Australia (Commonwealth of Australia, Commonwealth of Australia) - a country located in the southern hemisphere, including the world's smallest continent, the island of Tasmania and the other much smaller islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Australia on the surface is not adjacent to any country, but by sea from neighboring northern Australia are Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea, the North East: Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the South East: New Zealand. Australia is the only country that is also a continent.

Name of Australia relating to the continent comes from the determination of Terra Australis, the Europeans used until the middle of the eighteenth century is a Latin term meaning Earth, and South (Latin terra - earth, australis - southern, s).

Australia Holidays. Australia is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, preserving the name of dominion legislation. Political system is formally federal constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. The Constitution of 1900 (as amended), the head of state is Queen of Australia (now Elizabeth II) represented by Governor-General. Title Queen of Australia has been allocated to the ruling monarch in 1971 by the Australian parliament.

Practically the head of state is the Governor General of Australia (now Quentin Bryce), representing Australia, Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minister of Australia is Kevin Rudd. Legislative power is exercised bicameral parliament, a showdown to determine the general elections: Senate to mandate a six-year, 76 senators counting: after 12 representatives from each state and the 2 representatives of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (every 3 years than half of it is renewed) and the Chamber of Representatives of the three-year term , numbering 150 deputies, elected in proportion to population, the Senate's electoral system is mixed.

The executive government has formally chaired by the Governor General, and indeed the Prime Minister at its head, appointed by the Governor General on behalf of the queen and responsible to the House of Representatives, to the exclusive competence of the federal case include: defense, foreign policy, foreign trade and immigration.

Election law (limited cenzusami possession) are available to nationals who have completed 18 years. Elections in Australia is compulsory for all citizens, the penalty for a valid vote cast its is $ 50. According to electoral laws citizen is obliged to give a valid vote. Voting is by secret ballot.

Justice is exercised: The Federal Supreme Court, Federal Court (Case unincorporated. And bankruptcy), the Australian Family Court and state supreme courts and courts of the units.

Each state has its own constitution, a bicameral legislative body (except Queensland, where there is a unicameral parliament) and government DECIDED; stand at the head of state governors appointed by the monarch Brit. at the request of the Australian Government, states are divided into counties, districts and cities (with local government authorities municipal councils).

Australia was discovered by the Portuguese, who at that time assumed its business base in India, Southeast Asia. and in China. Australia, however they are not interested, because uninhabited and seemed to be hostile to Europeans in terms of natural and climatic conditions. Similarly, the Dutch, who have penetrated in the seventeenth century, western and northern coasts of the continent, content with merely naming it New Holland.

Research indicates that Australia was already inhabited 60 thousand years ago by people coming from Asia. They were Aborigines. In 1787, the area of that continent, the white man arrived - the ships of prisoners from England, Scotland and Wales. Most of the prisoners after serving a sentence settled on Australian soil.

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, located on the Australian continent, which is the smallest of all continents. Is the most densely populated eastern and south-east coast. Australia is the southern hemisphere and eastern Europe. This is one of the most flat continent with an average height of 292 m. The area covers an area of desert more than any other continent, two-thirds of it is in dry climates or półsuchym. The coastline of Australia is very diverse, all along the coast with a length of 19 thousand. km. to be encountered only two large bay: Gulf of Carpentaria and the Great Australian Bight. The highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko rises to a height of 2228 m which is less than half the highest peak in Europe: Mont Blanc

According to government census of 2006, 63.8% of Australians are Christian, 2.1% are Buddhists, 1.7% are Muslims, 0.7% Hindu, 0.4% Jews, 1.2% followers of other non-Christian religions and 30.6% did not identify with any religion. Among Christians, Catholics constitute the largest group (25.8% of the population) and Anglican (18.7%). The majority of Australians every day do not attach too much importance to religious practices [citation needed]. Only 1.5 million Christians regularly participates in Sunday services, representing approximately 7.5% of Australians, with Catholic churches are visited more frequently than the Protestant churches [citation needed].

Australia is a developed country, Australia's economy is characterized by a far-reaching centralization of production and concentration of capital. The largest manufacturing and service organizations are: Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP), the Colonial Sugar Refining, Imperial Chemical Industries, Telstra.

With the enormous natural wealth of Australia is one of the largest producers of bauxite, and is one of the most important suppliers of coal, iron ore and gold. When in 1979 the area of the Kimberley diamond deposits were discovered - Australia in the production of these stones doścignęła even South Africa.

Arable land represents only 4% in Australia, of which 80% is cultivated. Strip of arable land stretches along the west coast. Pastures occupy 60% of the country. 25% of Australian farms occupy, which is about 16 thousand, with an area average of 30 thousand hectares.

The number of sheep in Australia accounts for 12% of the global population of these animals.

The first amateur theatrical performances were held in theaters in prison. The first theater in the country was in Sydney (1830) and was called the Royal Theater.

The first Australian newspaper was the Sydney Gazette and the News South Wales Advertiser (published in the years 1803-1842). Major newspapers and magazines are in the hands of corporate press releases such as "Sydney News Ltd." and "The Herald Sun. The Australian newspaper shows of 3000. The largest newspapers are: "The Herald Sun (founded in 1840, Issue 558 800 copies) and" The Daily Telegraph (founded in 1879, circulation 442 000 copies). Among the leading women's magazines "Australian Women's Weekly (founded in 1933, Issue 1 230 000 copies). News agencies: the Australian Agency Press (AAP, founded in 1935 in Melbourne, the current headquarters in Sydney) and Australian United Press Ltd. " (AUP).

Australian Radio started broadcasting on November 13, 1923 and Television 1 November 1956 operates television and radio stations, public and commercial, ethnic and environmental factors. Public media oversees the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), is funded by the state (subscription was abolished in 1974.). There is one state TV station and 4 radio stations. In Australia, gives about 50 commercial television stations and about 140 radio stations.

Australia Holidays may be the most incredible holidays in your whole life.