Difference between revisions of "Australia" - New World Encyclopedia

Commonwealth of Australia
Commonwealth of Australia
	Anthem: "Advance Australia Fair";
Capital	Canberra
Largest city	Sydney
Official language(s)	None
National language	English (de facto)
Demonym	Australian, Aussie
Government	Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy
Legislature	Parliament
Independence	from the United Kingdom
Area
Population
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
Gini (2018)	32.5 (16th)
HDI (2021)	0.951 (5th)
Currency	Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone	various (UTC+8 to +10.5)
Drives on the	left
Internet TLD	.au
Calling code	+61

Latest revision as of 17:55, 22 August 2023

The Commonwealth of Australia is a nation strategically located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans with strong cultural and political ties to North America and Europe. The world's sixth largest country and an island continent occupied by a single nation, its name is derived from the Latin Australis, meaning "of the South." It is sometimes referred to as the "land down under," a reference to its long distance from its mother country, Britain.

Initially a site for English penal colonies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as well as a base of British economic exploitation of the area, Australia grew to become a constitutional democracy whose people built a nation free of the limitations prevalent in crowded England. Australia has developed a robust economy and high living standard. Although arid throughout much of its surface, part of its prosperity came from its extensive mineral resources. Once considered geographically isolated, Australia today benefits from its proximity to both East Asia and South Asia, and overall plays an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific. Within Oceania itself, Australia exercises crucial leadership, both as a benefactor to island nations and through its ability to project military power.

Geography

Australia, pronounced “ors-trial-ya” by the country's inhabitants, is a large landmass on the Indo-Australian Plate, slightly smaller than the contiguous 48 states of the United States. It is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the Tasman Sea. Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Neighboring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the French dependency of New Caledonia to the northeast; with New Zealand to the southeast.

Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent"[139] and is sometimes considered the world's largest island. Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands).

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the northeast coast and extends for 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). The world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus, is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 meters (7,350 feet), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Heard Island and McDonald Island is taller at 2,745 meters (9,058 feet).

Tectonic uplift of mountain ranges or clashes between tectonic plates occurred in Australia's early history, when it was still a part of Gondwana. Erosion has heavily weathered Australia's surface, making it one of the flattest countries in the world.

Much of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Only the southeast and southwest corners of the continent have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The north, with a tropical climate, has rainforest, woodland, grassland and desert. Climate is influenced by ocean currents, including the El Niño southern oscillation, which brings periodic drought, and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia.

Climatic zones in Australia.

The Koala and the Eucalyptus make an iconic pair of Australian flora and fauna.

Rainfall is variable, with frequent droughts lasting several seasons. Dust storms can blanket a region or even several states.

The Great Artesian Basin, an important source of water for people and cattle in the parched outback region, is the world's largest and deepest fresh water basin.

Natural hazards include cyclones along the northern coasts, severe thunderstorms, droughts and occasional floods as well as frequent bushfires.

Natural resources include: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas and petroleum. Arable land constitutes six percent of land use, permanent pastures make up 54 percent, forests and woodlands cover 19 percent.

The capital city is Canberra, although the population is concentrated in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Most Australian woody plant species are evergreen and many are adapted to fire and drought, including many eucalypts and acacias. There is a rich variety of endemic legume species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their symbiosis with Rhizobia bacteria and fungi. Well-known fauna include the platypus and echidna; a host of marsupials, including the koala, kangaroo, wombat; and birds such as the emu, and kookaburra. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with indigenous Australians around 4000 B.C.E. Many plant and animal species became extinct after human settlement, including the Tasmanian Tiger.

History

The first Australians, ancestors of the current indigenous Australians, arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from Southeast Asia between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. Most were hunter-gatherers, with an oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in a mythological “dreamtime.” The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, possess cultural practices that are different from the Aborigines.

Dutch navigator Willem Jansz sighted Cape York Peninsula in 1606, becoming the first European to do so. The Dutch charted the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland in the seventeenth century, but made no attempt at settlement.

Lieutenant James Cook charted the East coast of Australia on HM Bark Endeavour, claiming the land for Britain in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1988; photographed in Cooktown harbour where Cook spent 7 weeks.

The opening of the Parliament of Australia in 1901

The Last Post is played at an ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, on April 25, 2005. Ceremonies such as this are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.

In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain. This led to the establishment of a penal colony there. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1864.

The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on January 26, 1788. This date was to become Australia's national day, Australia Day.

Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803. 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 was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia.

The indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, because of infectious disease, forced re-settlement and cultural disintegration. The treatment of indigenous people is hotly debated within Australia. After the Australian referendum in 1967, the federal government gained the power to implement policies and make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land—native title—was not recognized until the High Court of Australia 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 the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government.

On January 1, 1901, the colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was born as a Dominion of the British Empire. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was formed in 1911 to provide a location for the federal capital of Canberra (Melbourne was the capital from 1901 to 1927).

Australia willingly participated in World War I in which 59,330 Australians lost their lives. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at the Battle of Gallipoli as the birth of the nation. It was Australia's first major military action. The Kokoda Track Campaign is regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from World War II. A total of 40,400 Australians died in that war. Seventeen thousand served in the Korean War.

The Statute of Westminster (1931) formally ended most constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom, but Australia did not adopt the statute until 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 United States as a new ally and protector. From 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the U.S. under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe. Beginning in the 1970s and the abolition of a White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and other parts of the world was encouraged. The final constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom ended in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending judicial appeals to the United Kingdom Privy Council. Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55 percent majority.

Politics

New Parliament House in Canberra was opened in 1988, replacing the Old Parliament House in Canberra. The provisional Parliament House building opened in 1927.

The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government. Charles III is the King of Australia, and is represented by the Governor-General of Australia, at federal level, and by the governors at state level.

The parliament, or legislative branch of government, consists of an upper house, or senate, of 76 senators, and a lower house, or House of Representatives, of 150 members. Members of the lower house are elected from single-member constituencies, commonly known as “electorates,” allocated to states on the basis of population. Elections for both chambers are held every three years. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms government, with its leader becoming prime minister.

States and territories of Australia

The executive comprises the King, represented by the governor-general, the prime minister, and a cabinet nominated by the Prime Minister.

The judiciary, the third branch of government, consists of the High Court, other federal courts and state courts, all of which became formally independent of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London when the Australia Act was passed in 1986. The legal system is based on English common law.

There are three main political parties: the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Liberal Party and the National Party. Independent members and several minor parties—including the Greens, Family First and the Democrats—have achieved representation mostly in the upper house.

Australia consists of six states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. The state parliaments control hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport and local government. Each state and territory has its own parliament.

The federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. External territories include: Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and the largely uninhabited Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island, and McDonald Islands, and the Australian Antarctic Territory.

Australia's foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the United States, through the ANZUS pact and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (or ASEAN) and the Pacific Islands Forum. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Much of Australia's diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalization. It is a founding member of the United Nations, and extends aid to 60 countries.

Australia's armed forces—the Australian Defence Force—comprise the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force. All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping, most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Sudan, disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The forces, while numerically small compared to some in the region, consist of volunteers and are held in high regard as a well-trained force equipped with modern weapons.

Economy

Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia

Australia has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) slightly higher than those of the UK, Germany, and France. 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.

The Australian economy has not suffered a recession since the early 1990s. The service sector, including tourism, education, and financial services, comprises the majority of GDP. Agriculture and natural resources comprise small amounts, but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance.

Australia's largest export markets include Japan, People's Republic of China, the United States, South Korea, and New Zealand. Export commodities include coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Import commodities include machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products. Partners are the U.S., China, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Demographics

Most Australians live in urban areas; Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards urbanization is also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world

Most Australians are descended from nineteenth and twentieth-century immigrants from Great Britain and Ireland. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I, spurred by an ambitious immigration program. A policy of multiculturalism has been established to promote racial harmony.

There is a growing self-declared indigenous population—including Torres Strait Islanders, who are of Melanesian descent. Indigenous Australians have higher rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education. and shorter life expectancies. Perceived racial inequality is an ongoing political and human rights issue for Australians.

Fewer than 15 percent of Australians live in rural areas. This picture shows the Barossa Valley wine-producing region of South Australia.

The population is aging, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians live outside their home country.

English is the official language. Australian English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80 percent of the population. Other languages include Chinese, Italian, and Greek. Many immigrants are bilingual. There were between 200 and 300 Australian Aboriginal languages at the time of first European contact. Only 70 of these languages have survived, and all but 20 are now endangered. An indigenous language remains the main language for a very small minority of people. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan.

Australia has no state religion. Section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion.^[11]

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of six and 15 years (16 years in South Australia and Tasmania, and 17 years in Western Australia), contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent. Government grants have helped establish and fund Australia's 38 universities. Several private universities exist. There is a state-based system of vocational training colleges, known as Technical and Further Education Institutes, and trades conduct apprenticeships.

Culture

Golden Summer, Eaglemont Eaglemont, Victoria by Arthur Streeton (1889) is an early example of the rich tradition of Australian landscape painting.

The culture until the mid-twentieth century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and Australian Aborigine culture. American popular culture, particularly television and cinema, has had a heavy influence over the past 50 years, as has large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia—films, opera, music, painting, theater, dance, and crafts—are achieving 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 its landscape. The traditions of indigenous Australians are transmitted orally. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and Australian Aboriginal art influence contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Albert Namatjira is a well-known Aboriginal painter. Many ballet and theater companies receive funding through the federal government's Council for the Arts. 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 Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, shows an 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.

Australian English is a major variety of the English language. Its grammar and spelling are largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and phrases.

Australia has two public broadcasters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service, three commercial television networks, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Australia's film industry has achieved critical and commercial successes, as have quite a number of its actors and actresses. Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.

Australian rules football was developed in Australia and is played at amateur and professional levels.

Sport is important, assisted by a climate that favors outdoor activities; around one fourth of Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in an organized sport. Australia has particularly strong international teams in cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and performs well in cycling and swimming. Other sports include Australian rules football, soccer, and motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games and every Commonwealth Games. Australia has hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938 British Empire Games, 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, 1982 Commonwealth Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the Formula One Australian Grand Prix.

The Victorian Alps

Notes

↑ Australia also has a royal anthem, "God Save the Queen (or King)," which is played in the presence of a member of the Royal family when they are in Australia. In all other appropriate contexts, the national anthem of Australia, "Advance Australia Fair," is played. See Australian National Anthem Retrieved November 4, 2022; National Library of Australia, Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (University of Michigan Library, 2010).
↑ Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies? Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney, 1995. Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Retrieved November 4, 2022. "English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."
↑ Arthur Delbridge, The Macquarie Dictionary (Macquarie Library, 1982, ISBN 978-0949757005).
↑ Collins, Collins English Dictionary (Collins, 2011, ISBN 978-0007437863).
↑ Population clock Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
↑ National, state and territory population Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: April 2022 International Monetary Fund, April 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
↑ Income Distribution Database Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, December 9, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
↑ Human Development Report 2021/2022 United Nations Development Programme, September 8, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 There are minor variations from these three time zones.
↑ Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act - Sect 116 Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Collins. Collins English Dictionary. Collins, 2011. ISBN 978-0007437863
Delbridge, Arthur. The Macquarie Dictionary. Macquarie Library, 1982. ISBN 978-0949757005
National Library of Australia. Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia. University of Michigan Library, 2010. ASIN B0041G6I8C

External links

All links retrieved August 22, 2023.

Countries and territories of Oceania
	Australia : Australia · Norfolk Island
	Melanesia : East Timor · Fiji · Maluku Islands & Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia) · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
	Micronesia : Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Wake Island
	Polynesia : American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Hawaii · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn Islands · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna

Credits

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Australia ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

History of "Australia"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

[1] Australia also has a royal anthem, "God Save the Queen (or King)," which is played in the presence of a member of the Royal family when they are in Australia. In all other appropriate contexts, the national anthem of Australia, "Advance Australia Fair," is played. See Australian National Anthem Retrieved November 4, 2022; National Library of Australia, Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (University of Michigan Library, 2010).

[language-2] Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies? Global Cultural Diversity Conference Proceedings, Sydney, 1995. Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Retrieved November 4, 2022. "English has no de jure status but it is so entrenched as the common language that it is de facto the official language as well as the national language."

[3] Arthur Delbridge, The Macquarie Dictionary (Macquarie Library, 1982, ISBN 978-0949757005).

[4] Collins, Collins English Dictionary (Collins, 2011, ISBN 978-0007437863).

[5] Population clock Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

[6] National, state and territory population Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

[IMF-7] 7.0 ^7.1 Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: April 2022 International Monetary Fund, April 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

[8] Income Distribution Database Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, December 9, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

[9] Human Development Report 2021/2022 United Nations Development Programme, September 8, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

[time-10] 10.0 ^10.1 There are minor variations from these three time zones.

[11] Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act - Sect 116 Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. Retrieved November 4, 2022.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
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+|national_anthem = "[[Advance Australia Fair]]"<ref>Australia also has a [[royal anthem]], "[[God Save the Queen|God Save the Queen (or King)]]," which is played in the presence of a member of the [[House of Windsor|Royal family]] when they are in Australia. In all other appropriate contexts, the [[national anthem]] of Australia, "[[Advance Australia Fair]]," is played. See [https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/australian-national-anthem Australian National Anthem] Retrieved November 4, 2022;  National Library of Australia, ''Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia'' (University of Michigan Library, 2010).</ref>
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+| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} {{nowrap|$1.748 trillion<ref name=IMF>[https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/April Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: April 2022] ''International Monetary Fund'', April 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.</ref>}}
+| GDP_nominal_year      = 2022
+| GDP_nominal_rank      = 13th
+| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $67,464<ref name=IMF />
+| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 11th
+| Gini                  = 32.5<ref>[https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=IDD Income Distribution Database] ''Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development'', December 9, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022. </ref>
+| Gini_year              = 2018
+| Gini_change            = decrease <!--increase/decrease/steady—>
+| Gini_ref              =
+| Gini_rank              = 16th
+| HDI                    = 0.951<ref>[https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf Human Development Report 2021/2022] ''United Nations Development Programme'', September 8, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.</ref><!--number only—>
+| HDI_year              = 2021<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year—>
+| HDI_change            = increase<!--increase/decrease/steady—>
+| HDI_ref                =
+| HDI_rank              = 5th
 }}
-<!--PLEASE USE AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE—>
+The '''Commonwealth of Australia''' is a nation strategically located between the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s with strong cultural and political ties to [[North America]] and [[Europe]]. The world's sixth largest country and an island continent occupied by a single nation, its name is derived from the Latin ''Australis,'' meaning "of the South." It is sometimes referred to as the "land down under," a reference to its long distance from its mother country, Britain.
-The '''Commonwealth of Australia''' is a country in the [[Southern Hemisphere]] comprising the world's smallest [[continent]] and a number of islands in the [[Southern Ocean|Southern]], [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s. Neighbouring countries include [[Indonesia]], [[East Timor]] and [[Papua New Guinea]] to the north; the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Vanuatu]] and the [[France|French]] dependency of [[New Caledonia]] to the northeast; and [[New Zealand]] to the southeast.
+{{toc}}
+Initially a site for [[England|English]] [[penal colony|penal colonies]] in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as well as a base of British economic exploitation of the area, Australia grew to become a constitutional [[democracy]] whose people built a nation free of the limitations prevalent in crowded England. Australia has developed a robust economy and high living standard. Although arid throughout much of its surface, part of its prosperity came from its extensive [[mineral]] resources. Once considered geographically isolated, Australia today benefits from its proximity to both East Asia and South Asia, and overall plays an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific. Within [[Oceania]] itself, Australia exercises crucial leadership, both as a benefactor to island nations and through its ability to project military power.
-The [[Australia (continent)|continent of Australia]] has been inhabited for over 40,000 years by [[Indigenous Australians]]. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by [[Europe]]an explorers and merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the continent was claimed by the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] in 1770 and officially settled as the [[penal colony]] of [[New South Wales]] on [[26 January]] [[1788]]. As the population grew and new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing [[British overseas territory|Crown Colonies]] were successively established over the course of the nineteenth century.
+==Geography==
+Australia, pronounced “ors-trial-ya” by the country's inhabitants, is a large landmass on the Indo-Australian Plate, slightly smaller than the contiguous 48 states of the [[United States of America|United States]]. It is surrounded by the [[Indian ocean|Indian]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s, and the Tasman Sea. Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Neighboring countries include [[Indonesia]], [[East Timor]], [[Irian Jaya]] and [[Papua New Guinea]] to the north; the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Vanuatu]] and the [[France|French]] dependency of [[New Caledonia]] to the northeast; with [[New Zealand]] to the southeast.
-On [[1 January]] [[1901]], the six colonies [[Federation of Australia|federated]] and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable [[liberal democracy|liberal democratic]] political system and remains a [[Commonwealth Realm]]. The capital city is [[Canberra]] although the current population of around 20.5 million is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of [[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Brisbane]], [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], and [[Adelaide]].
+Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed the "island continent"[139] and is sometimes considered the world's largest island. Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands).
-==Origin and history of the name==
+The [[Great Barrier Reef]], the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the northeast coast and extends for 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). The world's largest monolith, [[Mount Augustus]], is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 meters (7,350 feet), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Heard Island and McDonald Island is taller at 2,745 meters (9,058 feet).
-The name Australia is derived from the [[Latin language|Latin]] ''Australis'', meaning ''of the South''. Legends of an "unknown land of the south" (''[[Terra Australis|terra australis incognita]]'') date back to the Roman times and were commonplace in mediaeval geography, but they were not based on any actual knowledge of the continent. The Dutch adjectival form ''Australische'' was used by Dutch officials in [[Jakarta|Batavia]] to refer to the newly discovered land to the south as early as 1638. The first use of the word "Australia" in [[English language|English]] 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 <ref>Sidney J. Baker, ''The Australian Language'', second edition, 1966.</ref>. <!-- there was a 1676 version, but it was suppressed —>  [[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 [[James Edward Smith|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 (Australia)|New Holland]]."
-[[Image:Flinders View of Port Jackson taken from South Head.jpg|200px|thumb|left|View of [[Port Jackson]], taken from the South Head, from ''A Voyage to Terra Australis''. [[Sydney]] was established on this site.]]
-The name "Australia" was popularised by the 1814 work ''A Voyage to Terra Australis'' by the navigator [[Matthew Flinders]] who was the first person to circumnavigate Australia. Despite its title, which reflected the view of the 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 British Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia.
-The word "Australia" in [[Australian English]] is [[IPA chart for English|pronounced]] as either {{IPA|/ə.ˈstɹæɪ.ljə/}}, {{IPA|/ə.ˈstɹæɪ.liː.ə/}} or {{IPA|/ə.ˈstɹæɪ.jə/}}.
+Tectonic uplift of mountain ranges or clashes between [[tectonic plates]] occurred in Australia's early history, when it was still a part of [[Gondwana]]. [[Erosion]] has heavily weathered Australia's surface, making it one of the flattest countries in the world.
-==History==
+Much of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Only the southeast and southwest corners of the continent have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The north, with a tropical climate, has [[rainforest]], [[woodland]], [[grassland]] and [[desert]]. Climate is influenced by ocean currents, including the [[El Niño]] southern oscillation, which brings periodic [[drought]], and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces [[cyclone]]s in northern Australia.
-{{main|History of Australia}}
+[[Image:Australia-climate-map MJC01.png|right|thumb|350px|Climatic zones in Australia.]]
-The first human habitation of Australia is estimated to have occurred between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago.<ref>Gillespie, R. (2002). Dating the first Australians. ''Radiocarbon'' 44:455-472</ref> 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-gatherer]]s, with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the [[Dreamtime (mythology)|Dreamtime]]. The [[Torres Strait Islanders]], ethnically [[Melanesia]]n, inhabited the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and parts of far-north [[Queensland]]; they possess distinct cultural practices from the Aborigines.
+[[Image:Koala climbing tree.jpg|right|thumb|350px|The [[Koala]] and the ''[[Eucalyptus]]'' make an iconic pair of Australian flora and fauna.]]
-[[Image:Endeavour replica in Cooktown harbour.jpg|240px|left|thumb|Lieutenant [[James Cook]] charted the East coast of Australia on [[HM Bark Endeavour|HM Bark ''Endeavour'']], claiming the land for Britain in 1770. This replica was built in [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]] in 1988; photographed in [[Cooktown]] harbour where Cook spent 7 weeks.]]
-The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian continent was made by the Dutch navigator [[Willem Jansz]], who sighted the coast of [[Cape York Peninsula]] in 1606. During the seventeenth century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called [[New Holland (Australia)|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 following the loss of the American colonies that had previously filled that role.
+Rainfall is variable, with frequent droughts lasting several seasons. Dust storms can blanket a region or even several states.
-[[Image:Port Arthur Seeseite.jpg|260px|thumb|right|[[Port Arthur, Tasmania|Port Arthur]], [[Tasmania]] was Australia's largest penal colony.]]
-The British [[British overseas territory|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 (Australia)|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,<ref>Smith, L. (1980), The Aboriginal Population of Australia, Australian National University Press, Canberra</ref> declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease combined with forced re-settlement and cultural disintegration. The [[Stolen Generation|removal of children]], that some historians and Indigenous Australians have argued could be considered to constitute [[Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide|genocide]] by today's understanding,<ref>Tatz, C. (1999). ''[http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/rsrch/rsrch_dp/genocide.htm Genocide in Australia]'', AIATSIS Research Discussion Papers No 8, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra</ref> may have made a small 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.<ref>Windschuttle, K. (2001). ''[http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/20/sept01/keith.htm# The Fabrication of Aboriginal History]'', The New Criterion Vol. 20, No. 1, [[September 20]].</ref> This debate is known within Australia as the [[History Wars]]. Following the [[Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)|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 of Australia|High Court]] case ''[[Mabo v Queensland (No 2)]]'' overturned the notion of Australia as ''[[terra nullius]]'' at the time of European occupation.
+The [[Great Artesian Basin]], an important source of water for people and cattle in the parched outback region, is the world's largest and deepest fresh water basin.
-[[Image:Anzac1.JPG|left|thumb|240px|The [[Last Post]] is played at an [[ANZAC Day]] ceremony in [[Port Melbourne, Victoria]], [[25 April]] [[2005]]. Ceremonies such as this are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.]]
-A [[gold rush]] began in Australia in the early 1850s, and the [[Eureka Stockade]] rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. 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 Australia|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]];<ref>Bean, C. Ed. (1941). [http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/1/index.asp Volume I - The Story of Anzac: the first phase], First World War Official Histories, Eleventh Edition.</ref> many Australians regard the defeat of the [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]] (ANZACs) at [[Battle of Gallipoli|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]].
-The [[Statute of Westminster 1931]] formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom, but Australia did not [[Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942|adopt the Statute]] until 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 [[United States]] as a new ally and protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the [[ANZUS]] treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe; since the 1970s and the abolition of the [[White Australia policy]], 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. The final constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom ended in 1986 with the passing of the [[Australia Act 1986]], ending any British role in the Australian States, and ending judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council. Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55% majority.<ref>Australian Electoral Commission (2000). [http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/when/referendums/1999_report/index.htm 1999 Referendum Reports and Statistics]</ref> Since the election of the [[Gough Whitlam|Whitlam Government]] in 1972, there has been an increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the Asia-Pacific region.
+Natural hazards include cyclones along the northern coasts, severe [[thunderstorm]]s, droughts and occasional [[flood]]s as well as frequent [[bushfire]]s.
-==Politics==
+Natural resources include: [[bauxite]], [[coal]], [[iron ore]], [[copper]], [[tin]], [[gold]], [[silver]], [[uranium]], [[nickel]], [[tungsten]], mineral sands, [[lead]], [[zinc]], [[diamond]]s, [[natural gas]] and [[petroleum]].
-{{main articles|[[Government of Australia]] and [[Politics of Australia]]}}
+Arable land constitutes six percent of land use, permanent pastures make up 54 percent, [[forest]]s and [[woodland]]s cover 19 percent.
-[[Image:NewParliamentHouseInCanberra.jpg|thumb|right|240px|New [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Canberra]] was opened in 1988 replacing the [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|provisional Parliament House building]] opened in 1927.]]
-The Commonwealth of Australia is a [[constitutional monarchy]] and has a [[parliamentary system]] of government. [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] is the [[Queen of Australia]], a role that is distinct from her position as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Queen is nominally represented by the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] at Federal level and by the Governors at State level. Although the [[Constitution of Australia|Constitution]] gives extensive [[Executive (government)|executive powers]] to the Governor-General, these are normally exercised only on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]. The most notable exercise of the Governor-General's [[reserve power]]s outside the Prime Minister's direction was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the [[Australian constitutional crisis of 1975|constitutional crisis of 1975]].<ref>Parliamentary Library (1997). [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn25.htm The Reserve Powers of the Governor-General]</ref>
+The capital city is [[Canberra]], although the population is concentrated in the large coastal cities of [[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Brisbane]], Perth, and [[Adelaide]].
-There are three branches of government.
+Most Australian woody plant species are evergreen and many are adapted to [[fire]] and [[drought]], including many [[eucalypt]]s and acacias. There is a rich variety of endemic legume species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their [[symbiosis]] with Rhizobia [[bacteria]] and [[Fungus|fungi]]. Well-known [[fauna]] include the [[platypus]] and [[echidna]]; a host of [[marsupial]]s, including the [[koala]], [[kangaroo]], [[wombat]]; and [[bird]]s such as the [[emu]], and [[kookaburra]]. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with indigenous Australians around 4000 <small>B.C.E.</small> Many plant and animal [[species]] became extinct after human settlement, including the Tasmanian [[Tiger]].
-*The legislature: the [[Parliament of Australia|Commonwealth Parliament]], comprising the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives; the Queen is represented by the Governor-General, who in practice exercises little or no power over the Parliament.
-*The executive: the [[Federal Executive Council]] (the Governor-General as advised by the executive councillors); in practice, the councillors are the prime minister and ministers of state.
+==History==
+The first Australians, ancestors of the current indigenous Australians, arrived via land bridges and short sea-crossings from Southeast Asia between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. Most were [[hunter-gatherer]]s, with an oral culture and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in a mythological “dreamtime.” The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically [[Melanesia]]n, possess cultural practices that are different from the [[Aborigine]]s.
-*The judiciary: the [[High Court of Australia]] and other [[Australian court hierarchy|federal courts]]. The State courts became formally independent from the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] when the ''[[Australia Act]]'' was passed in 1986.
+Dutch navigator [[Willem Jansz]] sighted Cape York Peninsula in 1606, becoming the first European to do so. The Dutch charted the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland in the seventeenth century, but made no attempt at settlement.
+[[Image:Endeavour replica in Cooktown harbour.jpg|400px|right|thumb|Lieutenant [[James Cook]] charted the East coast of Australia on HM Bark ''Endeavour'', claiming the land for [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1988; photographed in Cooktown harbour where Cook spent 7 weeks.]]
+[[Image:Tom roberts big picture.jpg|thumb|400px|The opening of the Parliament of Australia in 1901]]
+[[Image:Anzac1.JPG|right|thumb|300px|The ''Last Post'' is played at an ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, on April 25, 2005. Ceremonies such as this are held in virtually every suburb and town in Australia.]]
+In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain. This led to the establishment of a penal colony there. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and 1864.
-The [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] Commonwealth Parliament consists of the Queen, the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] (the upper house) of 76 senators, and a [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (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, with the ACT and the NT each electing 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.
+The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on January 26, 1788. This date was to become Australia's national day, Australia Day.
-There are three major political parties: the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]], the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]] and the [[National Party of Australia|National Party]]. Independent members and several minor parties — including the [[Australian Greens|Greens]], [[Family First Party|Family First]] and the [[Australian Democrats]] — have achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses, although their influence has been marginal. Since the [[Australian legislative election, 1996|1996 election]], the [[Coalition (Australia)|Liberal/National Coalition]] led by the Prime Minister, [[John Howard]], has been in power in Canberra. In the [[Australian legislative election, 2004|2004 election]], 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.  [[Compulsory voting|Voting is compulsory]] in each state and territory and at the federal level.
+Van Diemen's Land, now known as [[Tasmania]], was settled in 1803. The United Kingdom formally claimed the [[Western Australia|western part of Australia]] in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of [[New South Wales]]: [[South Australia]] in 1836, [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] in 1851, and [[Queensland]] in 1859. The [[Northern Territory]] was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia.
-==States and territories==
+The indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement, declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, because of infectious disease, forced re-settlement and cultural disintegration. The treatment of indigenous people is hotly debated within Australia. After the Australian referendum in 1967, the federal government gained the power to implement policies and make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land—native title—was not recognized until the High Court of Australia case ''Mabo v Queensland (No. 2)'' overturned the notion of Australia as ''terra nullius'' at the time of European occupation.
-{{main|States and territories of Australia}}
-[[Image:Map of Australia.png|thumb|240px|States and territories of Australia]]
-Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and other minor territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Queensland]], [[South Australia]], [[Tasmania]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and [[Western Australia]]. The two major mainland territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]].
-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 [[Section 51 of the Australian Constitution|Section 51]] of the [[Constitution of Australia|Constitution]]; 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 [[Parliaments of the Australian states and territories|legislature]] ([[Unicameralism|unicameral]] in the case of the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland, and bicameral in the remaining states). The [[lower house]] is known as the [[Legislative Assembly]] ([[House of Assembly]] in South Australia and Tasmania) and the [[upper house]] is known as the [[Legislative Council]]. The [[head of government|heads of the governments]] in each state and territory are called [[Premiers of the Australian states|premiers]] and [[Chief Minister|chief ministers]], respectively. The Queen is represented in each state by a [[Governors of the Australian states|governor]]; an [[Administrator of the Northern Territory|administrator]] in the Northern Territory, and the Governor-General in the ACT, have analogous roles.
+A gold rush began in the early 1850s, and the Eureka Stockade rebellion in 1854 was an early expression of nationalist sentiment. Between 1855 and 1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government.
-Australia also has several minor territories; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the [[Jervis Bay Territory]], as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. In addition Australia has the following, inhabited, external territories: [[Norfolk Island]], [[Christmas Island]], [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]], and several largely uninhabited external territories: [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands]], [[Coral Sea Islands]], [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]] and the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]].
+On January 1, 1901, the colonies federated and the Commonwealth of Australia was born as a Dominion of the British Empire. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was formed in 1911 to provide a location for the federal capital of [[Canberra]] ([[Melbourne]] was the capital from 1901 to 1927).
-==Foreign relations and military==
+Australia willingly participated in [[World War I]] in which 59,330 Australians lost their lives. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at the Battle of [[Gallipoli]] as the birth of the nation. It was Australia's first major military action. The Kokoda Track Campaign is regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from [[World War II]]. A total of 40,400 Australians died in that war. Seventeen thousand served in the [[Korean War]].
-{{main articles|[[Foreign relations of Australia]] and [[Australian Defence Force]]}}
-Over recent decades, [[Foreign relations of Australia|Australia's foreign relations]] have been driven by a close association with the [[United States]], through the [[ANZUS|ANZUS pact]] and by a desire to develop relationships with [[Asia]] and the Pacific, particularly through [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]] and the [[Pacific Islands Forum]]. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the [[East Asia Summit]] following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Australia is a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], in which the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government]] 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 [[Cairns Group]] and [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]], and is a member of the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]] and the [[WTO]]. Australia has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the [[Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement]]. Australia is a founding member of the [[United Nations]], and maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005–06 budget provides A$2.5&nbsp;bn for development assistance;<ref name = "budget">Australian Government. (2005). [http://www.budget.gov.au/ Budget 2005-2006]</ref> as a percentage of GDP, this contribution is less than that of the UN [[Millennium Development Goals]].
+The Statute of Westminster (1931) formally ended most constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom, but Australia did not adopt the statute until 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 [[United States of America|United States]] as a new ally and protector. From 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the U.S. under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe. Beginning in the 1970s and the abolition of a White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and other parts of the world was encouraged. The final constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom ended in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending judicial appeals to the United Kingdom Privy Council. Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55 percent majority.
-Australia's armed forces — the [[Australian Defence Force]] (ADF) — comprise the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN), the [[Australian Army]], and the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF). All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping (most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and [[Sudan]]), disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the [[2003 Invasion of Iraq]]. The government appoints the chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services; the current chief is Air Chief Marshal [[Angus Houston]]. In 2005–06, the defence budget is A$17.5&nbsp;bn.<ref name = "budget">Australian Government. (2005). [http://www.budget.gov.au/ Budget 2005-2006]</ref>  The forces, while numerically small compared to some in the region, are all-volunteer and held in high regard as a well trained force equipped with modern weapons.
+==Politics==
+[[Image:NewParliamentHouseInCanberra.jpg|thumb|right|400px|New Parliament House in Canberra was opened in 1988, replacing the Old Parliament House in Canberra. The provisional Parliament House building opened in 1927.]]
+The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy and has a parliamentary system of government. [[Charles III]] is the King of Australia, and is represented by the Governor-General of Australia, at federal level, and by the governors at state level.
-==Geography and climate==
+The parliament, or legislative branch of government, consists of an upper house, or senate, of 76 senators, and a lower house, or House of Representatives, of 150 members. Members of the lower house are elected from single-member constituencies, commonly known as “electorates,” allocated to states on the basis of population. Elections for both chambers are held every three years. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms government, with its leader becoming prime minister.
-{{main|Geography of Australia}}
+[[Image:Map of Australia.png|thumb|350px|States and territories of Australia]]
+The executive comprises the King, represented by the governor-general, the prime minister, and a cabinet nominated by the Prime Minister.
-[[Image:Australia-climate-map MJC01.png|right|thumb|240px|Climatic zones in Australia.]]
+The judiciary, the third branch of government, consists of the High Court, other federal courts and state courts, all of which became formally independent of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London when the ''Australia Act'' was passed in 1986. The legal system is based on English common law.
-Australia's 7,686,850 [[square kilometre]]s<!--spelled out is correct see [[WP:MOSNUM]] —> (2,967,909&nbsp;[[square mile|sq.&nbsp;mi]]) landmass is on the [[Indo-Australian Plate]]. Surrounded by the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]], [[Southern Ocean|Southern]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the [[Arafura Sea|Arafura]] and [[Timor Sea|Timor]] seas. Australia has a total 25,760 [[kilometre]]s<!--spelled out is correct see [[WP:MOSNUM]] —> (16,007 [[mile|mi]]) of coastline and claims an extensive [[Exclusive Economic Zone]] of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,057&nbsp;[[square mile|sq.&nbsp;mi]]). This exclusive economic zone does not include the [[Australian Antarctic Territory]].
+There are three main political parties: the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Liberal Party and the National Party. Independent members and several minor parties—including the Greens, Family First and the Democrats—have achieved representation mostly in the upper house.
-The [[Great Barrier Reef]], the world's largest [[coral reef]], lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,250&nbsp;[[mile|mi]]). The world's largest [[monolith]], [[Mount Augustus National Park|Mount Augustus]], is located in Western Australia.<!--previous edit, claiming Uluru to be the second largest Monolith in the world, contradicted information on the Monolith page, which claims Uluru is neither a Monolith nor on the top three of largest Monoliths in the world —>  At 2,228 [[metre]]s<!--spelled out is correct see [[WP:MOSNUM]] —> (7,310 [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]), [[Mount Kosciuszko]] on the [[Great Dividing Range]] is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although [[Mawson Peak]] on the remote Australian territory of [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands|Heard Island]] is taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft).
+Australia consists of six states: [[New South Wales]], [[Queensland]], [[South Australia]], [[Tasmania]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], and [[Western Australia]]. Two major mainland territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]]. The state parliaments control hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport and local government. Each state and territory has its own parliament.
-By far the largest part of Australia is [[Deserts of Australia|desert]] or [[semi-arid]]. 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 northern part of the country, with a [[tropics|tropical climate]], has a vegetation consisting of [[rainforest]], woodland, grassland and desert. Climate is highly influenced by ocean currents, including the [[El Niño]] southern oscillation, which is correlated with periodic [[drought]], and the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces [[cyclones]] in northern Australia.
+The federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, as a naval base and sea port for the national capital. External territories include: [[Norfolk Island]], [[Christmas Island]], the [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]], and the largely uninhabited Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island, and McDonald Islands, and the Australian Antarctic Territory.
-==Flora and fauna==
+Australia's foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the [[United States of America|United States]], through the ANZUS pact and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (or ASEAN) and the Pacific Islands Forum. Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Much of Australia's diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalization. It is a founding member of the [[United Nations]], and extends aid to 60 countries.
-{{main articles|[[Flora of Australia]] and [[Fauna of Australia]]}}
-[[Image:Koala climbing tree.jpg|right|thumb|240px|The [[Koala]] and the ''[[Eucalyptus]]'' make an iconic pair of Australian flora and fauna.]]
-Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, it covers a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical [[rainforest]]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 [[biota (ecology)|biota]] is unique and [[biodiversity|diverse]]. About 85% of [[flowering plant]]s, 84% of [[mammal]]s, more than 45% of [[List of Australian birds|birds]], and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are [[Endemic (ecology)|endemic]].<ref>Department of the Environment and Heritage. [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/about-biodiversity.html About Biodiversity]</ref> Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and [[Invasive species in Australia|introduced plant and animal species]]. The federal ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' is a legal framework used for the protection of threatened species. Numerous [[Protected areas of Australia|protected areas]] have been created to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems, 64 wetlands are registered under the [[Ramsar Convention]], and 16 [[World Heritage Site]]s have been established. Australia was ranked thirteenth in the World on the 2005 [[Environmental Sustainability Index]].
-Most Australian woody plant species are evergreen and many are adapted to fire and drought, including many [[Eucalyptus|eucalyptus]] and [[acacia]]s. Australia has a rich variety of endemic [[legume]] species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their symbiosis with [[Rhizobia]] bacteria and [[Mycorrhiza|mycorrhizal]] fungi. Well-known Australian fauna include [[monotreme]]s (the [[platypus]] and [[echidna]]); a host of [[marsupial]]s, including the [[koala]], [[kangaroo]], [[wombat]]; and birds such as the [[emu]], and [[kookaburra]]. The [[dingo]] was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with Indigenous Australians around 4000 [[Common Era|BCE]]. Many plant and animal species became extinct soon after human settlement, including the [[Australian megafauna]]; others have become extinct since European settlement, among them the [[Thylacine]] (Tasmanian Tiger).
+Australia's armed forces—the Australian Defence Force—comprise the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force. All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping, most recently in [[East Timor]], the [[Solomon Islands]] and [[Sudan]], disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the 2003 invasion of [[Iraq]]. The forces, while numerically small compared to some in the region, consist of volunteers and are held in high regard as a well-trained force equipped with modern weapons.
 ==Economy==
-{{main|Economy of Australia}}
+[[Image:Melbourne yarra afternoon.jpg|400px|thumb|right|[[Melbourne]] is the second largest city in Australia]]
-[[Image:Melbourne yarra afternoon.jpg|240px|thumb|right|[[Melbourne]]'s population is approximately 3.7 million, the second largest city in Australia]]
-Australia has a prosperous, Western-style [[mixed economy]], with a per capita [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] slightly higher than those of the UK, [[Germany]] and [[France]]. The country was ranked third in the [[United Nations]]' 2005 [[Human Development Index]] and sixth in ''[[The Economist]]'' 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.
+Australia has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) slightly higher than those of the UK, Germany, and France. 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.
-In the 1980s, the Labor Party, led by Prime Minister [[Bob Hawke]] and [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]] [[Paul Keating]], started the process of economic reform by [[Floating exchange rate|floating]] the [[Australian dollar]] in 1983, and deregulating the financial system.<ref>Macfarlane, I. J. (1998). [http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Bulletin/bu_oct98/bu_1098_2.pdf Australian Monetary Policy in the Last Quarter of the Twentieth Century]. ''Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin'', October</ref> Since 1996, the Howard government has continued the process of micro-economic reform, including the partial deregulation of the labour market and the privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the [[Communications in Australia|telecommunications]] industry.<ref>Parham, D. (2002). [http://www.pc.gov.au/research/confproc/mrrag/mrrag.pdf Microeconomic reforms and the revival in Australia’s growth in productivity and living standards]. ''Conference of Economists'', Adelaide, [[1 October]]</ref> Substantial reform of the indirect tax system was implemented in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10% [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]], which has slightly reduced the heavy reliance on personal and company income tax that still characterises Australia's tax system.
+The Australian economy has not suffered a recession since the early 1990s. The service sector, including tourism, education, and financial services, comprises the majority of GDP. Agriculture and natural resources comprise small amounts, but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance.
-The Australian economy has not suffered a [[recession]] since the early 1990s. As of January 2006, [[unemployment]] was 5.3% with 10,034,500 persons employed.<ref>Australian Bureau of Statistics. Labour Force Australia. Cat#6202</ref> The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and financial services, comprises 69% of GDP.<ref>Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2003). ''Advancing the National Interest'', [http://www.dfat.gov.au/ani/appendix_one.pdf Appendix 1]</ref> [[Agriculture in Australia|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]], [[People's Republic of China|China]], the United States, [[South Korea]] and New Zealand.<ref name  = "Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]</ref> Areas of concern to some economists include the high [[current account deficit]] and also high levels of net foreign debt.
+Australia's largest export markets include [[Japan]], [[People's Republic of China]], the [[United States]], [[South Korea]], and [[New Zealand]]. Export commodities include [[coal]], [[gold]], [[meat]], [[wool]], [[alumina]], [[iron ore]], [[wheat]], [[machinery]] and transport equipment. Import commodities include machinery and transport equipment, [[computer]]s and office machines, [[telecommunication]] equipment and parts; crude [[oil]] and [[petroleum]] products. Partners are the U.S., [[China]], Japan, [[Germany]], [[Singapore]], and the United Kingdom.
 ==Demographics==
-{{main|Demographics of Australia}}
+[[Image:Sydney_opera_house_and_skyline.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Most Australians live in urban areas; Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards [[urbanization]] is also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world]]
-[[Image:Sydney_opera_house_and_skyline.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Most Australians live in urban areas; [[Sydney]] is the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards [[urbanisation]] is also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world]]
-Most of the estimated 20.4 million Australians are descended from nineteenth- and twentieth-century immigrants, the majority from [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I <ref>Australian Bureau of Statistics, [http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/68180154bf128d91ca2569d000164365?OpenDocument Population Growth - Australia’s Population Growth]</ref>, spurred by an ambitious [[Immigration to Australia|immigration]] program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 27.4% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, [[New Zealand]], [[Italy]], [[Vietnam]] and China.<ref name  = "Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]</ref>  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]]<ref>Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. (2005). [http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/06evolution.htm The Evolution of Australia's Multicultural Policy]</ref>.
+Most Australians are descended from nineteenth and twentieth-century immigrants from [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]]. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of [[World War I]], spurred by an ambitious immigration program. A policy of multiculturalism has been established to promote racial harmony.
-The self-declared indigenous population — including Torres Strait Islanders, who are of Melanesian descent — 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.<ref name  = "Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]</ref> Perceived racial inequality is an ongoing political and [[human rights in Australia|human rights]] issue for Australians.
+There is a growing self-declared indigenous population—including [[Torres Strait Islands|Torres Strait Islanders]], who are of [[Melanesia]]n descent. [[Indigenous Australians]] have higher rates of imprisonment and unemployment, lower levels of education. and shorter life expectancies. Perceived racial inequality is an ongoing political and human rights issue for Australians.
-[[Image:Tanunda.jpg|left|thumb|240px|Fewer than 15% of Australians live in rural areas. This picture shows the [[Barossa Valley]] wine producing region of [[South Australia]].]]
+[[Image:Tanunda.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Fewer than 15 percent of Australians live in rural areas. This picture shows the [[Barossa Valley]] wine-producing region of [[South Australia]].]]
-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&ndash;03<ref>Parliament of Australia, Senate (2005). [http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/expats03/ Inquiry into Australian Expatriates]</ref>) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active [[Immigration to Australia|immigration]] programs in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are skilled; the quota includes categories for family members and [[refugee]]s.
+The population is aging, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians live outside their home country.
-[[English language|English]] is the [[official language]],<ref>Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. (1995). [http://www.immi.gov.au/multicultural/_inc/publications/confer/04/speech18b.htm Pluralist Nations: Pluralist Language Policies?]</ref> 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 language|Chinese]] (2.1%), [[Italian language|Italian]] (1.9%) and [[Greek language|Greek]] (1.4%). A considerable proportion of first- and second-generation migrants are [[Multilingualism|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 languages|endangered]]. An indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 (0.02%) people. Australia has a [[sign language]] known as [[Auslan]], which is the main language of about 6,500 [[deaf]] people.
+English is the official language. Australian English is the only language spoken in the home for around 80 percent of the population. Other languages include Chinese, Italian, and Greek. Many immigrants are bilingual. There were between 200 and 300 Australian [[aborigine|Aboriginal]] languages at the time of first European contact. Only 70 of these languages have survived, and all but 20 are now endangered. An indigenous language remains the main language for a very small minority of people. Australia has a sign language known as [[Auslan]].
-Australia has no [[state religion]].  The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as [[Roman Catholic Church in Australia|Roman Catholic]] and 21% as [[Anglican Communion|Anglican]]. Australians that 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 [[secular humanism|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.<ref>[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 NCLS releases latest estimates of church attendance], National Church Life Survey, Media release, [[28 February]] [[2004]]</ref>
+Australia has no state [[religion]]. Section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion.<ref>[http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coaca430/s116.html Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act - Sect 116] ''Commonwealth Consolidated Acts''. Retrieved November 4, 2022.</ref>
-School attendance is compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6&ndash;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 [[Technical and Further Education|TAFE Institutes]], and many trades conduct [[apprenticeship]]s for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and 64 have vocational or tertiary qualifications.<ref name  = "Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]</ref>
+School attendance is compulsory between the ages of six and 15 years (16 years in [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]], and 17 years in [[Western Australia]]), contributing to an adult literacy rate of 99 percent. Government grants have helped establish and fund Australia's 38 [[university|universities]]. Several private universities exist. There is a state-based system of vocational training [[college|colleges]], known as Technical and Further Education Institutes, and trades conduct [[apprenticeship]]s.
 ==Culture==
-{{main|Culture of Australia}}
+[[Image:Golden Summer Eaglemont Arthur Streeton.jpg|right|thumb|400px|''Golden Summer, Eaglemont'' Eaglemont, Victoria by [[Arthur Streeton]] (1889) is an early example of the rich tradition of Australian [[landscape painting]].]]
-[[Image:Golden Summer Eaglemont Arthur Streeton.jpg|right|thumb|240px|''Golden Summer, Eaglemont'' ([[Eaglemont, Victoria]]) by [[Arthur Streeton]] (1889) is an early example of the rich tradition of Australian [[landscape painting]].]]
-The primary basis of Australian culture up until the mid-20th century was [[Anglo-Celtic]], although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and [[Australian Aborigine|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, theater, dance, and crafts — are achieving international recognition.
+The culture until the mid-twentieth century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the [[environment]] and Australian [[Aborigine]] culture. American popular culture, particularly [[television]] and [[cinema]], has had a heavy influence over the past 50 years, as has large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and Australia's Asian neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia—[[film]]s, [[opera]], [[music]], [[painting]], [[theater]], [[dance]], and [[craft]]s—are achieving 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 [[Europe]]an settlement, a common theme in Australian art has been its landscape. The traditions of indigenous Australians are transmitted orally. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and Australian Aboriginal art influence contemporary Australian visual and performing arts. Albert Namatjira is a well-known Aboriginal painter. Many [[ballet]] and theater companies receive funding through the federal government's Council for the Arts. 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.
-Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the [[Cave painting|cave]] and bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in [[Art of Australia|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 (mythology)|Dreamtime]]. [[Australian Aboriginal music]], dance and [[Australian Aboriginal art|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 for the Arts|Australia Council]]. There is a [[Orchestra|symphony orchestra]] in each capital city, and a national [[opera]] company, [[Opera Australia]], first made prominent by the renowned diva [[Joan Sutherland|Dame Joan Sutherland]]; [[Music of Australia|Australian music]] includes classical, jazz, and many popular music genres.
+Australian [[literature]] has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers [[Banjo Paterson]] and [[Henry Lawson]] captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, shows an 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.
-[[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.
+Australian English is a major variety of the English language. Its [[grammar]] and spelling are largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and phrases.
-Australia has two public broadcasters (the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] and [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]]), three commercial [[television network]]s, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. [[Cinema of Australia|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 2005, Australia is in thirty first position on a list of countries ranked by [[freedom of the press|press freedom]], behind [[New Zealand]] (9th)  and the [[United Kingdom]] (28th) but ahead of the [[United States]]. This ranking is primarily due to the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian [[Publishing|print media]] in particular is under the control of either [[News Corporation]] or [[John Fairfax Holdings]].
+Australia has two [[public broadcast]]ers, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service, three commercial television networks, three pay TV services, and numerous public, non-profit television and radio stations. Australia's film industry has achieved critical and commercial successes, as have quite a number of its actors and actresses. Each major city has daily newspapers, and there are two national daily newspapers, ''The Australian'' and ''The Australian Financial Review''.
-[[Image:Aussie rules wikipedia.jpg|thumb|240px|right|[[Australian rules football]] was developed in Australia and is played at amateur and professional levels.]]
+[[Image:Aussie rules wikipedia.jpg|thumb|400px|right|[[Australian rules football]] was developed in Australia and is played at amateur and professional levels.]]
-[[Sport in Australia|Sport]] is an important part of Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.<ref name  = "Year Book 2005">Australian Bureau of Statistics. [http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1a79e7ae231704f8ca256f720082feb9!OpenDocument Year Book Australia 2005]</ref> At an international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in [[cricket]], [[field hockey|hockey]], [[netball]], [[rugby league]], [[rugby union]], and performs well in [[cycling]] and [[swimming]]. Nationally, other popular sports include [[Australian rules football]], [[football (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 Summer Olympics|1956]] and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the [[1938 British Empire Games|1938]], [[1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1962]], [[1982 Commonwealth Games|1982]] and [[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006]] Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the [[Australian Open]], one of the four [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] tennis tournaments, 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 competitions.<ref>Australian Film Commission. What are Australians Watching?, [http://www.afc.gov.au/gtp/freetv.html Free-to-Air, 1999-2004 TV]</ref>
+[[Sport]] is important, assisted by a climate that favors outdoor activities; around one fourth of Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in an organized sport. Australia has particularly strong international teams in [[cricket]], [[field hockey]], [[netball]], [[rugby]] league, rugby union, and performs well in [[cycling]] and [[swimming]]. Other sports include Australian rules football, [[soccer]], and [[motor racing]]. Australia has participated in every summer [[Olympic Games]] and every [[Commonwealth Games]]. Australia has hosted the 1956 [[Summer Olympics]] and 2000 Summer Olympics, and has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938 [[British Empire Games]], 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, 1982 Commonwealth Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam [[tennis]] tournaments, and the [[Formula One Grand Prix|Formula One Australian Grand Prix]].
+[[Image:Mt hotham alpine range scenery.jpg|thumb|600px|center|The Victorian Alps]]
-==See also==
+==Notes==
-{{Template:Australian Topics}}
+<references/>
-==Notes and references==
+==References==
-<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
+* Collins. ''Collins English Dictionary''. Collins, 2011. ISBN 978-0007437863
-<div style="font-size: 90%">
+* Delbridge, Arthur. ''The Macquarie Dictionary''. Macquarie Library, 1982. ISBN 978-0949757005
-<references />
+* National Library of Australia. ''Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia''. University of Michigan Library, 2010. {{ASIN|B0041G6I8C}}
-</div>
 ==External links==
-{{portal}}
+All links retrieved August 22, 2023.
-{{Spoken Wikipedia-2|2006-01-17|AustraliaPart1.ogg|AustraliaPart2.ogg|}}
-{{sisterlinks|Australia}}
-*[http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia Wikitravel guide to Australia]
-*[http://www.gov.au/ Australian Government Entry Portal]
-*[http://www.australia.gov.au/ Commonwealth Government Online]
-*[http://www.immi.gov.au/ Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA)]
-*[http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): Country Information]
-*[http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.000000,133.000000&spn=38.871300,61.703613&t=h&hl=en Satellite images of Australia] (Google Maps)
-*[http://www.nla.gov.au/ National Library of Australia]
-*[http://www.nma.gov.au/ National Museum of Australia]
-*[http://www.australia.com/ Official Australia Tourism Website]
-*[http://www.bom.gov.au/ Bureau of Meteorology]
-{{Continent}}
+*[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/australia/ Australia] ''The World Factbook''
-{{Pacific_Islands}}
+*[https://www.australia.com/en-us Tourism Australia]
+*[https://www.australia.gov.au/ Australian Government]
+*[https://www.bbc.com/news/world/australia Australia] ''BBC''
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-[[ca:Austràlia]]
-[[ceb:Australia]]
-[[cs:Austrálie]]
-[[cy:Awstralia]]
-[[da:Australien]]
-[[de:Australien]]
-[[et:Austraalia]]
-[[el:Αυστραλία]]
-[[es:Australia]]
-[[eo:Aŭstralio]]
-[[fa:استرالیا]]
-[[fr:Australie]]
-[[ga:An Astráil]]
-[[gl:Australia]]
-[[hr:Australija]]
-[[ko:오스트레일리아]]
-[[hi:ऑस्ट्रेलिया]]
-[[io:Australia]]
-[[id:Australia]]
-[[ia:Australia]]
-[[is:Ástralía]]
-[[it:Australia]]
-[[he:אוסטרליה]]
-[[kw:Ostrali]]
-[[la:Australia]]
-[[lv:Austrālija (valsts)]]
-[[lt:Australija]]
-[[lb:Australien]]
-[[li:Australië]]
-[[hu:Ausztrália]]
-[[mi:Ahitereiria]]
-[[ms:Australia]]
-[[na:Otereiriya]]
-[[nl:Australië (land)]]
-[[nds:Australien]]
-[[ja:オーストラリア]]
-[[no:Australia]]
-[[nn:Australia]]
-[[nrm:Australie]]
-[[pl:Australia]]
-[[pt:Austrália]]
-[[ro:Australia]]
-[[ru:Австралия]]
-[[scn:Australia]]
-[[simple:Australia]]
-[[sk:Austrália (štát)]]
-[[sl:Avstralija]]
-[[sr:Аустралија]]
-[[fi:Australia]]
-[[sv:Australien]]
-[[ta:ஆஸ்திரேலியா]]
-[[tet:Austrália]]
-[[tl:Australia]]
-[[th:ประเทศออสเตรเลีย]]
-[[vi:Úc]]
-[[tpi:Ostrelia]]
-[[tr:Avustralya]]
-[[uk:Австралія (країна)]]
-[[yi:אױסטראַליע]]
-[[zh:澳大利亚]]
-[[zh-yue:澳洲]]