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| A ] began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the ] rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained ], managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the ]. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and international shipping. On ] ], ] of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a ] of the ]. 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 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. Australia willingly participated in World War I;<ref>Bean, C. Ed. (1941). , First World War Official Histories, Eleventh Edition.</ref> many Australians regard the defeat of the ] (ANZACs) at ] as the birth of the nation — its first major military action. Much like Gallipoli, the ] is regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from ]. | A ] began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the ] rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained ], managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the ]. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and international shipping. On ] ], ] of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and voting, and the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a ] of the ]. 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 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. Australia willingly participated in World War I;<ref>Bean, C. Ed. (1941). , First World War Official Histories, Eleventh Edition.</ref> many Australians regard the defeat of the ] (ANZACs) at ] as the birth of the nation — its first major military action. Much like Gallipoli, the ] is regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from ]. | ||
| years. The Labor Party is in power in every state and territory. ] for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over in each state and territory and at the federal level.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aec.gov.au/_content/What/voting/faq_general.htm#2 |title=What happens if I do not vote? |work=Voting within Australia - Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=] |accessdate=2006-10-21}}</ref> | |||
| The ] formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom when Australia ] in 1942. The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the ] as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the ] treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe; since the 1970s and the abolition of the ], immigration from Asia and other parts of the world was also encouraged. As a result, Australia's demography, culture and image of itself were radically transformed. Final constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom were severed in 1986 with the passing of the ], ending any British role in the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK ]<ref>Australia Act text </ref> Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55% majority.<ref>Australian Electoral Commission (2000).</ref> Since the election of the ] in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the ]. | |||
| e Australian states|premiers]] and ], respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a ]; an ], and several largely uninhabited external territories: ], ], ] and the ]. | |||
| ==Politics== | |||
| {{main|Government of Australia|Politics of Australia|Monarchy in Australia}} | |||
| ] in ] was opened in 1988 replacing the ] opened in 1927.]] | |||
| The Commonwealth of Australia is a ] with a ] of government. ] is the ], a role that is distinct from her position as monarch of the other ]s. The Queen is represented by the ] at Federal level and by the Governors at State level. Although the ] gives extensive ] to the Governor-General, these are normally exercised only on the advice of the ]. The most notable exercise of the Governor-General's ]s outside the Prime Minister's direction was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the ].<ref>Parliamentary Library (1997). </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Foreignovide the Foreign Affairs and Trade (2003). ''Advancing the National Interest'', </ref> ] and natural resources comprise 3% and 5% of GDP but contribute substantially to Australia's ]. Australia's largest export markets include ], ], the ], ] and [[New Zealand=Demographics== | ||
| There are ]: | |||
| * The legislature: the ], comprising the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives; the Queen is represented by the Governor-General, whose powers are limited to assenting to laws. | |||
| * The executive: the ] (the Governor-General as advised by the Executive Councillors); in practice, the councillors are the Prime Minister and Ministers of State. | |||
| * The judiciary: the ] and other ]. The State courts became formally independent from the ] when the '']'' was passed in 1986. | |||
| The ] Commonwealth Parliament consists of the Queen, the ] (the upper house) of 76 senators, and a ] (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, while the territories (the ACT and the NT) are each represented by 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. | |||
| There are three major political parties: the ], the ] and the ]. Independent members and several minor parties — including the ] and the ] — have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses. Since the ], the ] led by the Prime Minister, ], has been in power in Canberra. In the ], the Coalition won control of the Senate, the first time that a party (or coalition of governing parties) has done so while in government in more than 20 years. The Labor Party is in power in every state and territory. ] for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over in each state and territory and at the federal level.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aec.gov.au/_content/What/voting/faq_general.htm#2 |title=What happens if I do not vote? |work=Voting within Australia - Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=] |accessdate=2006-10-21}}</ref> | |||
| ==States and territories== | |||
| {{main|States and territories of Australia}} | |||
| {{Australia Labelled Map|float=right}} | |||
| Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The two major mainland territories are the ] and the ]. | |||
| 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 ] of the ]; all residual legislative powers are retained by the state parliaments, including powers over hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport and local government. | |||
| Each state and territory has its own ] (] in the case of the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland, and bicameral in the remaining states). The ] is known as the ] (] in South Australia and Tasmania) and the ] is known as the ]. The ] in each state and territory are called ] and ], respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a ]; an ] in the Northern Territory, and the Governor-General in the ACT, have analogous roles. | |||
| Australia also has several minor territories; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the ], as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. In addition Australia has the following, inhabited, external territories: ], ], ], and several largely uninhabited external territories: ], ], ] and the ]. | |||
| ==Foreign relations and the military== | |||
| {{main|Foreign relations of Australia|Australian Defence Force}} | |||
| Over recent decades, ] have been driven by a close association with the ], through the ] and by a desire to develop relationships with ] and the Pacific, particularly through ] and the ]. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the ] following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Australia is a member of the ], in which the ] meetings provide the main forum for co-operation. Much of Australia's diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalisation. Australia led the formation of the ] and ], and is a member of the ] and the ]. Australia has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the ]. Australia is a founding member of the ], and maintains an international aid programme under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005 – 06 budget provides A$2.5 bn for development assistance;<ref name = "budget">Australian Government. (2005). </ref> as a percentage of GDP, this contribution is less than that of the UN ]. | |||
| Australia's armed forces — the ] (ADF) — comprise the ] (RAN), the ], and the ] (RAAF), numbering about 51,000 <ref name="military">Nation Master </ref>. All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping (most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and ]), disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the ]. The government appoints the chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services; the current chief is Air Chief Marshal ]. In the 2006-07 Budget, defence spending is $19.6 billion.<ref name="defence">Department of Defence </ref> | |||
| ==Geography== | |||
| {{main|Geography of Australia}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Australia's 7,686,850 square kilometres (2,967,909 sq. mi) landmass is on the ]. Surrounded by the ], ] and ] oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the ] and ] seas. Australia has a total 25,760 kilometres (16,007 mi) of coastline and claims an extensive ] of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,057 sq. mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the ]. | |||
| The ], the world's largest ], lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi). The world's largest ], ], is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), ] on the ] is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although ] on the remote Australian territory of ] is taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft). | |||
| By far the largest part of Australia is ] or ]. 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 majority of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline. The northern part of the country, with a ], has a vegetation consisting of rainforest, woodland, grassland, ] swamps and desert. Climate is highly influenced by ocean currents, including the ] southern oscillation, which is correlated with periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces ] in northern Australia. | |||
| ==Flora and fauna== | |||
| {{main|Flora of Australia|Fauna of Australia}} | |||
| ] and the '']'' forming an iconic Australian pair.]] | |||
| Although most of Australia is semi-] or ], it covers a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical ]s. Because of the great age and consequent low levels of fertility of the continent, its extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's ] is unique and ]. About 85% of ]s, 84% of ]s, more than 45% of ], and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are ].<ref>Department of the Environment and Heritage. </ref> Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and ]. The federal ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' is a legal framework used for the protection of threatened species. Numerous ] have been created under the country's ] to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems, 64 wetlands are registered under the ], and 16 ]s have been established. Australia was ranked thirteenth in the World on the 2005 ]. | |||
| Most Australian woody plant species are evergreen and many are adapted to fire and drought, including many ] and ]s. Australia has a rich variety of endemic ] species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their symbiosis with ] bacteria and ]l fungi. Well-known Australian fauna include ]s (the ] and ]); a host of ]s, including the ], ], ]; and birds such as the ], and ]. The ] was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with Indigenous Australians around 4000 ]. Many plant and animal species became extinct soon after human settlement, including the ]; others have become extinct since European settlement, among them the ]. | |||
| ==Economy== | |||
| {{main|Economy of Australia}} | |||
| ] in ], Australia's largest ] gold mine]] | |||
| Australia has a prosperous, Western-style ], with a per capita ] slightly higher than the UK, ] and ] in terms of ]. The country was ranked third in the ]' 2006 ] and sixth in '']'' 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. Current areas of concern to some economists include Australia's high ] and also the high levels of net foreign debt owed by the private sector. | |||
| In the 1980s, the ] started the process of economic reform by ] the ] in 1983, and deregulating the financial system.<ref>Macfarlane, I. J. (1998). . ''Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin'', October</ref> Since 1996, the Howard government has continued the process of micro-economic reform, including ] and the privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the ] industry.<ref>Parham, D. (2002). . ''Conference of Economists'', Adelaide, ]</ref> Substantial reform of the indirect tax system was implemented in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10% ], which has slightly reduced the heavy reliance on personal and company income tax that still characterises Australia's tax system. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Traditionally, the absence of an export oriented manufacturing industry has been considered a key weakness of the Australian economy. More recently, rising prices for Australia's commodity exports and increasing tourism has to some extent alleviated this criticism. Nevertheless, Australia has developed the world's third largest current account deficit in absolute terms (in relative terms over 7% of GDP). This has been considered problematic by some economists, especially as it has coincided with high prices for Australia's exports and low interest rates which keeps the cost of servicing the foreign debt unusually low.<ref>Colebach, T. , ] ], ''The Age''</ref> | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {{main|Demographics of Australia}} | {{main|Demographics of Australia}} | ||
| ] is the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards ] is also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world]] | ] is the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards ] is also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world]] | ||
Revision as of 17:39, 3 January 2007
For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation).| Commonwealth of Australia | |
|---|---|
Flag
Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: None | |
| Anthem: Advance Australia Fair Royal anthem: God Save the Queen | |
 | |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Largest city | Sydney |
| Official languages | English (de facto ) |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy (federal) |
| • Queen | Elizabeth II |
| • Governor-General | Michael Jeffery |
| • Prime Minister | John Howard |
| Independence from the UK | |
| • Constitution | 1 January 1901 |
| • Statute of Westminster | 11 December 1931 |
| • Australia Act | 3 March 1986 |
| • Water (%) | 1 |
| Population | |
| • 2006 estimate | 20,555,300 (53rd) |
| • 2001 census | 18,972,350 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2006 estimate |
| • Total | $674.9 billion (17th) |
| • Per capita | $32,220 (World Bank) (14th) |
| HDI (2004) |  0.957Error: Invalid HDI value (3rd) |
| Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 to +10.5 (various) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+8 to +11.5 (various) |
| Calling code | +61 |
| ISO 3166 code | AU |
| Internet TLD | .au |
| English does not have de jure official status (source) mid-2006 population projection using Series B (medium variant) from There are minor variations from these three time zones, see Time in Australia. | |
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent and a number of islands in the Southern, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the French dependency of New Caledonia to the northeast, and New Zealand to the southeast.
The mainland of Australia has been inhabited for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by European explorers and merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the mainland was claimed by the British in 1770 and officially settled through penal transportation as the colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the 19th century.
On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a Federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth Realm. The capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory. The current national population is around 20.6 million people, and is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
Etymology
_by_Matthew_Flinders.jpg)
The name Australia is derived from the Latin Australis, meaning of the South. Legends of an "unknown land of the south" (terra australis incognita) dating back to Roman times were commonplace in mediæval geography, but they were not based on any actual knowledge of the continent. The Dutch adjectival form Australische was used by Dutch officials in Batavia to refer to the newly discovered land to the south as early as 1638. The first use of the word "Australia" in the English language was a 1693 translation of Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe, a 1692 French novel by Gabriel de Foigny under the pen name Jacques Sadeur. Alexander Dalrymple then used it in An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (1771), to refer to the entire South Pacific region. In 1793, George Shaw and Sir James Smith published Zoology and Botany of New Holland, in which they wrote of "the vast island, or rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or New Holland."
The name "Australia" was popularised by the 1814 work A Voyage to Terra Australis by the navigator Matthew Flinders, who was the first recorded person to circumnavigate Australia. Despite its title, which reflected the view of the British Admiralty, Flinders used the word "Australia" in the book, which was widely read and gave the term general currency. Governor Lachlan Macquarie of New South Wales subsequently used the word in his dispatches to England. In 1817, he recommended that it be officially adopted. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia.
The word "Australia" in Australian English is pronounced as /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.ljə/, /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.liː.ə/ or /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.jə/.
History
Main article: History of AustraliaThe first human habitation of Australia is estimated to have occurred between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. The first Australians were the ancestors of the current Indigenous Australians; they arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from present-day Southeast Asia. Most of these people 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, inhabited the Torres Strait Islands and parts of far-north Queensland; their cultural practices are distinct from those of the Aborigines.
The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland was made by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, 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, 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.
The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at 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. The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory (NT) was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia. South Australia was founded as a "free province" — that is, it was never a penal colony. Victoria and Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts . The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1864.
The Indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease combined with forced re-settlement and cultural disintegration. The removal of children, that some historians and Indigenous Australians have argued could be considered to constitute genocide by some definitions, may have made a contribution to the decline in the indigenous population. Such interpretations of Aboriginal history are disputed by some as being exaggerated or fabricated for political or ideological reasons. This debate is known within Australia as the History Wars. Following the 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 case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) overturned the notion of Australia as terra nullius at the time of European occupation.
A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an early expression of civil disobedience. 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. On 1 January 1901, 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 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. Australia willingly participated in World War I; 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. Much like Gallipoli, the Kokoda Track Campaign is regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from World War II.
years. The Labor Party is in power in every state and territory. Voting is compulsory for all enrolled citizens 18 years and over in each state and territory and at the federal level.
e Australian states|premiers]] and chief ministers, respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a governor; an Administratornds, and several largely uninhabited external territories: Ashmore and Cartier Islands, ral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Foreignovide the Foreign Affairs and Trade (2003). Advancing the National Interest, Appendix 1</ref> Agriculture and natural resources comprise 3% and 5% of GDP but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance. Australia's largest export markets include Japan, China, the United States, South Korea and [[New Zealand=Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Australia
Most of the estimated 20.6 million Australians are descended from nineteenth- and twentieth-century settlers, the majority from Great Britain and Ireland. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, spurred by an ambitious immigration program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 23.1% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam and China. 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.
The indigenous population — mainland Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders — was 410,003 (2.2% of the total population) in 2001, a significant increase from the 1976 census, which showed an indigenous population of 115,953. 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.
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 2002–03) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active immigration programmes in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and refugees.
English is the national language, and is spoken and written in a distinct variety known as Australian English. According to the 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 languages (2.1%), Italian (1.9%) and Greek (1.4%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are 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. An indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 (0.25%) people. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is the main language of about 6,500 deaf people.
Australia has no state religion. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and 21% as Anglican. Australians who identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions number 5%. A total of 16% were categorised as having "No Religion" (which includes non-theistic beliefs such as humanism, atheism, agnosticism and rationalism) and a further 12% declined to answer or did not give a response adequate for interpretation. As in 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.
School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6–15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania, and 17 years in Western Australia), 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 Institutes, and many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications and the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is highest of OECD countries. The ratio of international to local students in tertiary education in Australia is the highest in OECD countries.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Australia
The primary basis of Australian culture until the mid-20th century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and 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. The vigour and originality of the arts in Australia — films, opera, music, painting, theatre, dance, and crafts — achieve international recognition.
Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the cave and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in 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. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and art have a palpable influence on contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Australia has an active tradition of music, ballet and theatre; many of its performing arts companies receive public funding through the federal government's Australia Council. There is a symphony orchestra in each capital city, and a national opera company, Opera Australia, first made prominent by the renowned diva Dame Joan Sutherland; Australian music includes classical, jazz, and many popular music genres.
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 twentieth 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.
Australia has two public broadcasters (the ABC and the multi-cultural SBS), three commercial television networks, several pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. 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 2006, Australia was in thirty fifth position on a list of countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (19th) and the United Kingdom (27th) but ahead of the United States. This ranking is primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian print media in particular is under the control of either News Corporation or John Fairfax Holdings.
Sport plays an important part in Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities. At an international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and performs well in cycling, rowing and swimming. Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, soccer and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and every Commonwealth Games. Australia has hosted the 1956 and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938, 1962, 1982 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, annual international cricket matches and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. Corporate and government sponsorship of many sports and elite 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 (various codes) competitions.
See also
Footnotes
- Sidney J. Baker, The Australian Language, second edition, 1966.
- Gillespie, R. (2002). Dating the first Australians. Radiocarbon 44:455–72
- Smith, L. (1980), The Aboriginal Population of Australia, Australian National University Press, Canberra
- Tatz, C. (1999). Genocide in Australia, AIATSIS Research Discussion Papers No 8, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra
- Windschuttle, K. (2001). The Fabrication of Aboriginal History, The New Criterion Vol. 20, No. 1, September 20.
- Bean, C. Ed. (1941). Volume I - The Story of Anzac: the first phase, First World War Official Histories, Eleventh Edition.
- "What happens if I do not vote?". Voting within Australia - Frequently Asked Questions. Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population Growth - Australia’s Population Growth
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics. Year Book Australia 2005
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. (2005). The Evolution of Australia's Multicultural Policy
- Parliament of Australia, Senate (2005). Inquiry into Australian Expatriates
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. (1995). Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies?
- NCLS releases latest estimates of church attendance, National Church Life Survey, Media release, 28 February 2004
- Education at Glance 2005 by OECD: Percentage of foreign students in tertiary education.
- Australian Film Commission. What are Australians Watching?, Free-to-Air, 1999-2004 TV
External links
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- About Australia from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- "Australia". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- Australian Government Entry Portal
- Commonwealth Government Online
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Community organisations portal
- Cultural Institutions
- Tourism Australia
- Template:Wikitravel
- Satellite image of Australia (Google Maps)
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