AUSTRALIAN OVERSEAS INFORMATION SERVICE
International information service of the Australian government (April 1989)
Australia - an introduction
Australia is a country of the contrasts. It is for instance as large as the United States of America without Alaska, however, has inhabitant only 16.5 million. As first people already came to Australia about 40,000 years ago from Asia. However, its written history began first with the beginning of settlement of the continent 200 years ago by Europeans. Today turns increasing itself Australia in his economical and political relationships to the Asia-Pacific area.
Since its beginnings as a punishment colony in the late 18th century, Australia developed to a meaning member of the international state community. His democratic type of government and his multi cultural society made it into a high-powered part of the asia-pacific area. Australia also has a firm place as one of the leading exporters from wool, foods and mineral resources in world trade. In the technology and medicine, it found international recognition with essential services.
Australia is the sixth largest country of earth with a face of 7,686,844 km² to the Soviet Union, Canada, China, the United States and Brazil and it is the single country which occupies a whole continent alone. It is for instance of 32 times so large as the (old) Federal Republic of Germany and almost double so largely how India and in total Pakistan.
It is the flattest continent and with the exception of the territory antarctic the driest one, too. Almost a third of his country face is desert or half desert or is used for different and not agricultural purposes, for instance as national parks, for the Aborigines, for mining industry or as residential areas. Of the remaining 4.9 million km² are also used only 9.5 percent for the building of grain and other arable crops or intense willow economy. The biggest part is suitable only for extensive animal husbandry which therefore occupies a dominating position in agriculture as a nature left willow country.
The climate of Australia suffices of tropical in the north to moderate in the south. The seasons are offered those of the northern hemisphere. Summer is from December to February, fall dated March to May, winter dated June to August and spring dated September to November. (content)
Isolated long Australia as island- continent resulted in it having a unique flora and fauna. Wild plants change the dry Grassland and the savannah of Australia in spring after rain felling into colored blossom carpets.
The forest fields of the country limit to a large extent on the rain fields in the higher mountains and tropical rainforests above all still find themselves in Queensland today. The eucalyptus and the Australian acacia are the most widespread native trees. There are in total approximately 500 kinds of eucalyptus, of the Australian fever tree up to the crippled eucalyptus bushes of the dry fields up to 90 m high.
Australia is also the country of the marsupial mammals, of a subclass of the mammals which its boys suckle in a breast bag. The most known Australian animals are the kangaroo, the koala, the platypus, the wombat and the echidna. From the about 800 kinds of birds, 530 as local Australian kinds are valid. (content)
The first people those settled Australia were the Aborigines, a nation of hunters and collectors that no doubt immigrated about 40,000 years ago of Asia is probable over a land bridge that then combined Australia with Asia.
The old maps with the commercial routes between Europe and Asia also showed a Terra Australis, a large southern country, but the Europeans detected the continent first in the 17th century. A Dutch ship landed 1606 on the western coast and further Dutch men followed before 1688 achieved the northwest coast as English William Dampier first. In 1770 captain James Cook of the British navy mapped the eastern coast of the continent and finally landed in Botany Bay. He took the whole western part of the continent in possession for the English crown and mentioned it New South Wales.
The loss of the American colonies then forced the English to search for other territories for punishment colonies and on January 26th 1788 captain Arthur Phillip as a commander of the first fleet landed in the Sydney bay (now port Jackson in Sydney), near Botany Bay.
The first white colonizers were convicts and their guards. Some traders to this who helped at the construction of the new punishment colony then also came.
Extensive investigation trips in the 19th century resulted in long fields be developed for the settlement and establishment of further colonies which developed later to the states Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The transportation of convicts from England to New Southern Wales ended in 1840, to Tasmania in 1853 and to Western Australia finally in 1868, however the population yet further increased rapidly, more and more there free they came for colonizer, the from the outlooks to fortune through gold finds in New Southern Wales and Victoria and the possibilities to undertake country for cultivation, attracted were. Agriculture developed well and the most important assets were also first then wool, meat, wheat and gold. The importance of gold extraction decreased at the turn of the century, however, agriculture further expanded and a very important field of the Australian economy is also today.
The growth of the population and of the economy resulted in the individual colonies required a self administration with own legislature and also received it from England. The six colonies to in total a state alliance closed in 1901 finally for themselves and formed the Australian alliance.
In the first three decades of the 20th century, Australia developed to a country leading in the social legislation. An own manufacturing originated for instance in fields simultaneously as strength construction of vehicles.
The second world war brought a basic change into the political direction of the country. Australia turned to the United States as a military partner and developed for itself for middle power with special interest at the asia-pacific area which it is today. (content)
16.5 million inhabitants of Australia (June 1988) come from more than 120 different countries and brought so many life-styles that it is one of the richest and most diverse multi cultural societies of the world. Up to the second world war managed the inhabitants main from the British islands and only few from the other European countries and Asia. In the last 40 years, the population has itself more than in duplicate and in this case, immigration for instance constituted 40 percent of increase. Of all Australians two fifth themselves come today from the foreign country or may have at least a parent from the foreign country.
The number of Aborigines and Torres Street Islander in Australia was 1988 227,645 and therefore 1.4 percent of the total population. About the half of the Aborigines live in cities. However, many also life traditionally in the faraway country parts. The Aborigines are disadvantaged with regard to training, medical supply and apartment standards but the Australian government introduced measures in order to correct her standard of living and to make the preservation of their culture possible for them.
Australian men have a durability from 73 years, with the women at the statistical mean conducts it is 79 years. The mean family has 2.2 children and two thirds of the Australians exist in the cities.
Most Australians are in manufacturing, on the market or in a busy manner in the service performance range. Many women are working. They for instance constitute 40 percent of the acquisition population and 60 percent are married by the working women.
During the last census in 1986 specified 73 percent they those mentioned her religion affiliation the Christian belief. 23.1 percent were Anglican from that, roman 26 percent-Catholic, 7.6 percent Unitarian, 3.6 percent Presbyterians, 2.7 percent orthodox and 1.3 percent Baptists. In addition, many other belief communities exist. (content)
Immigration was an essential element of the evolution of the nation since beginning the settlement through the Europeans. Australia has a not discriminating immigration politics. They allow the immigration from people with narrow dependants in Australia but from people with capital and business experience or professional training or other qualities those are searched in Australia, too. In addition, fugitives with whom humanitarian reasons are available and other are included. Australia almost included 500,000 fugitives since the second world war, included 105,000 of Indochina.
That Australia official as multi culture society is recognized, in a meant manner, that new immigrant keep their culture, keep may language and traditions provided that they are not in contradiction to the Australian laws and basic social values. (content)
Institutions political Australia and practices follow the broadminded democratic tradition of the British and in particular that one and American experiences. The American system served as a model for the federal structure and the British parliament as a model for the legislature.
The Australian alliance has a government system with three tiers: there an alliance parliament (legislature) and a Federal Government those are responsible for all importance from national interest are (so market, post, social services, defense and foreign policy), six state governments and parliaments those are responsible for the alliance government fields (they are where the Northern Territory and the territory of capital the states in similar, that they have extensive selfadministration) and approximately 900 local administrations on local, city tier. General, secret elections occur regularly and the governments now and then change. Choice duty exists for all Australians from 18 years of age.
The authorities of Australian parliament are laid down in a written condition and the states have own conditions in each case. The Australian parliament has two chambers; the representative house (sub-house) and the senate (House of Lords). The party or party coalition which has the majority of the representative house sets up the government and therefore all ministers including the prime minister. All ministers must belong to the parliament. The government is responsible for the parliament (and therefore the voters) for its politics.
Australia is indeed a independent nation, however, like Canada, maintains narrow constitutional ties with Great Britain and Elisabeth II. queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is formal queen of Australia, too. She is represented by the governor-general and six governors in Australia for the states. (content)
At parliament, four large political parties are represented: the Australian lab party (ALP), the liberal party, the national party of Australia and the Australian democrats. They are built up organizationally similarly: They have an alliance party executive board and individual alliance government associations in each case. They occur all for the parliamentary democracy and the freedom of the individual.
The present lab government below prime minister Bob Hawke became 1987 in July to third chosen office time. The ALP won 85 the 148 seats in the representative house, the liberal party 45 and the national party 18th the lab party has now governed since March 1983rd she then dissolved a coalition of the liberal and of the national party after seven years. (content)
According to the Australian condition is that administer justice power with supreme court (High Court) of Australia and other courts created by parliament.
In addition, alliance government courts incorporate the responsibility of the alliance courts into some fields. All states and the Northern Territory have own court systems.
For enforcement of right, the police units of the alliance, of the states and of the Northern Territory are responsible in Australia. The individual units are independent organizations with responsibility for the laws of their own state and/or territory. (content)
Australia is a prosperity country with many social services and furnishings.
Social safety: The main elements of social protection are age, widows and alone educators and disability benefits, unemployed person aid as well as services for sick and families with children. The costs lie in budget year 1988/89 for the social field at 19.660 billion $A.
Education: Australia has public and private schools. The public schools visit about two thirds of the children. The universities were up to now public facilities all but at the beginning of 1989, a private university was also set up in Queensland, the Bond University.
The six states and the northern territory are responsible in each case for formation, school and occupational education. The Federal Government is responsible for the most universities and offers financial aids in the form of special subsidies. School duty consists at all states namely between the 6th and 15th year and/or in Tasmanien the 16th year. Australia has 22 universities, 45 colleges for higher education and 270 compartment training centers with numerous branches in all of Australia.
Health Care: On the one hand, medical attendance is offered by doctors practising privately and by on the other hand a comprehensive hospital system.
A general health insurance, Medicare, secures Australian against the costs of simple medical processing including stays in hospital and optician services. She is financed by earnings to be paid via a delivery of 1.25 percent from a specific income level.
Everyone in Australia can take Medicare services, with the exception of people belonging to diplomatic representations and their families. Foreigners who visit Australia for up to six months must undertake the costs for medical processing and stay in hospital themself. Foreign students enjoy the Medicare protection if they come as scholarship holders, otherwise, they must pay a sick person insurance premium in advance.
Housing: Estates are yours of apartment or of its house approximately two thirds of all Australian budgets. The most popular design is the detached brick house with tiled roof. However, increasingly denser designs also find themselves with double and terraced houses as well as flatlet and multi-storey buildings. The most freehold dwellings are bought with the aid of credits those are included at private banks:.
Environment: All government and administrative levels divide the responsibility for environmental control. At federal level, the department of culture, environment, sport and tourism as well as a series of subordinate authorities are instead mainly responsible. More and more Australians also insert themselves in person for environmental and nature conservation. There is meanwhile via 800 nature conservation groups.
Culture: The Australian art has its origin to a large extent in European traditions but Australia environment, history, the culture that Aborigines live and the influence of the neighbor countries also left its lanes. These factors added together for the evolution of particularly Australian trends in art. The Australian Federal Government support art via the Australia Council, a government authority, its budget itself 1988/89 on 58.2 million $A amounts.
Medias: Australia has a lively media scene. The part of the newspaper readers of the total population is one of the highest ones of the world. Most people read newspapers regularly, watch television or hear the radio. Specific newspapers and radio and channels are for the not English-speaking population groups, too.
Tourism: The tourism represents the greatest economy line with a part of 6 percent on the gross national product and more than 430,000 places of work which associate directly or indirectly with it. Tourists foreign two million more than came to Australia in 1988. Visitors require a visa and a passport which is valid after the end of the planned stay at least another three months. Only New Zealanders are freed by the visa duty.
Sport: The sport in Australia is featured by two features - its variety and its easy accessibility for all social levels. Australia has more than 100 national sport associations and thousands of sport clubs. It is one of the three countries which participated in all Olympic Games of modern times and it also assisted during all Commonwealth games. In many disciplines, it produced top sportsman and world champion.
For coordination the measures and the programs for the evolution of sport in Australia and improvement in the athletic services in international competitions as soon as general for the circulation of sport in Australia was 1984 the Australian sport consignment, a place independent but financed from a government viewpoint, arranged. (content)
Australian scientists and researchers participated in many headways in manufacturing, in mining industry and agriculture. On the field of the medicine, in particular of of the immunology and micro surgery, they achieved essential, too. Australia is also an engineer in solar power investigation.
The science and industry investigation organization of the alliance (CSIRO) is the most important government investigation organization with the exception of the fields defence engineering, atomic energy and clinical medicine. It offers a variety for the industry and the public from scientific services. (content)
Australia has a diverse economy which is arranged by raw materials strongly at generation but also has a meaning manufacturing and service sector. Because of the relatively small population and the extensive production of agricultural and mining products, the business trend was always export oriented. Australia is the world largest exporter of wool, alumina, coal, zinc, manganese, mineral sands, raffinate lead and existing sheep and under the biggest supplier of other important raw materials like sugar, wheats, sheep meat, cattle and veal, nickel, gold and iron ore.
As a middle trading nation, it is in 23rd place in the world in terms of the value for instance his exports. In budget year 1987/88, the export amounted to 40.889 billion $A (5.164 billion more than in the previous year $A). The import had 1987/88 a value of 40.590 billion $A (2.5 billion $A more than 1986/87).
In the last 30 years, the economy has a considerable diversification and expansion in a experienced manner, in particular in the service sector. Considerable investments also went in export oriented mining industry and vigour projects, supported through an investment politics that facilitated foreign investments on the development of the resources of Australia, in particular in fields, where places of work could be created, and new technologies came into the country.
The dependence of the agricultural production is given no more today but Australia is still a meaning producer and exporter of agricultural products. Agriculture constitutes 4 percent of the gross national product, mining industry 5 percent and manufacturing 17 percent. The remaining part is controlled by the service sector.
Over a seventh of the 7.1 million employees, one occupies in manufacturing.
The service sector contains a long field of economical activities, in such a way, the wholesale and retail, public services, the building trade, the traffic and telecommunications, the financial system and the management consulting as well as the public administration and the defense field. 78 percent of the employees work in the service sector.
Relationships between management and labour: The conditions of work are controlled to a large extent by legal determination and arbitration procedures. The arbitration procedures are comparable to collective bargaining other countries.
The unions have an important role in Australia to play. To this the arbitration court system also added since the management and labour before the arbitration courts must be represented by registered organizations. 55 percent of the employees belong to a union. The central association of the Australian unions is of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
The weekly working time was little by little reduced (on Mondays to on Fridays) for 38 hours for the most lines. Employees in the service performance range who work at the weekend receive acceptances of a bid. Almost all employees have a paid annual leave of four weeks and many ones receive a vacation pay of 17.5 percent to her earnings during this time.
Taxation: Taxes are raised on alliance, state and municipality. However, there is no double taxation. The income tax is normally diverted directly by the employees from the wage or the content where the tax rate depends on earnings. At the completion of the finance year on June 30th, moving or additional payments are achieved in accordance with the notice of assessment. In the case of earnings from outside, Australia be specific arrangements for avoidance of a double taxation.
Banking: The banking system contains the Australian bank of issue, commercial banks, savings banks as well as three credit institutes with special tasks - the Commonwealth Development Bank Of Australia, the Australian Resources Development Bank Limited and the Primary Industry Bank of Australia Limited. There was in recent years a considerable change in the Australian financial system with government deregulation. 16 foreign banks are now certified in Australia for the bank company. (content)
Great distances, a relatively sparsely populated of the inland and seclusion of the remaining world already always represented a great challenge in Australia for the traffic and the telecommunications. The traffic network contains almost 840,000 kms to streets, 240,000 kms to air gaps and 40,000 kms at government railways. Australia exports freight every year for instance 241 million of tons. The import on this way is controlled by 24 million of tons. The freight traffic with Australia is executed mainly with foreign ships. The Australian National Line has a part of 4.5 percent on the freight tonnage.
The government operates mail, telegraphy and telephone systems. In this case, the Australian mail is responsible for the handling of mail traffic and the Telecom Australia for telecommunications traffic. For the telecommunication connections with the foreign country, with the external territories and ships on sea there is the Overseas Telecommunication Commission. The government Aussat Proprietary Limited is estates and operators of the Australian satellite system which allows program links into the faraway country parts. (content)
The basis of its foreign policy is of as a meaning medium-sized nation with democratic institutions Australia position. It has narrow ties to the western countries, however room more and more receives a regional identity by his increasing commitment in the asia-pacific.
Special attention are the relationships to China, Japan, the association of the southeast Asiatic states, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and other countries the southern Pacific. Narrow relationships to the United States and the Great Britain as well as the west European to the others countries also have a meaning role to play in Australian foreign policy.
The different Australian governments always supported the United Nations and the work of their special organizations. Australia participates in a variety of activities of the United Nations and was already represented in many ones for committees. In addition, one of the four founder members of the Commonwealth of is Nations and is also engaged in this framing strongly. (content)
In budget year 1988/89, Australia provided 1.093 billion $A (0,3 percent of the gross national product) for government development aid. About 80 developing countries receive aid from Australia in the form of money, properties or technical deliberation. (content)