Australia

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For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation).

Commonwealth of Australia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: None
Anthem: Advance Australia Fair Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital	Canberra 35°15′S 149°28′E
Largest city	Sydney
Official languages	English (de facto 1)
Government	Constitutional monarchy (federal)
- Queen	Elizabeth II
- Governor-General	Michael Jeffery
- Prime Minister	John Howard
Independence	from the UK
- Constitution	1 January 1901
- Statute of Westminster	11 December 1931
- Australia Act	3 March 1986
and  outlying territories by area">Area
- Total	7,741,220 km² ( and  outlying territories by area">6th) 2,988,888 sq mi
- Water (%)	1
Population
- 2006 estimate	20,555,3002 (53rd)
- 2001 census	18,972,350
- Density	2.6/km² (224th) 6.7/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$674.9 billion (17th)
- Per capita	$32,220 (World Bank) (14th)
HDI  (2006)	0.957 (high) (3rd)
Currency	Australian dollar (AUD)
Time zone	various3 (UTC+8 to +10)
- Summer (DST)	various3 (UTC+8 to +11)
Internet TLD	.au
Calling code	++61
1 English does not have  de jure official status (source) 2 mid-2006 population projection using Series B (medium variant) from [3] 3 There are  minor variations from these three time zones, see Time in Australia.

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is  a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent and  a number of islands in the Southern, Indian, and  Pacific Oceans. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and  Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and  the French dependency of New Caledonia to the northeast, and  New Zealand to the southeast.

The mainland of Australia has been inhabited for more  than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and  by European explorers and  merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the mainland was claimed by the British in 1770 and  officially settled through penal transportation as the colony of New South Wales on 26 January 1788. As the population grew and  new areas were explored, another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were successively established over the course of the 19th century.

On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a Federation, and  the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and  remains a Commonwealth Realm. The capital city is  Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory. The current national population is  around 20.6 million people, and  is concentrated mainly in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and  Adelaide.

[ and  history of the name">edit] Origin and  history of the name

View of Port Jackson, the site where Sydney was established, taken from the South Head. (From A Voyage to Terra Australis.)

The name Australia is  derived from the Latin Australis, meaning of the South. Legends of an  "unknown land of the south" (terra australis incognita) dating back to Roman times were commonplace in mediaeval geography, but they were not based on any actual knowledge of the continent. The Dutch adjectival form Australische was used by Dutch officials in Batavia to refer to the newly discovered land to the south as early as 1638. The first use of the word "Australia" in the English language was a 1693 translation of Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe, a 1692 French novel by Gabriel de Foigny under the pen name Jacques Sadeur.^[1] Alexander Dalrymple then used it  in An Historical Collection of Voyages and  Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (1771), to refer to the entire South Pacific region. In 1793, George Shaw and  Sir James Smith published Zoology and  Botany of New Holland, in which they wrote of "the vast island, or  rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or  New Holland."

The name "Australia" was popularised by the 1814 work A Voyage to Terra Australis by the navigator Matthew Flinders, who was the first recorded person to circumnavigate Australia. Despite its title, which reflected the view of the British Admiralty, Flinders used the word "Australia" in the book, which was widely read and  gave the term general currency. Governor Lachlan Macquarie of New South Wales subsequently used the word in his dispatches to England. In 1817, he recommended that it  be officially adopted. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia.

The word "Australia" in Australian English is  pronounced as /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.ljə/, /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.liː.ə/ or  /ə.ˈstɹæɪ.jə/.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Australia

The first human habitation of Australia is  estimated to have  occurred between 42,000 and  48,000 years ago.^[2] The first Australians were the ancestors of the current Indigenous Australians; they arrived via land bridges and  short sea-crossings from present-day Southeast Asia. Most of these people were hunter-gatherers, with a complex oral culture and  spiritual values based on reverence for the land and  a belief in the Dreamtime. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, inhabited the Torres Strait Islands and  parts of far-north Queensland; their cultural practices are  distinct from those of the Aborigines.

Lieutenant James Cook charted the East coast of Australia on HM Bark Endeavour, claiming the land for Britain in 1770. This replica was built in Fremantle in 1988; photographed in Cooktown harbour where Cook spent seven weeks.

The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland was made by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606. During the 17th century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and  northern coastlines of what they called New Holland, but made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, James Cook sailed along and  mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and  claimed for Britain. The expedition's discoveries provided impetus for the establishment of a penal colony there.

The British Crown Colony of New South Wales started with the establishment of a settlement at Port Jackson by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788. This date was later to become Australia's national day, Australia Day. Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania, was settled in 1803 and  became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829. Separate colonies were created from parts of New South Wales: South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, and  Queensland in 1859. The Northern Territory (NT) was founded in 1863 as part of the Province of South Australia. South Australia was founded as a "free province" — that is, it  was never a penal colony. Victoria and  Western Australia were also founded "free", but later accepted transported convicts. The transportation of convicts to Australia was phased out between 1840 and  1864.

Port Arthur, Tasmania was Australia's largest penal colony.

The Indigenous Australian population, estimated at about 350,000 at the time of European settlement,^[3] declined steeply for 150 years following settlement, mainly because of infectious disease combined with forced re-settlement and  cultural disintegration. The removal of children, that some historians and  Indigenous Australians have  argued could be considered to constitute  and  Punishment of the Crime of Genocide">genocide by some definitions,^[4] may have  made a contribution to the decline in the indigenous population. Such interpretations of Aboriginal history are  disputed by some as being exaggerated or  fabricated for political or  ideological reasons.^[5] This debate is  known within Australia as the History Wars. Following the 1967 referendum, the Federal government gained the power to implement policies and  make laws with respect to Aborigines. Traditional ownership of land — native title — was not recognised until the High Court case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) overturned the notion of Australia as terra nullius at the time of European occupation.

 is  played at an  ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Ceremonies such as this are  held in virtually every suburb and  town in Australia."> is  played at an  ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Ceremonies such as this are  held in virtually every suburb and  town in Australia." width="240" height="320" longdesc="../../../a/n/z/Image%7EAnzac1.JPG_e10d.html" />

The Last Post is  played at an  ANZAC Day ceremony in Port Melbourne, Victoria, 25 April 2005. Ceremonies such as this are  held in virtually every suburb and  town in Australia.

A gold rush began in Australia in the early 1850s, and  the Eureka Stockade rebellion against mining licence fees in 1854 was an  early expression of civil disobedience. Between 1855 and  1890, the six colonies individually gained responsible government, managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs, defence and  international shipping. On 1 January 1901, federation of the colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, consultation and  voting, and  the Commonwealth of Australia was born, as a Dominion of the British Empire. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was formed from New South Wales in 1911 to provide a location for the proposed new federal capital of Canberra (Melbourne was the capital from 1901 to 1927). The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of the South Australian government to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australia willingly participated in World War I;^[6] many Australians regard the defeat of the  and  New Zealand Army Corps">Australian and  New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) at Gallipoli as the birth of the nation — its first major military action. Much like Gallipoli, the Kokoda Track Campaign is  regarded by many as a nation-defining battle from World War II.

The Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended most of the constitutional links between Australia and  the United Kingdom when Australia adopted it in 1942. The shock of the United Kingdom's defeat in Asia in 1942 and  the threat of Japanese invasion caused Australia to turn to the United States as a new ally and  protector. Since 1951, Australia has been a formal military ally of the US under the auspices of the ANZUS treaty. After World War II, Australia encouraged mass immigration from Europe; since the 1970s and  the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and  other parts of the world was also encouraged. As a result, Australia's demography, culture and  image of itself were radically transformed. Final constitutional ties between Australia and  the United Kingdom were severed in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986, ending any British role in the Australian States, and  ending judicial appeals to the UK Privy Council^[7] Australian voters rejected a move to become a republic in 1999 by a 55% majority.^[8] Since the election of the Whitlam Government in 1972, there has been an  increasing focus on the nation's future as a part of the Asia-Pacific region.

[edit] Politics

Main articles: Government of Australia, Politics of Australia, and  Monarchy in Australia

Parliament House in Canberra was opened in 1988 replacing the provisional Parliament House building opened in 1927.

The Commonwealth of Australia is  a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Queen Elizabeth II is  the Queen of Australia, a role that is  distinct from her position as monarch of the other Commonwealth Realms. The Queen is  nominally represented by the Governor-General at Federal level and  by the Governors at State level. Although the Constitution gives extensive executive powers to the Governor-General, these are  normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister. The most notable exercise of the Governor-General's reserve powers outside the Prime Minister's direction was the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the constitutional crisis of 1975.^[9]

There are  three branches of government:

• The legislature: the Commonwealth Parliament, comprising the Queen, the Senate, and  the House of Representatives; the Queen is  represented by the Governor-General, who in practice exercises constitutional power only on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• The executive: the Federal Executive Council (the Governor-General as advised by the Executive Councillors); in practice, the councillors are  the Prime Minister and  Ministers of State.
• The judiciary: the High Court of Australia and  other federal courts. The State courts became formally independent from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council when the Australia Act was passed in 1986.

The bicameral Commonwealth Parliament consists of the Queen, the Senate (the upper house) of 76 senators, and  a House of Representatives (the lower house) of 150 members. Members of the lower house are  elected from single-member constituencies, commonly known as 'electorates' or  'seats'. Seats in the House of Representatives are  allocated to states on the basis of population. In the Senate, each state, regardless of population, is  represented by 12 senators, while the territories (the ACT and  the NT) are  each represented by two. Elections for both chambers are  held every three years; typically only half of the Senate seats are  put to each election, because senators have  overlapping six-year terms. The party with majority support in the House of Representatives forms Government, with its leader becoming Prime Minister.

There are  three major political parties: the Labor Party, the Liberal Party and  the National Party. Independent members and  several minor parties — including the Greens and  the Australian Democrats — have  achieved representation in Australian parliaments, mostly in upper houses. Since the 1996 election, the Liberal/National Coalition led by the Prime Minister, John Howard, has been in power in Canberra. In the 2004 election, the Coalition won control of the Senate, the first time that a party (or coalition of governing parties) has done so while in government in more  than 20 years. The Labor Party is  in power in every state and  territory. Voting is  compulsory for all enrolled citizens 18 years and  over in each state and  territory and  at the federal level.^[10]

[ and  territories">edit] States and  territories

Main article:  and  territories of Australia">States and  territories of Australia

Australia consists of six states, two major mainland territories, and  other minor territories. The states are  New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and  Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are  the Northern Territory and  the Australian Capital Territory. In most respects, the territories function similarly to the states, but the Commonwealth Parliament can override any legislation of their parliaments. By contrast, federal legislation overrides state legislation only with respect to certain areas as set out in Section 51 of the Constitution; all residual legislative powers are  retained by the state parliaments, including powers over hospitals, education, police, the judiciary, roads, public transport and  local government.

Each state and  territory has its own  and  territories">legislature (unicameral in the case of the Northern Territory, the ACT and  Queensland, and  bicameral in the remaining states). The lower house is  known as the Legislative Assembly (House of Assembly in South Australia and  Tasmania) and  the upper house is  known as the Legislative Council. The heads of the governments in each state and  territory are  called premiers and  chief ministers, respectively. The Queen is  represented in each state by a governor; an  administrator in the Northern Territory, and  the Governor-General in the ACT, have  analogous roles.

Australia also has several minor territories; the federal government administers a separate area within New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, as a naval base and  sea port for the national capital. In addition Australia has the following, inhabited, external territories: Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and  several largely uninhabited external territories:  and  Cartier Islands">Ashmore and  Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands,  and  McDonald Islands">Heard Island and  McDonald Islands and  the Australian Antarctic Territory.

[ and  the military">edit] Foreign relations and  the military

Main articles: Foreign relations of Australia and  Australian Defence Force

Over recent decades, Australia's foreign relations have  been driven by a close association with the United States, through the ANZUS pact and  by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and  the Pacific, particularly through ASEAN and  the Pacific Islands Forum. In 2005 Australia secured an  inaugural seat at the East Asia Summit following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and  Cooperation. Australia is  a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, in which the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provide the main forum for co-operation. Much of Australia's diplomatic energy is  focused on international trade liberalisation. Australia led the formation of the Cairns Group and  APEC, and  is a member of the  and  Development">OECD and  the WTO. Australia has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement. Australia is  a founding member of the United Nations, and  maintains an  international aid programme under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005 – 06 budget provides A$2.5 bn for development assistance;^[11] as a percentage of GDP, this contribution is  less than that of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Australia's armed forces — the Australian Defence Force (ADF) — comprise the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and  the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), numbering about 51,000 ^[12]. All branches of the ADF have  been involved in UN and  regional peacekeeping (most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and  Sudan), disaster relief, and  armed conflict, including the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The government appoints the chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services; the current chief is  Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. In the 2006-07 Budget, defence spending is  $19.6 billion.^[13]

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Australia

Climatic zones in Australia.

Australia's 7,686,850 square kilometres (2,967,909 sq. mi) landmass is  on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian, Southern and  Pacific oceans, Australia is  separated from Asia by the Arafura and  Timor seas. Australia has a total 25,760 kilometres (16,007 mi) of coastline and  claims an  extensive Exclusive Economic Zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,057 sq. mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and  extends for over 2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi). The world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus, is  located in Western Australia. At 2,228 metres (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is  the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian territory of  and  McDonald Islands">Heard Island is  taller at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft).

By far the largest part of Australia is  desert or  semi-arid. Australia is  the driest inhabited continent, the flattest, and  has the oldest and  least fertile soils. Only the south-east and  south-west corners of the continent have  a temperate climate. The majority of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline. The northern part of the country, with a tropical climate, has a vegetation consisting of rainforest, woodland, grassland, mangrove swamps and  desert. Climate is  highly influenced by ocean currents, including the El Niño southern oscillation, which is  correlated with periodic drought, and  the seasonal tropical low pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia.

[ and  fauna">edit] Flora and  fauna

Main articles: Flora of Australia and  Fauna of Australia

 and  the eucalyptus forming an  iconic Australian pair."> and  the eucalyptus forming an  iconic Australian pair." width="240" height="236" longdesc="../../../k/o/a/Image%7EKoala_climbing_tree.jpg_c4cc.html" />

The koala and  the eucalyptus forming an  iconic Australian pair.

Although most of Australia is  semi-arid or  desert, it  covers a diverse range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests. Because of the great age and  consequent low levels of fertility of the continent, its extremely variable weather patterns, and  its long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota is  unique and  diverse. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more  than 45% of birds, and  89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are  endemic.^[14] Many of Australia's ecoregions, and  the species within those regions, are  threatened by human activities and  introduced plant and  animal species. The federal Environment Protection and  Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is  a legal framework used for the protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have  been created under the country's Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and  preserve Australia's unique ecosystems, 64 wetlands are  registered under the Ramsar Convention, and  16 World Heritage Sites have  been established. Australia was ranked thirteenth in the World on the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index.

Most Australian woody plant species are  evergreen and  many are  adapted to fire and  drought, including many eucalyptus and  acacias. Australia has a rich variety of endemic legume species that thrive in nutrient-poor soils because of their symbiosis with Rhizobia bacteria and  mycorrhizal fungi. Well-known Australian fauna include monotremes (the platypus and  echidna); a host of marsupials, including the kangaroo, koala, wombat; and  birds such as the emu, and  kookaburra. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people that traded with Indigenous Australians around 4000 BCE. Many plant and  animal species became extinct soon after human settlement, including the Australian megafauna; others have  become extinct since European settlement, among them the Thylacine.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Australia

The Super Pit in Kalgoorlie, Australia's largest open cast gold mine

Australia has a prosperous, Western-style mixed economy, with a per capita GDP slightly higher than the UK, Germany and  France in terms of purchasing power parity. The country was ranked third in the United Nations' 2005 Human Development Index and  sixth in The Economist worldwide quality-of-life index 2005. In recent years, the Australian economy has been resilient in the face of global economic downturn. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and  business and  consumer confidence remains robust. Current areas of concern to some economists include Australia's high current account deficit and  also the high levels of net foreign debt owed by the private sector.

In the 1980s, the Hawke Government started the process of economic reform by floating the Australian dollar in 1983, and  deregulating the financial system.^[15] Since 1996, the Howard government has continued the process of micro-economic reform, including partial deregulation of the labour market and  the privatisation of state-owned businesses, most notably in the telecommunications industry.^[16] Substantial reform of the indirect tax system was implemented in July 2000 with the introduction of a 10%  and  Services Tax (Australia)">Goods and  Services Tax, which has slightly reduced the heavy reliance on personal and  company income tax that still characterises Australia's tax system.

The Australian economy has not suffered a recession since the early 1990s. As of July 2006, unemployment was 4.8% with 10,223,300 persons employed.^[17] The service sector of the economy, including tourism, education, and  financial services, comprises 69% of GDP.^[18] Agriculture and  natural resources comprise 3% and  5% of GDP but contribute substantially to Australia's export performance. Australia's largest export markets include Japan, China, the United States, South Korea and  New Zealand.^[19]

Traditionally, the absence of an  export oriented manufacturing industry has been considered a key weakness of the Australian economy. more  recently, rising prices for Australia's commodity exports and  increasing tourism has to some extent alleviated this criticism. Nevertheless, Australia has developed the world's third largest current account deficit in absolute terms (in relative terms over 7% of GDP). This has been considered problematic by some economists, especially as it  has coincided with high prices for Australia's exports and  low interest rates which keeps the cost of servicing the foreign debt unusually low.^[20]

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Australia

 is  the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards urbanisation is  also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world"> is  the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards urbanisation is  also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world" width="250" height="148" longdesc="../../../p/o/r/Image%7EPortJackson_2004_SeanMcClean.jpg_803b.html" />

Most Australians live in urban areas; Sydney is  the most populous city in Australia. The trend towards urbanisation is  also stronger in Australia than many other parts of the world

Most of the estimated 20.6 million Australians are  descended from nineteenth- and  twentieth-century settlers, the majority from Great Britain and  Ireland. Australia's population has quadrupled since the end of World War I,^[21] spurred by an  ambitious immigration program. In 2001, the five largest groups of the 23.1% of Australians who were born overseas were from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, Vietnam and  China.^[19] Following the abolition of the White Australia policy in 1973, numerous government initiatives have  been established to encourage and  promote racial harmony based on a policy of multiculturalism.^[22]

The indigenous population — mainland Aborigines and  Torres Strait Islanders — was 410,003 (2.2% of the total population) in 2001, a significant increase from the 1976 census, which showed an  indigenous population of 115,953. Indigenous Australians have  higher rates of imprisonment and  unemployment, lower levels of education and  life expectancies for males and  females that are  17 years lower than those of other Australians.^[19]

Fewer than 15% of Australians live in rural areas. This picture shows the Barossa Valley wine producing region of South Australia.

In common with many other developed countries, Australia is  experiencing a demographic shift towards an  older population, with more  retirees and  fewer people of working age. A large number of Australians (759,849 for the period 2002–03^[23]) live outside their home country. Australia has maintained one of the most active immigration programmes in the world to boost population growth. Most immigrants are  skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family members and  refugees.

English is  the national language,^[24] and  is spoken and  written in a distinct variety known as Australian English. According to the 2001 census, English is  the only language spoken in the home for around 80% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are  Chinese languages (2.1%), Italian (1.9%) and  Greek (1.4%). A considerable proportion of first- and  second-generation migrants are  bilingual. it  is believed that there were between 200 and  300 Australian Aboriginal languages at the time of first European contact. Only about 70 of these languages have  survived, and  all but 20 of these are  now endangered. an  indigenous language remains the main language for about 50,000 (0.25%) people. Australia has a sign language known as Auslan, which is  the main language of about 6,500 deaf people.

Australia has no state religion. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and  21% as Anglican. Australians who identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions number 5%. A total of 16% were categorised as having "No Religion" (which includes non-theistic beliefs such as humanism, atheism, agnosticism and  rationalism) and  a further 12% declined to answer or  did not give a response adequate for interpretation. As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is  much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is  about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population.^[25]

School attendance is  compulsory throughout Australia between the ages of 6–15 years (16 years in South Australia and  Tasmania, and  17 years in Western Australia), contributing to an  adult literacy rate that is  assumed to be 99%. Government grants have  supported the establishment of Australia's 38 universities, and  although several private universities have  been established, the majority receive government funding. There is  a state-based system of vocational training colleges, known as  and  Further Education">TAFE Institutes, and  many trades conduct apprenticeships for training new tradespeople. Approximately 58% of Australians between the ages of 25 and  64 have  vocational or  tertiary qualifications^[19] and  the tertiary graduation rate of 49% is  highest of OECD countries. The ratio of international to local students in tertiary education in Australia is  the highest in OECD countries.^[26]

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Australia

The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne was the first building in Australia to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

The primary basis of Australian culture until the mid-20th century was Anglo-Celtic, although distinctive Australian features had been evolving from the environment and  indigenous culture. Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture (particularly television and  cinema), large-scale immigration from non-English-speaking countries, and  Australia's Asian neighbours. The vigour and  originality of the arts in Australia — films, opera, music, painting, theatre, dance, and  crafts — achieve international recognition.

Australia has a long history of visual arts, starting with the cave and  bark paintings of its indigenous peoples. From the time of European settlement, a common theme in Australian art has been the Australian landscape, seen in the works of Arthur Streeton, Arthur Boyd and  Albert Namatjira, among others. The traditions of indigenous Australians are  largely transmitted orally and  are closely tied to ceremony and  the telling of the stories of the Dreamtime. Australian Aboriginal music, dance and  art have  a palpable influence on contemporary Australian visual and  performing arts. Australia has an  active tradition of music, ballet and  theatre; many of its performing arts companies receive public funding through the federal government's Australia Council. There is  a symphony orchestra in each capital city, and  a national opera company, Opera Australia, first made prominent by the renowned diva Dame Joan Sutherland; Australian music includes classical, jazz, and  many popular music genres.

Australian literature has also been influenced by the landscape; the works of writers such as Banjo Paterson and  Henry Lawson, captured the experience of the Australian bush. The character of colonial Australia, as embodied in early literature, resonates with modern Australia and  its perceived emphasis on egalitarianism, mateship, and  anti-authoritarianism. In 1973, Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the only Australian to have  achieved this; he is  recognised as one of the great English-language writers of the twentieth century. Australian English is  a major variety of the language; its grammar and  spelling are  largely based on those of British English, overlaid with a rich vernacular of unique lexical items and  phrases, some of which have  found their way into standard English.

 and  is played at amateur and  professional levels. it  is the most popular spectator sport in Australia in terms of annual attendances and  club memberships."> and  is played at amateur and  professional levels. it  is the most popular spectator sport in Australia in terms of annual attendances and  club memberships." width="240" height="137" longdesc="../../../a/u/s/Image%7EAussie_rules_game.jpg_74f5.html" />

Australian rules football was developed in Victoria, Australia in the late 1850s and  is played at amateur and  professional levels. it  is the most popular spectator sport in Australia in terms of annual attendances and  club memberships.

Australia has two public broadcasters (the ABC and  the multi-cultural SBS), three commercial television networks, several pay TV services, and  numerous public, non-profit television and  radio stations. Australia's film industry has achieved critical and  commercial successes. Each major city has daily newspapers, and  there are  two national daily newspapers, The Australian and  The Australian Financial Review. According to Reporters Without Borders in 2006, Australia was in thirty fifth position on a list of countries ranked by press freedom, behind New Zealand (19th) and  the United Kingdom (27th) but ahead of the United States. This ranking is  primarily because of the limited diversity of commercial media ownership in Australia. Most Australian print media in particular is  under the control of either News Corporation or  John Fairfax Holdings.

Sport plays an  important part in Australian culture, assisted by a climate that favours outdoor activities; 23.5% Australians over the age of 15 regularly participate in organised sporting activities.^[19] At an  international level, Australia has particularly strong teams in cricket, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, and  performs well in cycling, rowing and  swimming. Nationally, other popular sports include Australian rules football, horse racing, soccer and  motor racing. Australia has participated in every summer Olympic Games of the modern era, and  every Commonwealth Games. Australia has hosted the 1956 and  2000 Summer Olympics, and  has ranked among the top five medal-takers since 2000. Australia has also hosted the 1938,  and  Commonwealth Games">1962, 1982 and  2006 Commonwealth Games. Other major international events held regularly in Australia include the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, annual international cricket matches and  the Formula One Australian Grand Prix. Corporate and  government sponsorship of many sports and  elite athletes is  common in Australia. Televised sport is  popular; some of the highest rating television programs include the summer Olympic Games and  the grand finals of local and  international football (various codes) competitions.^[27]

[edit] See also

	v • d • e  Topics in Australia
History	Timeline | Prehistory | Australian archaeology | Exploration | 1788 - 1850 | 1851 - 1900 |1900 - 1945 | Since 1945 | Federation | Constitutional history | Immigration |  and  postal history of Australia">Postal history | Stolen Generation
Geography	and  territories of Australia">States and  Territories | Cities | Cities by population | Islands | Mountains | Regions | Protected areas | Rivers | Ecoregions | Flora & Fauna
Government	Constitution |Australian governments | Parliament | Foreign relations | Military | Law | Law enforcement | Courts | Electoral system
Politics	Political parties (Liberal, Labor, National, Democrats, Greens) | Elections | Republicanism
Economy	Agriculture | Companies | Communications | Mining | Tourism | Transport | Australian dollar | Reserve Bank of Australia | Stock Exchange | Economic history of Australia
Culture	Australian English | Arts | Cinema | Cuisine | Education | Indigenous Australians | Literature | Music | Public holidays | Media | Religion | Sport
Other	List of Australians | Australian Honours System | Australian of the Year Award | Australia's Big Things | Human rights | Immigration | Crime

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

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