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About Australia, 5 '12 Subject: Other, Viewed by: 51
General information:
Capital: Canberra                Head of State:     Â
Surface area: 7,692 thousand sq km   HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the
Official language: English          Governor-General HE Ms Quentin Bryce
Population:Â 22.5 million (Dec 2011) Â Â Head of Government:
Exchange rate:Â A$1 = US$1.0342 (Apr 2012)Â Prime Minister The Hon Ms Julia Gillard
Geography
Australia is one of the world’s oldest land masses. It is the earth’s biggest inhabited island and the sixth
largest country in the world. It is also one of the driest, with just 6 per cent of its land considered suitable for
agriculture.
Distances are vast and visitors are often surprised at the size of the country and how long it takes to travel
from city to city. lAustralia stretches about 4000 kilometres from east to west and 3700 kilometres from north
to south. It takes about five hours to fly from Sydney to Perth.
In total area, Australia is about the same size as the United States (not including Alaska), more than double
the size of India and 32 times the size of the United Kingdom.
The people
Australia’s original inhabitants, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, have been living in Australia
for at least 40 000 years and possibly up to 60 000 years.
The rest of Australia’s people are migrants or descendants of migrants who have come from nearly 200
countries since the start of European settlement of Australia in 1788.
In 1945, Australia’s population was about seven million people. Since then, more than 6.5 million migrants,
including around 675 000 refugees, have settled in Australia.
Today, Australia has a population of 21 million people, of which 43 per cent were either born overseas
or have one parent who was born overseas.
Australians of all religious, racial, ethnic and social backgrounds live together in peace.
Independent nation
Australia is an independent and outward looking nation with a strong economy. Its democratic institutions,
cultural diversity and record of constructive international and regional engagement underpin its participation
in world affairs.
In a dynamic and challenging international environment, Australia pursues bilateral, regional and multilateral
strategies to advance its national interests, within a context of global responsibility.
Strong economy
Australia has a strong market–based economy that is open, flexible and competitive. It has a stable and
modern institutional structure that provides certainty to businesses and a welcoming environment for
international investment.
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Australia is also a major regional finance centre with reliable domestic and international transport systems,
world–class information and telecommunication technology, a multilingual and highly skilled workforce and a
system of regulation. The Australian Stock Exchange is the world’s eighth largest listed exchange measured
by market capitalisation.
Australia is a significant world trader, with its two–way trade in goods and services valued at more than
$400 billion – about 1 per cent of total world trade. Japan is Australia’s largest trading partner, followed by
China, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Korea.
National symbols
Australia’s name
The name Australia derives from the Latin word Australis, meaning ‘of the south’. For centuries, it was legend
that there was an unknown great south land – Terra Australis Incognita. The description was used in writings
about exploration to the region.
The name Australia gained popular use following the publication in 1814 of Matthew Flinders’ account
of circumnavigation of the continent, A Voyage to Terra Australis, in which he used the name Australia.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie subsequently used it in his official reports and recommended it be adopted.
In 1824, the British Admiralty agreed that the continent be officially named Australia.
The Australian National Flag
The Australian National Flag was raised for the first time in Melbourne on 3 September 1901. The flag has
a dark blue background, with the Union Jack in the upper left corner, acknowledging the history of British
settlement of Australia.
The five stars of the Southern Cross constellation represent Australia’s geographic position in the southern
hemisphere. In 1908, the six–pointed star representing the six states was replaced by a seven–pointed star,
the seventh point to represent the two territories.
Each Australian state and territory also has its own flag.
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