AustraliaAustralia

Made by: Lyamkina YuliaMade by: Lyamkina Yulia

Commonwealth of Australia Commonwealth of Australia

Some factsSome facts

Capital: CanberraCapital: Canberra Largest city: SydneyLargest city: Sydney National language: EnglishNational language: English Ethnic groups:AustralianEthnic groups:Australian Australian AboriginalAustralian Aboriginal AsianAsian EuropianEuropian

Government: Federal parliamentary Government: Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional democracy and constitutional monarchymonarchy

Monarch: Queen Elizabeth IIMonarch: Queen Elizabeth II Governor-General: Quentin BryceGovernor-General: Quentin Bryce Prime Minister: Kevin RuddPrime Minister: Kevin Rudd Currency: Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)Australian dollar (AUD)

Some factsSome facts

AustraliaAustralia, officially the , officially the Commonwealth of AustraliaCommonwealth of Australia, is a , is a country in the country in the southernsouthern hemispherehemisphere comprising the comprising the mainlandmainland of the of the world's smallest world's smallest continentcontinent, the major , the major island of island of TasmaniaTasmania, and numerous , and numerous otherother islandsislands in the in the IndianIndian and and PacificPacific OceansOceans

AustraliaAustralia

EtymologyEtymology

The name The name AustraliaAustralia is derived from is derived from the the LatinLatin AustralisAustralis, meaning , meaning "Southern". Legends of an "unknown "Southern". Legends of an "unknown land of the south" (land of the south" (terraterra australisaustralis incognitaincognita) date back to Roman times ) date back to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval and were commonplace in medieval geography but were not based on geography but were not based on any documented knowledge of the any documented knowledge of the continent. continent.

HistoryHistory

Human habitation of Australia is estimated Human habitation of Australia is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago. These first Australians may have years ago. These first Australians may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians; they may have arrived via Australians; they may have arrived via landland bridgesbridges and short sea-crossings from what is and short sea-crossings from what is now now South-EastSouth-East AsiaAsia. Most of these people . Most of these people were were hunter-gatherershunter-gatherers, with a complex , with a complex oraloral cultureculture and spiritual values based on and spiritual values based on reverence for the land and a belief in the reverence for the land and a belief in the DreamtimeDreamtime. The . The TorresTorres StraitStrait IslandersIslanders, , ethnically ethnically MelanesianMelanesian, were originally , were originally horticulturalists and hunter-gatherers horticulturalists and hunter-gatherers

A replica of Lieutenant Cook's A replica of Lieutenant Cook's ship ship HM HM BarkBark EndeavourEndeavour in in

CooktownCooktown Harbour Harbour

In 1770, In 1770, JamesJames CookCook sailed along and sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. and claimed for Great Britain.

PortPort ArthurArthur, , TasmaniaTasmania was was Australia's largest Australia's largest gaolgaol for for transported transported convicts convicts

Politics Politics

The Commonwealth of Australia is a The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutionalconstitutional democracydemocracy based on a based on a federalfederal division of powers. The form division of powers. The form of government used in Australia is a of government used in Australia is a constitutionalconstitutional monarchymonarchy with a with a parliamentaryparliamentary systemsystem of of government. government. QueenQueen ElizabethElizabeth II II is the is the QueenQueen ofof AustraliaAustralia, a role that is , a role that is distinct from her position as monarch distinct from her position as monarch of the other of the other CommonwealthCommonwealth realmsrealms

ParliamentParliament HouseHouse in in CanberraCanberra was was opened in 1988, opened in 1988, replacing the replacing the provisionalprovisional ParliamentParliament HouseHouse buildingbuilding opened in opened in 1927. 1927.

There are There are threethree branchesbranches ofof governmentgovernment::

The legislature: the The legislature: the CommonwealthCommonwealth ParliamentParliament, , comprising the Queen, the Senate, and the House comprising the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives; the Queen is represented by of Representatives; the Queen is represented by the Governor-General, who by convention acts on the Governor-General, who by convention acts on the advice of his or her Ministers. the advice of his or her Ministers.

The executive: the The executive: the FederalFederal ExecutiveExecutive CouncilCouncil (the (the Governor-General as advised by the Executive Governor-General as advised by the Executive Councillors); in practice, the councillors are the Councillors); in practice, the councillors are the Prime Minister and Ministers of State. Prime Minister and Ministers of State.

The judiciary: the The judiciary: the HighHigh CourtCourt ofof AustraliaAustralia and and other other federalfederal courtscourts. Appeals from Australian . Appeals from Australian courts to the courts to the JudicialJudicial CommitteeCommittee ofof thethe PrivyPrivy CouncilCouncil in the United Kingdom ceased when the in the United Kingdom ceased when the AustraliaAustralia ActAct was passed in 1986. was passed in 1986.

TheThe officialofficial residenceresidence of the of the Governor-GeneralGovernor-General ofof AustraliaAustralia

States and territories States and territories

Australia has six states and two major Australia has six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the territories that are under the administration of the federal government.administration of the federal government.

The states are The states are NewNew SouthSouth WalesWales, , QueenslandQueensland, , SouthSouth AustraliaAustralia, , TasmaniaTasmania, , VictoriaVictoria, and , and WesternWestern AustraliaAustralia. The two . The two major mainland territories are the major mainland territories are the NorthernNorthern TerritoryTerritory and the Australian and the Australian Capital TerritoryCapital Territory

Australian States and mainland Australian States and mainland

TerritoriesTerritories

Geography Geography Australia's landmass of 7,617,930 square Australia's landmass of 7,617,930 square

kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi)kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi)[41][41] is on the is on the Indo-AustralianIndo-Australian PlatePlate. Surrounded by the . Surrounded by the IndianIndianN4N4 and Pacific oceans, Australia is and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the separated from Asia by the ArafuraArafura and and TimorTimor seas. Australia has 34,218 kilometres seas. Australia has 34,218 kilometres (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands)offshore islands)[42][42] and claims an extensive and claims an extensive exclusiveexclusive economiceconomic zonezone of 8,148,250 square of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.Australian Antarctic Territory.

Climatic zones in AustraliaClimatic zones in Australia

Ecology Ecology Although most of Australia is semi-arid or Although most of Australia is semi-arid or

desert, it includes a diverse range of habitats desert, it includes a diverse range of habitats from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests, and from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests, and is recognised as a megadiverse country. is recognised as a megadiverse country. Because of the continent's great age, its Because of the continent's great age, its extremely variable weather patterns, and its extremely variable weather patterns, and its long-term geographic isolation, much of long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About Australia's biota is unique and diverse. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of in-shore, more than 45% of birds, and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic temperate-zone fish are endemic

The koala and the The koala and the eucalyptuseucalyptus forming an iconic Australian forming an iconic Australian

pair pair