas, nickel, petroleum, and uranium. Readily cultivable farmland is at a premium because much of the land is desert.

Education and Health Care-School is Compulsory from ages 5-16 years old.

-16-17 required to attend school or participate in some kind of vocational training.

-Australia is among one of the most expensive places to attend University.

-Australia has the fourth highest life expectancy in the world after Iceland, Japan and Hong Kong. Life expectancy in Australia in 2010 was 79.5 years for males and 84.0 years for females.

Cities- Sydney

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

• Sydney is the largest city in Australia.• It has many famous buildings and structures.• It is built on a Harbour like Wellington and Auckland.• Over 3.5 million people live in Sydney.

Cities - Brisbane

• Brisbane is Australia’s fastest growing cities.

• It is famous for its stunning beaches.

• Lots of people visit for the theme parks.

• Over 1.1 million people live in Brisbane.

Cities - Canberra

• Canberra is Australia’s capital city.

• It is in the Australian Capital Territory.

OTHER IMPORTANT CITIES

Melbourne

PerthAdelaide

The Outback

• The centre of Australia is called the outback.• The dirt is bright red. • It is very very hot.• Ayre’s Rock or Uluru

is a very famousplace for the Aboriginalpeople and visitors.

Fauna Kangaroo Koalas Echidna

Platypus Reptiles Birds

Mc Laren Valley - South Australia

12 Apostles - Victoria

Great Barrier Reef - Queensland

Sydney- Bondi Beach

Cuisine

Sports are a very big part of Australian Culture.

surfing

swimming

cricketAustralian Football

Tennis Rugby