Australia

Australia is the world's smallest continent and sixth-largest country.  With proportionately more desert land than any other continent, Australia has a low population density.  Lying completely in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the west and south and by the Pacific Ocean on the east.  These oceans merge on the north in the Arafura Sea between Australia and Indonesia and New Guinea, and on the south in the Bass Strait.  The coastline length, estimated at 19,200 km (12,000 mi), is remarkably short for so large an area, a result of the relative lack of indentation.  Major inlets other than the Gulf of CARPENTARIA and the GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT are few.

A self-governing member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Australia celebrated its bicentennial in 1988z. It is a federation of five mainland states (NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA) and one island state (TASMANIA), as well as two territories (AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, NORTHERN TERRITORY). The country's name derives from the Latin terra australis incognita, meaning "unknown southern land," which resulted from a confusion between Australia and Antarctica on early world maps.

In many ways Australia is unusual among continents. It lacks major relief features and has a high proportion of dry land. The continent's isolation from other landmasses accounts for its unique varieties of vegetation and animal life, and for the existence of a Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) culture among the Aborigines. Except for Antarctica, Australia was probably the last continent to be inhabited by humans and the last to be explored and settled by Europeans. It is the only continent comprising a single nation-state.

Dutch explorers first sighted Australia in the early 17th century. Capt. James COOK explored the east coast in 1770 and claimed the land for Great Britain. In 1778 the first settlement (SYDNEY) was founded at an excellent harbor on the southeast coast. British convicts played an important role in the territory's early history. The discovery of gold and other ores attracted immigrants, but Australia remained a primarily agricultural country until World War II.

Subsequent industrialization has been rapid, and today Australia ranks as one of the world's most economically developed countries, although vast areas of the interior, known as the Outback, remain all but uninhabited.

Most Australians are governed by three levels of government - local, state and federal. For instance,

a family living in Sydney would have the Sydney City Council (local) looking after such things as

garbage collection, park maintenance and dog controls. Australians pay their local government by

paying "rates" - paid according to the area and position of any land that you own. They would then

be governed by the New South Wales Government, which would look after such things as roads,

and the police force. Finally, they are governed by the Australian (Federal) Government, which is

involved with trade, foreign affairs and the national treasury. Both the State and Federal

Governments are paid through income tax.

Australian governments at a State and Federal level are run according to the Westminster System,

used in England. This means that there are two houses of Parliament, a lower house (The House Of

Representatives) and an upper house (The Senate). Decisions put forward and approved in the

House of Representatives must then be approved a second time by the Senate. The only exception

to this is the Queensland Government, which has only a House of Representatives.

Local governments are stationed in centre of the town or city that they provide to. State

governments are run from the state capitals, while the Federal Government sits in Canberra, in the

Australian Capital Territory.

There are six states, and two major territories in Australia. The states are: Queensland, New South

Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. The two territories are the

Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Australia also has a number of areas run by

the Federal Government (dependent areas). These include the Ashmore and Cartier Islands,

Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island, the McDonald

Islands and Norfolk Island.

Britain originally ruled Australia as a penal colony after it was discovery in 1788. However, on

January 1st, 1901, Australia's six states were unified ("federated") into one nation, formally known

(and still known) as the Commonwealth Of Australia. Australia was originally governed from

Melbourne, however in 1907 the Federal Parliament moved to Canberra, where it has been ever

since.

The biggest political debate at the moment in Australia is whether or not Australia should become a

republic. This means that Australia would be (in official terms) completely separated from its mother

country, England, and would have an Australian Head Of State. This change to a republic could

occur as early as the year 2001, exactly one hundred years after Federation.