AUSTRALIA

General features

It is the largest island in the world and the smallest continent. It has a population of about 16 million that is two people per square km. Much of the country is desert.

The Land

Australia is the flattest of the continents. The large plateau in the west covers about three-quarter of the total area, interrupted only by a great mass of rock called Ayers Rock. East of the Great Western Plateau are the Central Eastern

Lowlands, which cross Australia from north to south. East of them there are the Eastern Highland, which rise from the top to the bottom of the island of Tasmania following the coast. Most Australians live in the coastal territory east of the Highlands.

Climate and Weather

70% of the territory is uninhabited because it is arid; most of the interior, called the outback is hot and dry. The Murray, the longest river, and its tributaries form the widest river system; all other rivers are small and coastal. Water is a problem in all parts of Australia because of low rainfall and evaporation, so every available resource has been exploited.

A third of Australia is north of the Tropic of Capricorn, the rest is a Temperate Zone, and the seasons in Australia are not so marked.

Plants and Animals

The sea cut off Australia from the rest of the world, so plants and animal life developed independently. There are 450 species of eucalyptus and some unique animals. The oldest is the platypus. Most animals are marsupials: they carry and feed their young in pouches, the best known is the kangaroo. Another funny known animal is the koala.

Manufacturing and Mining

After the First and the Second World War manufacturing gained an important role in the economy. Industries range from engineering to oil refining.

Mining has been also important. The goldrush of the nineteenth century developed the Australian economy rapidly. All sorts of minerals could be found: coal, aluminium, but also, gold, nickel, copper, manganese, uranium, lead, zinc and mineral sands are largely exported. Even diamonds are mined in Australia. Japan and now China are the major customers.

Farming

Farming is still the most important industry; the three largest ones are wool, beef and wheat. Australia is the largest exporter of wool, and some of the farms are larger than an Italian region.  Australia exports sheep and cattle first of all to USA, its major customer.

Besides wheat many different sorts of fruit grow in Australia, bananas, pineapple, apples etc. Other products are sugar, tobacco and rice.

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM AND THE PEOPLE

States and Territories

Australia has six States:

NEW SOUTH WALES, the capital is Sidney, the largest city in Australia. It was the first colony and now it is the most

populous and industrialised.

VICTORIA, with its rich soil and grasslands, is located on the south of NSW . Its capital is Melbourne (3 mill. Inhabit.)

QUEENSLAND is the second largest state. Capital is Brisbane. Along its coast there is the Great Barrier Reef, made from the skeleton of million and million of corals.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA, Adelaide is the capital with a population of 1,5 million; its coastal area has Mediterranean vegetation.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA is the largest state (covers one third of the territory). Perth is the capital. Enormous is the mineral wealth.

TASMANIA is an island on the south; its capital is Hobart.

In the AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL TERRITORY there is Canberra, the national capital.

Government

Australia is a federation of States. There is a Federal Government and six Separate State Governments for each of the six states. There are The House of Representatives and the Senate: each State has the same number of senators. Queen Elisabeth is also the Queen of Australia. The Australian Labour Party and the Liberal Party are the two main political parties.

The People

Most Australians are immigrants or descendants. The Aborigines are 1 per cent of the population. The first settlers were convicts from England, Scotland and Ireland, with the only exception of the Chinese who came to the goldfields.

Australian society was modelled along British line. Only after the Second World War immigrants arrived from many other countries, most from Italy and from Greece. In recent years from Vietnam. Between 1945 and 1985 the population doubled.

Australians are helpful and tolerant. They are really fond of outdoor sports and they seem to be immune to hero worship in politics or government.