|BConstitution|N: Federal republic type, but formally monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations.
|BNational holiday|N: Australia Day, January 26.
|BNature and climate|N: Australia is a very flat continent, mainly lowlands and plateaus, above which only occasional mountains and mountainchains raise. Highest peak in the Australalps 2 230 m.a.s.l. Greatest lake, Lake Eyre, lies 12 m under sea level.
Most of the continent has a warm and dry climate, therefore large parts are deserts or steppes. Common percipitation between 100 and 500 mm. In the southmost parts though, between 500 and 1000 mm. Northern Australia has an average temperature of 25°C - 28°C the whole year. In the south + 10°C in July and + 20°C in January.
Many animals live in Australia that are not found anywhere else, for example the kangaroo.
|BPeople|N: Extermination threatened the original population, the aborigines, but since 1960 their number has grown again. Now they make 1,5% of the total population. The aborigine population on Tasmania was totally exterminated during the 19th century. Todays population consists mostly of immigrated Europeans (95%, mostly Britons), and Chinese (4%).
|BEconomy|N: Australia is the world leading exporter of sheep's wool and also exports a lot of meat, corn and sugar. Australia has many minerals. Extracted are gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, coal, iron ore, bauxite, tin, nickel, uranium and oil. Extensive industry of various kinds.
|BHistory|N: The aboriginal people migrated from South Asia about 40 000 years ago and spread all over the Australian continent. They were hunters and gatherers and lived in small kin-based groups. When the Europeans arrived here were more than 500 different groups speaking several hundred different languages.
Dutch and Spanish sailors discovered Australia during the 17th century, but the colonization was started by the Britons at the end of the 18th century when Sydney became a penalty colony in 1788. The population grew very slowly till 1851 when gold was found, thereafter very quickly. The Australian states founded the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.
Consists of six federal states (Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania) and two territories (Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory of Canberra).
Member of the Commonwealth of Nations and recognizes the British monarch as head of state.
