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___ Australia

Destination Australia, this page is about many aspects of the "unknown southern land". Here you will find comprehensive information about Australia in its diversity: geography, economy, science, people, culture, environment, government and history.
You will have access to newspapers from Australia and you will find extensive travel and tourism information for Australia.


  


Uluru - Ayers Rock, Australia
The Aboriginal sacred site Uluru - Ayers Rock
  

Commonwealth of Australia

Country Profile


Flag of Australia
Flag of Australia
Flag of the Aboriginals
Aboriginal Flag



I understood why Aboriginals choose to paint their land in 'pointillist' dots. The land was dotted. The white dots were spinifex; the blueish dots were eucalyptus, and the lemon-green dots were some other kind of tufty grass.
Bruce Chatwin - The Songlines

Background:
Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to an independent republic, was defeated in 1999.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)


geographically close to: Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste
related countries: United Kingdom
 
where in the world is Australia

Official Name:
Commonwealth of Australia
short form: Australia

ISO Country Code: au

Time:
Time Zone: EST (Eastern Standard Time)
Local Time = UTC +10h
Actual Time Canberra: Sat-Nov-21  09:39
DST from, October-March

Capital City: Canberra (pop. 347 000)

Other Cities:
Adelaide, Brisbane (1.6 million) Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne (3.5 million), Sydney (4.2 million), Perth (1.3 million)

Government:
Democratic, federal-state system recognizing British monarch as sovereign.
Constitution: 9 July 1900.
Independence (federation): 1 January 1901.

Geography:
Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.
Area: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 contiguous United States.
Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.

Climate:
Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.

People:
Nationality: Australian(s).
Population: 20.3 million (2005)
GNI per capita PPP: $ 31 020 (year)
Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 6%, Aboriginal 2%.
Religions: Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 21%, other non-Christian 5%, no religion 15%.
Languages: English (official), Italian 12,4%, Greek 9.2 %, Cantonese 7.9 %, only 51 000 people speaking an Australian Indigenous Language at home.
Literacy: 85%.

Natural resources:
Bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum.

Agriculture products:
Wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry.

Industries:
Mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel.

Exports partners:
Japan 13,9%, USA 6,7%, China 6.4%, New Zealand 5,7%, South Korea 5,7%, UK 5.2%, Taiwan 2.6% (2003)

Imports partners:
USA 15.8%, Japan 12.5%, China 11%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.2% (2003)

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD)

(Source: Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and others) 

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Australia

Australian Government
Official website of Australia's Government.

Australian Parliament
The Australian Parliament online.

The Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister's web site.

Australian Government Directory
Government Online Directory - Structure, organisations and key people.

Australian Government Information Management Office
AGIMO fosters the efficient and effective use of ICT by Australian Government departments and agencies.



Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Trade performance and global cooperation.

Diplomatic Missions
Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations
Australia's representation to the UN.
Embassy of Australia
Washington D.C. - USA
Australian Missions Abroad
List of Australia's Diplomatic Missions Abroad.
Diplomatic Representation by foreign governments in Canberra
List of Foreign Diplomatic Missions in Australia.
Australia Visa
Visas for visitors to Australia.

Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australia in Figures.

Weather
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Weather Down Under.

Australian Territories and States

Australian Capital Territory
The Canberra Region on the web.
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory Government online - Northern Territory information.
New South Wales
The NSW Government Home Page with comprehensive information on NSW.
Queensland
Internet resources provided by the Queensland Government.
Victoria
Victoria's Government Information on Victoria.
South Australia
South Australia Central - Meet South Australia On Line!
Western Australia
The Government of Western Australia.
Tasmania
A comprehensive index to Tasmania and the official entry point for the State Government of Tasmania.
Parliament of Tasmania
Established 1825.


Australia Maps

to Australia Map
Political Map of Australia.

Google Earth Google Earth Map Australia
Zoomable satellite/map view of Australia.
Google Earth Google Earth Canberra
Zoomable map and satellite view of Australia's capital city.
Google Earth Google Earth Melbourne
Zoomable map/satellite view of Australia's second most populous city.
Google Earth Google Earth Sydney
Zoomable map and satellite view of Australia's most populous city.

Google Earth Google Earth Sydney Opera House
Annotated map/satellite view of Sydney's world famous Opera House.
Google Earth Google Earth Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Annotated satellite view of Ayers Rock.

profile Oceania Map
Reference map of Australia/Oceania.

External link
  Australia's National Mapping Agency
Online resource for Australia related facts and maps.


 

Australia News

AAP
Australia's National News agency.
The Age
Melbourne's daily newspaper.
Australian Financial Review
Business and finances.
Australian News Network
Australian and international news contributed by several Australian newspapers.
Canberra Times
Canberra's Newspaper.
The Illawarra Mercury
National and international news.
Sydney Morning Herald
Sydneys Newspaper.

Radio/TV
ABC Online
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
 

 

Arts & Culture

culture reference Australia's Cultural Network
Gateway to Australian cultural organisations, websites, resources, events and news.
Aboriginal Art Online
Information and shop site for contemporary Aboriginal art.
Art Gallery NSW
Site of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Didgeridoo Cultural Hub | iDIDJ Australia
Aims to increase public awareness of the rich cultural traditions and significant heritage values of the didgeridoo.
Flanagan, Richard
Tasmanian Autor of "Death of a River Guide" and "Gould's Book of Fish" - Books from Richard Flanagan
National Gallery of Australia
The art of indigenous Australia as well as Australian and international art.
Sydney Festival 2004
One of Australia's biggest and brightest annual cultural event.
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House online.
Yothu Yindi
Australian Ethno Pop culture: Music of Yothu Yindi (by Amazon)

Museums
The Australian Museum
Australia's oldest museum, a museum of natural history and anthropology.
National Museum of Australia
Telling the stories of our land, our people and our nation, Canberra.
Museum Victoria
Cultures, histories, nature, science, technology and medicine.
National Gallery of Victoria
Australia’s very first, and largest, art gallery in Melbourne, founded in 1861.
The Powerhouse Museum
Largest museum in Australia - science, technology, decorative arts, design and Australian social history.

AMOL - Australian Museums and Galleries OnLine
A guide to Australia's Museums and galleries.

Sport
Australian Rugby Union
News, fixtures results and articles.
 
Books about Australia Books about contemporary art in Australia
  Contemporary Art in Australia
  Aboriginal Art in Australia

Business & Economy

The Australian Stock Exchange
National Australia Bank
RBA - Reserve Bank of Australia
Australia's Central Bank.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Australian Trade Commission (AUSTRADE)
The federal government's export and investment facilitation agency.
Department of Industry, Science & Resources
Information on Australian industry policies and programs, science and innovation, and resources.
Invest Australia
Invest Australia has a National Investment Response Centre to help you find out more about Australia.

Yellowpages.com.au

__Products
Australian Made Campaign
Authorises companies to use the green and gold kangaroo logo - Australia's best known symbol for what's Australian made.

__Transportation
Airline
Qantas Airways
Australian's Airline.
Airnorth
Major regional operator in Northern Australia.

Ferry
Spirit of Tasmania
Ferry service between Devonport and Melbourne.

Railroad
Great Southern Railway
Indian Pacific, The Ghan, The Overland.
West Coast Railway
Melbourne-Geelong-Warrnambool Rail Passenger Service.
 
Books about Australia Books about Business and Economy Australia
  Business and Investment in Australia
  Market Research Reports Australia

Destination Australia - Travel and Tour Guides

Discover Down Under: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Broome.
Accommodation, attractions, festivals and events, and tours.


Australia.com
Country, travel and tourism information on Australia by the
Australian Tourist Commission.

New South Wales
Sydney & New South Wales Tourism
The official New South Wales website covers Sydney accommodation, regional accommodation, things to see and do and places to go.

Northern Territory
Central Australian Tourism
Travel and tourism guide to Alice Springs, Uluru, Macdonnells Ranges.
Northern Territory Travel
Travel guide to Aboriginal culture and nature in Australia's Outback.
Tourism NT
Official Northern Territory Tourist Commission site.

Queensland
Queensland Tourism
The official Queensland Holidays website.

South Australia
South Australia
South Australian holidays, travel and tourism.
Dive South Australia
Cave diving, shark diving, shipwrecks.
Murraylands
Holidays and vacation in Murraylands.

Tasmania
Discover Tasmania
Discover Tasmania and Hobart Australia Official Travel Guide.

Victoria
Visit Victoria
The official travel and accommodation site for Melbourne Victoria Australia.

Western Australia
Tourism Western Australia
Australia's wild west.
Online WA
A gateway to WA's Information & Services.
Broome
Travel and tourism information on Broome one of the last great-unexplored wilderness areas Australia's.

City Guides

Canberra
National Capital Authority.

Adelaide
Official website of the capital city of South Australia.
Alice Springs
Community Portal site.
Brisbane
Capital of Queensland.
Darwin
Darwin City, capital of Northern Territory.
Hobart
Hobart City, Capital of Tasmania.

Melbourne
The City of Melbourne, Capital of Victoria.
Melbourne
City guide to Australia's second-largest city.

Perth
Capital of Western Australia.

Sydney
The City of Sydney and the greater Sydney area, offers also a Visitors' Guide.
Sydney
Sydney visitors guide.

The Australian Tourism Net
More Australian travel and tourism information.

Guide to Australia
Links library by the Charles Sturt University.

web culture Destination Australia
Lonely Planet's Australia Guide.


Hotels
 NEW  Hotels in Australia
Find Hotels in Australia.

 Books about Travel in Australia

US books 

Travel Guides Australia
   Travel Guides Australia
   Guide de tourisme et voyages en Australie
UK books  Australia Travel Guides
fr books  Guide de tourisme et voyages en Australie
German books  German Books: Reiseführer Australien

Education

Australian National University
Canberra
Charles Sturt University
EdNA Online
Promotes the benefits of learning, education and training in Australia.
Macquarie University
Australia's Innovative University, Sydney.
University of Adeliade
University of South Australia
University of Tasmania
One of Australia's leading universities.
University of the Sunshine Coast
Sippy Downs near Brisbane, Queensland.
The University of Western Australia

National Library of Australia
Australian Libraries Gateway Site
Information about more than 5,400 Australian libraries.

Science & Research
Australian Institute of Marine Science
Waterworld
culture reference The Nanoworld
Atomic, molecular, cellular and macromolecular scales.
 
 

Environment

Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia
South Australia's environmental assets and issues.
Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority
With a guide to Western Australia's Gardens and Parks.
Dragon Search
Information about sightings of the unique southern Australian fish - the seadragon.
Ecosustainable Hub
Resources and tools on ecology, environment and sustainability. Facilitating cooperation, networking and ethical developments.
Great Barrier Reef
One of the wonders of the natural world.
Save The Murray
Protect the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Tasmania Parks
A guide to Australian World Heritage Areas, National Parks and Reserves.

South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
The Pacific region's major intergovernmental organisation charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources.
 

weedy sea dragon
Weedy Sea Dragon
© dragonsearch.asn.au, Photo: Graeme Collins

History

 Australia's History at a Glance
Outline of the History of Australia including further History links.
 
Books about Australia Books about the History of Australia
  History of Australia
  Early History of Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Australias First Nations "Koori", which means 'person' or 'people'
  Aboriginal Art & Culture Centre
Site by the Southern Arrernte Aboriginal tribal group.
Aboriginal Australia
History, culture and spirituality of Aboriginal people throughout Australia.
AIATSIS
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
ATSIC
Official website of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission with information on Indigenous programs, activities and issues.
Bush Food and Bush Medicine
Some of the plants used for bush tucker and for bush medicine.
Corringie Settlement
Geodesic domes for the Corringie Community.
Dreamtime Legends
Get in contact with the Aboriginals world view.
 NEW Indigenous Australia
Indigenous Australia written by Aboriginal People.
Many Nations, One People
An introduction to Aboriginal culture and society.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Website
Explore the culture, issues and education of native peoples.
Stories of the Dreaming
Collected stories from the cultures of Indigenous Australians.

News
Koori Mail
Australia's national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander newspaper (for subscribers only).
Message Stick
Australian Broadcasting Corporation gateway to Indigenous content that the ABC has to offer in Television, Radio and online.
 
Books about Australia Books about Australian's Aborigines
  Books about Indigenous Australians
  Books about the Art of the Aborigines

Search

WebSearch.COM.AU
Australian/New Zealand Search Engine.
Web Wombat
Australian Search Engine.


Additional Information on Australia

BBC News Country Profile: Australia
Governments on the WWW: Australia
Open Directory Project: Australia
Wikipedia: Australia
The World Factbook -- Australia
 
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 Maps of the World
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