Australia

Commonwealth of Australia

Facts about Australia

• Queen Elizabeth II.

• Capital city: Canberra

• Federal parliamentary democracy,

constitutional monarchy

• Currency: Australian dollar (AD)

• Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane

Facts about Australia

• Area: 7,686,850 km2

• Population: 21,262,641

• Religion: Catholics, Anglicans,

Protestants

Facts about Australia

• The only nation to cover a whole

continent

• Nearest country: Papua New Guinea

• Bordered by the Pacific and Indian

Oceans

• All 5 temperature zones

History

• 17th century: discovered by Jansz

• Towards 18th century AD: James

Cook landed near Sydney

- Australia attached to UK

- Prisoner colony

• 19th century: golden fever

(settlement of inlands)

Political system• Legislative power: bicameral

Parliament (2 chambers)

- Senate (76)

- House of representatives (150)

• Executive power: Federal Executive

Council, The General Governor

• Judicial power: High court of

Australia, federal courts

Flag

• Union Jack: symbolize connection with

UK

• Federation star: symbolize 6 federal

states and territories

• Constellation of

Southern Cross:

location

Coat of arms

• Symbolizes

federal states

Anthem• Advance Australia Fair

Visas

• Embassy: Vienna

• Validity: 5 years

• Students visas

• Bussines visas

• Visas for married couples

• Other visas

Canberra (320 000)

• Capital city: argument between

rivals Sydney and Melbourne

• Canberra means: Meeting point

• Designed by Griffin

• Things to see: Lake Bourley Griffin,

The City, Old and New Parliament

House

New Parliament House

The main entrance and flag mast

Snowy Mountains

The only place to ski in Australia

Sydney (4,5 mil)

• The biggest city

• Capital city of New South Wales

• Things to see: Sydney Opera House,

Harbour Bidge, The Rocks, Hyde

Park, Royal Botanical Gardens

Sydney Opera House

• Famous for its exterior (covered with

tiles)

• Shape like shells

• 1973, Utzon

• 5 halls, 6 bars, 3 restaurants, 60 clock-

rooms

• Impractical: not possible to show big

shows because of constructional

problems

The Rocks

• Historical part of the city

Harbour Bridge (“Clotheshanger”)

Hyde Park

Originally racecourse, sporting ground

Melbourne (3,8 mil)

• 2nd biggest city

• Capital of Victoria

• 1901-1927 Capital of Australia

• A lot of parks and gardens contrast

with skyscrapers

• Things to see: Melbourne + Yarra

Park

Melbourne park

Consists of 4 arenas which were built

for Australian Open

Yarra park

Surrounds Melbourne Cricket Ground

Cultural Life

• Mixture of western culture,

Indigenous Australians

• Multi-ethnic country

• People are cheerful

Indigenous Australians

• Divide into Aborigines and Torrest

Strait Islander people

• Stolen Generation: 1869-1969 (70s),

removing children from parents:

white racial purity – ended in 1960s

Indigenous were confirmed as full-

value citizens.

Australian Aboriginal culture• The oldest continuous living culture

on the planet

• Over 60,000 years old, Dreamtime

• Hallmark: oneness with nature

• Environment is the essence of

godliness

• Nomadic life following the seasons

and food

Australian Aboriginal culture• European colonisation destroyed

ancient environment and 50 % of

Aborigines (murders and diseases).

• Incorrigible claims

• 500 languages

Holidays

• New Year: 1.1.

• Australia day: 26.1.- established 1st

colony

• Labour Day: strike – 8 hours working

day

• Easter

• Canberra Day: 2nd Monday in March

• ANZAC Day: 25.4. – army

Holidays

• Queensland Day: 6. 6.-

Independence on New South Wales

• Christmas Eve: 25. 12.

• Boxing Day: in South Australia:

Proclamation Day

Food

• National food: fish and chips

• Vegemite: dark brown paste made

from yeast extract (like dense soy

saucer)

Beaches

More than any other nation; Boni,

Manly

Animal dream

• Various

• Marsupials: usually carry young in a

pouch

- The Kangaroo, The Koala

• The Platypus, Whales, Dolphins

• Birds: The Emu, The Cockatoo

• Reptiles: Crocodiles

Rabbits in Australia

• A serious mammalian pest

• Deserts

• Imported from Europe in early 18th century

• Expanded to all continent till 1900

• Measures: Shooting, poisoning, setting-out

predators, rabbit-proof fence, myxomatosis

Dingo fence

• The longest fence in the world:

5,614 km

• Built in 1880s to keep dingos out of

the fertile Queensland and sheep

flocks

Kangaroo overpopulation• Especially in Canberra

• Destroyed nature (grass,

endangered species)

• Shooting, injection

Uluru

• Natural icon

• The biggest monolit in the world

• UNESCO

• Waterholes, caves, ancient paintings

• Sandstone

• Aboriginal holy place

• Climbing forbidden

Kata Tjuta

• A group of large domed rock formations

• Sandstone

• Spiritual importance: One of the former

ceremony was a type of publish

punisment in extreme cases including

death.

The Twelve Apostles

• Collection of limestone stacks

• Some stacks have collapsed over

the years, so now there are only

eight.

The Great Barrier Reef

• One of the wonders of natural world

• World‘s largest coral reef (2,500 km long)

• Diverse life

• UNESCO: 1981

• Green turtles, dolphins, whales

• 1,500 fish species, 4,000 mollusk