ABOUT AUSTRALIA
When most people think of Australia a particular image comes to mind. It might be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Ayers Rock, or a kangaroo hopping down a main street. Such imagery may not be particularly representative, but it does highlight the fact that in many ways Australia is different to anywhere you have been before.
Australia is the world's sixth largest country. Its area is 7,682,300 sq km, about the same size as 48 mainland states of the USA. It constitutes approximately 5of the world's land surface. Lying between the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is about 4000km from east to west and 3200km from north to south, with a coastline 36,735 km long.
Australia is a federation of six states and two territories. Under the written Constitution, which came into force on 1 January 1901 when the colonies joined to form the Commonwealth of Australia, the Federal government is mainly responsible for the national economy and Reserve Bank, customs and excise, immigration, defence, foreign policy and the postal system. The state governments are chiefly responsible for health, education, housing, transport and justice. There are both Federal and State police forces.
Australia has a parliamentary system of government based on that of the United Kingdom, and the state and Federal structures are broadly similar. Australia's population is about 19.2 million. The most populous cities are Sydney, with 4 million people, and Melbourne with 3.3 million. Australian democracy guarantees civic freedoms and fundamental rights and equality, and it is the institutions of Australian democracy that enable diversity in our society to flourish.
The democratic foundations of Australian society contains a balance of rights and obligations. Within this broad framework, each individual and group is welcome to make a contribution to the common good.
Australia is a relatively affluent and industrialised nation but much of its wealth still comes from agriculture and mining. An increasingly important source of income is the tourism industry, with the numbers of visitors rising each year and projections for even greater numbers in the future. Japan is Australia's biggest trading partner, with China, Korea and Vietnam becoming increasingly important. Regionally, Australia has initiated the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, a body aimed at furthering the economic interests of the Pacific nations.The Australian economy is growing at a rate of around 4per year and inflation is low, at around 2 |
