Australia

Government
Democracy. Symbolic executive power is vested in the British monarch, who is represented throughout Australia by the governor- general
 
Geography
The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania. Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko. The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi (2,000 km), lies along the northeast coast. The island of Tasmania is off the southeast coast.

Historical Background
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD’s fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.

Capital

Canberra

Government

Federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Language

Australian English

Religion

Christian

Area

7,617,930 km2 (6th) 2,941,299 sq mi

Population

22,561,475[3] (52nd)

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)

GDP

estimate Total $848.862 billion Per capita $38,663