Australia

Related Topics:
Australian :: Australian_Ponies :: Australian_Mist :: Australian_Stock_Horse :: Australian_Aboriginals :: Australian_Kelpie :: Australian_Terrier :: Australian_Shepherd :: Australian_Aboriginal :: Australian_Cattle_Dog

Australia is a country. It is also a continent in the area of Australasia and Oceania. It is in the Southern Hemisphere (the southern half of the world), between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Australia was separated from the other continents of the world many millions of years ago. Because of this, many animals and plants live in Australia that are not found anywhere else. These include animals like the kangaroo, the koala and the platypus.

People first arrived in Australia more than 50,000 years ago. These native Australians are called the Australian Aborigines. For the history of Australia, see History of Australia.

Australia has been an independent country since 1901. The first prime minister of Australia was Edmund Barton in 1901. Australia is a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth. It is an ally of the United States. It is a parliamentary democracy.

Australia is a very big country, but the middle of it is mostly desert. Only the areas around the east and south coast have enough rain for farms and cities. Much of the inland is used only for cattle ranching and mining.

Today Australia has just over 20 million people. Most Australians live in cities along the coast, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin and Adelaide. The capital city, Canberra, is inland.

Australia is made up of six states and two territories. Each of these has its own Parliament and makes its own local laws. The Australian Parliament sits in Canberra and makes laws for the whole country. The government is led by the Prime Minister, who is the member of parliament chosen as leader. Today the Prime Minister is John Howard. He is the leader of a political party called the Liberal Party. The other main party is the Labor Party.

The leader of Australia is the Governor-General, who represents the Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II. The Governor-General is chosen by the Prime Minister.

Australia's currency (money) is the Australian Dollar (AUD). It is worth less than a United States Dollar (USD).

Australia was colonised by people from Britain, but today people from all over the world live there. Australia is multicultural, which means that all its people are helped to keep their different languages and ways of life, while also learning English and joining in with other Australians.

Australia has produced many famous artists, writers, scientists, soldiers, and sports men and women. Some of these include Patrick White who won a Nobel Prize for his writing, the opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland, the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and the athlete Cathy Freeman.

Australia

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