Australia

Flag of Australia

Australia's flag is also called the Commonwealth Blue Ensign

It has three main design elements on a deep blue background.

They are:

The British Union Jack flag is in the upper left corner - noting Australia's ties to Great Britain

The Southern Cross constellation (5 stars) is on the right side of the flag

The Southern Cross is a major navigational constellation in the Southern Hemisphere

The large, white, seven-pointed Commonwealth Star (also called the Star of Federation) -is symbolic of the original states of Australia

Interesting Facts

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth
 
The Australian federation consists of six States and two Territories

The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 through the federation of six states under a single constitution


Australia is one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic societies in the world


Over 200 languages are spoken, with English the common language


The nation has thriving ethnic media, an international business reputation, an innovative artistic community, diverse religious and cultural activities


Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth


Australia was the second country to give women the vote

Almost three-quarters of the land cannot support agriculture in any form

The 'dingo fence' in Australia is the longest fence in the world, and is about twice as long as the Great Wall of China

The capital of Australia is Canberra

The population of Australia in 1992 was 17,562,000

The average Australian will consume 165,000 eggs in his or her lifetime

The Great Barrier Reef is the longest reef in the world at over 2010 kilometers

Australia is known as the smallest continent in the world

There are over 6000 species of flies, about 4000 species of ants, and there are about 350 species of termites in Australia

Australia has the world's largest population of wild camels with one hump

There are more than 150 million sheep in Australia, and only some 20 million people.

The Tasmanian Devil does exist, and it has the jaw strength of a crocodile

Map of Australia



Her Majesty Elizabeth II

Queen of Australia

 Australia’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II

Prime Minister:  Kevin Rudd

Rudd is the Prime Minister of Australia and the head of the Australian Government

Rudd is the 26th and current Prime minister of Australia


He is federal leader of the center-left Australian Labor Party (ALP)

In the Commonwealth of Australia the Prime Minister holds the most powerful political position


The Prime minister is the leader of the political party and gains the majority of support from the House of Representatives.

Rudd is the first Prime Minister to make no mention of the Queen in his oath of office



Government

The formal name of Australia’s government is the Commonwealth of Australia

The form of government used in Australia is a Constitutional Monarchy – ‘Constitutional’ because the powers and procedures of the Commonwealth Government are defined by a written constitution, and ‘Monarchy’ because Australia’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II


The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 when six independent British colonies agreed to join together and become states of a new nation

The Politics of Australia take place within the framework of parliamentary democracy
 

Parliaments and councils are legislating (law-making) bodies


Australia’s parliaments make laws according to federal and state constitutions


xecutive governments devise and administer the law


Local by-laws are administered by council officers

The House of Representatives has 150 members and they serve a three year terms


The Senate has 76 members Electors chose territorial senators for three-year terms

The state senators serve a six-year term

Australian Capital Building




*The capital of Australia is Canberra

It is located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)


Australian Currency:


Australia was the first country in the world to have a complete system of bank notes made from plastic (polymer)

These notes provide much greater security against counterfeiting


They last four times as long as conventional paper (fibrous) notes

In 1963, Australia initiated the change to decimal currency

The $2 coin, which replaced the two dollar note in 1988


The Australian dollar, which divides into 100 cents, is the national currency

The $1 coin, which replaced the $1 note in 1984

Australia’s colorful bank notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars



Australian Coins: 


The $2 coin replaced the two dollar note in 1988



The $1 coin replaced the $1 note in 1984, depicts five kangaroos



The standard $1 design, along with the 50, 20, 10 and 5 cent designs, was created by the Queen’s official jeweler, Stuart Devlin

The Australian dollar, which divides into 100 cents, is the national currency

Coins represent 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent values and 1 and 2 dollar values


Religions in Australia


*
Christianity is the highest at 67 percent


*Buddhism and Islam both at around  1.5 percent


*Around 18.7 percent of Australians  have no religion


*Of the Christian denominations -
 the Catholic Church is the largest,
 followed by the Anglican
 and the Uniting Church


Australia is an open/democratic multi race society. ALL religions are welcomed and most are represented. The majority religions are Christian



Agricultural Products
of Australia

 
*Australia is a major agricultural producer and exporter

*dairying    
*prime lamb
*beef         
*wheat        
*wool
*wool production


Famous Landmarks in
 Australia


Ayers Rock





*Uluru  is the world's largest monolith


*It is a dedicated Aboriginal sacred site


*I
t is located in the Northern Territory near the city of Alice Springs


*Was once known as the Ayers rock


*This most striking landmark changes its color and perception
depending on the time of day and the season


Sydney Harbour Bridge


*The Sydney Harbor Bridge was opened in 1932

*It took nine years to build 
 

*The Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest single arch bridge in the world

*It is nicknamed the coathanger because of its unique look


*The Sydney Harbor Bridge is over a kilometer long



*The Sydney Harbor Bridge was opened in 1932

*It took nine years to build 
 

*The Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest single arch bridge in the world

*It is nicknamed the coathanger because of its unique look


*The Sydney Harbor Bridge is over a kilometer long


*The Great Barrier Reef is located to the East of the State of Queensland


* It is the largest coral reef in the world


*The coral reef has several thousand organisms (living things) living  together


*It takes 100 years for 1 inch of coral to grow


It gives life to over 1500 types of fish
 

*There are very strict laws regarding fishing within the reef


*It is one Australia's largest tourist attractions


*About 1.5 million people visit the reef annually






Sydney Opera House



*The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen  Elizabeth the Second on  the 20th of October 1973

*It located close to the heart of Sydney

*It is easily recognized by its multiple "sail" roof


*It is said to be the busiest performing Arts Center in the world with over 3000 events per year


Australia Arts
                                            Aboriginal cave art

Australia is known for their international recognition in:

*films
*music
*opera
*painting
*theater
*dance
*crafts


They are also known for their:

*galleries (even in small towns)
*ballet
*symphony orchestras



Music in Austraila

Aboriginal Music     
         
*Aboriginal song was and remains an integral part of
 Aboriginal culture since time immemorial
         

*Didgeridoo is a wooden instrument used by the Aboriginals


Pop
Rock

Classical
Jazz
Country
Metal
Pub Rock



Click on the arrow and listen to some
Aboriginal Music of Australia

Australian Foods








*Fresh produce

*Seafood


*Barbecues


*Sausage Sizzles

*Pasta

*Pizza


*Casseroles


*Focaccias


*Risotto


*Curry dishes


*Steak


*Chicken

*Roast turkey

*Ham


*Steamed or
Stir-fried vegetables

     and
Kangaroo


Take a Tour of Australia
Click on the arrow and experience the beauties of Australia