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Map and presentation
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| Area |
7
692 024 km2 (14 times the size of France) |
| Political System |
Constitutional Monarchy with a Federal government, state governments
and territories, and local government. Member of the Commonwealth.
Confederation of six "states" and two "territories":
- Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia
& Western Australia.
- Northern Territory & Australian Capital Territory
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| Population |
19,6
millions
44 different origins are represented in Australia |
| Population Density |
2,4
people per km2 |
| Climate |
A large
proportion of Australia is arid or semi-arid ; the northern parts
of Australia are monsoonal and it sometimes experiences cyclones
in the "Wet Season" ; the climate of the southern areas
is temperate, and on the whole, winters are mild |
| Capital City |
Canberra
(since 1927) |
| Main Cities |
Sydney,
Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaïde, Hobart,
Cairns |
| Fauna |
Kangourou,
Wallaby, Koala, Platypus, Dingo, Cacatoes, Cockatoo, Galah, Echidna,
Emu, Casoar, Quoll, Tasmanian Devil, Crocodile, Dugong, Taïpan,
Shark, Goanna, Wombat, Yabbie... |
| Flora |
Eucalypt,
Spinifex, Boab, Banksia, Wattle, Cycads, Pea of the Desert, Bougainvillea,
Fig Tree, Frangipani… |
| Highest Point |
Mont
Kosciusko (2228 m) |
| Currency |
Australian
Dollars ($ AUD 1 = c. Euros 0,61) |
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| Flags |
The Australian flag:
In the left-hand corner of the Australian flag
is the English flag, known as the Union Jack. The stars
represents the states and territories of Australia. The
large star on the right represents the Southern Cross
which can be seen in the night sky in all parts of Australia
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The Aboriginal flag was
designed by the Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas in 1971
and was officially adopted in 1995. The black represents
the Aboriginal people, the red the earth and their spiritual
relationship to the land, and the yellow the sun, the
giver of life
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The Torres Strait Islander flag
is attributed to the late Bernard Namok of Thursday Island.
The flag is emblazoned with a white Dari (headdress) which
is a symbol of Torres Strait Islanders. The white five
pointed star beneath it symbolises the five major island
groups and the navigational importance of stars to these
seafaring people. The green stripes represent the land,
the black stripes represent the people, and the blue the
sea. It was officially adopted in 1995.
Source
: AusFlag
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| Coat
of Arms |
In 1912,
King George V of England gave his mandate to the Australian
coat of arms, which comprises the floral emblems of the
Australian states, as well as the golden wattle, the kangaroo
and the emu |
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| Principal Public Holidays |
* Australia Day, January 26th (It commemorates the arrival
of the First Fleet at Botany Bay, a little south of Sydney in
1788. Many Indigenous Australians regards Australia Day as a
national day of mourning)
* ANZAC DAY, April 25th (commemorates the role played by the
Australian & New Zealand Army Corp : ANZAC
- during WWI)
* Queen's Birthday
* Labor day
* Melbourne Cup Day (in Victoria)
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| Principal Explorers |
Luis
Vaez de Torres (1606), Hendrik Brouwer (1611), Abel Tasman (1642),
William Dampier (1688), James Cook (1770), Nicolas Baudin (1801)…
Matthew Flinders, Van Diemen, Arnhem, La Pérouse... |
| Natural Ressources |
Australia
is rich in natural resources including gold, diamonds, coal, aluminium,
bauxite, lead, zinc... |
| Head of State |
H.M. Queen
Elizabeth II , represented by the Governor General Sir Philip
Michael Jeffery |
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