Australia directory contains related useful resource such as history, art, culture, entertainment
real estate, sport, health, science, and travel across Australia. |
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Australia
- Down Under
Australia, (The Commonwealth of Australia),
is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising
the world's smallest continent and a number
of islands in the Southern, Indian and Pacific
Oceans. Australia is a federation of six states
(New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland,
South Australia and Western Australia) and
two territories (the Northern Territory and
the Capital Territory, where Canberra is located).
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Australia has been inhabited
for more than 42,000 years by Indigenous Australians.
The eastern half of the continent was claimed
by the British in 1770 when James Cook, an
English explorer, landed on the world's smallest
continent and claimed it for Britain. In 1788,
11 ships, with more than 700 British convicts,
sailed into present-day Sydney and established
a settlement in New South Wales. Five further
self-governing colonies were set up: Tasmania,
Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and
Western Australia over the next century. On
1 January 1901, the six colonies federated
and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed.
Canberra is the capital city of Ausralia.
The current national population is around
20.5 million which is concentrated mainly
in the large coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Most of them
descended from nineteenth- and twentieth-century
immigrants, the majority from Great Britain
and Ireland. Mainland Aborigines and Torres
Strait Islanders - the indigenous population
was 410,003 (2.2% of the total population)
in 2001. English is the official language
and spoken in the home by around 80% of the
population. The next most common languages
spoken at home are Chinese (2.1%), Italian
(1.9%) and Greek (1.4%).
The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians
call themselves Christian: 27% identifying
themselves as Roman Catholic and 21% as Anglican.
Australians that identify themselves as followers
of non-Christian religions number 5%. A total
of 16% were categorised as having "No
Religion", like the country which itself
doesnot have any state religion.
The countries around Australia include Indonesia,
East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north,
the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the French
dependency of New Caledonia to the northeast,
and New Zealand to the southeast.
Australia covers a diverse range of habitats,
although most of the land is semi-arid or
desert. Australia's biota is unique and diverse
as its extremely variable weather and geography
are. In Australia about 85% of flowering plants,
84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds, and
89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic.
To protect and preserve Australia's unique
ecosystems numerous protected areas have been
created.16 World Heritage Sites have been
established throughout the continent.
Most Australian woody plant species are evergreen
and many are adapted to fire and drought,
like acasias and eucalyptus. Well-known Australian
fauna include the platypus and echidna, the
kangaroo, koala, wombat; and birds such as
the emu, and kookaburra.
The landscape varies from endless sunbaked
horizons to dense tropical rainforest to chilly
southern beaches. The Great Barrier Reef,
the world's largest coral reef, lies a short
distance off the north-east coast and extends
for over 2,000 kilometres (1,250 mi). The
world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus,
is located in Western Australia. Mount Kosciuszko(2,228
metres (7,310 ft)) on the Great Dividing Range
is the highest mountain on the Australian
mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote
Australian territory of Heard Island is taller
at 2,745 metres (9,006 ft). This unique geography
and the biodiversity are the best attraction
of Australia.
If you plan a Vacation to Australia, Several
prepaid calling card and phone card companies
are available to call both to and from Australia.
Resource: Josiah William works in marketing
for Cheap Phone Cards,Deal King, eCellular
and Snapmobile. |
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