| Although Australia encompasses a vast amount | | | | to serve as Ministers. The Federal Parliament has |
| of land (7,686,850 sq. km., or 2,967,909 sq. mi.), it | | | | a Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the States |
| only has six States - five of which are on the | | | | and two from each Territory) and a House of |
| mainland, and one which is an island. The five | | | | Representatives (150 seats - no state can have |
| mainland States are New South Wales, | | | | fewer than five representatives).Australia's |
| Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western | | | | monetary system is based on the Australian |
| Australia. The island State is Tasmania. Australia | | | | dollar. Its weights and measures are based upon |
| also has two Territories, which have their own | | | | the metric system.The agriculture of Australia |
| executive branches of government. Those are | | | | includes sheep, cattle, poultry, wheat, barley, |
| the Australian Capital Territory, or ACT, and | | | | sugarcane, and fruits. The industries include mining, |
| Northern Territory. There are also several islands | | | | food processing, chemicals, steel, and industrial and |
| off the coast of Australia which are dependent | | | | transportation equipment.Australia has many |
| upon it. Those are Ashmore, Cartier, Christmas, | | | | natural resources which include natural gas and |
| Cocos (Keeling), Coral Sea, Heard, McDonald, | | | | petroleum, diamonds, nickel, uranium, bauxite, coal, |
| Norfolk, and Macquarie Islands.Australia is the | | | | zinc, tin, iron ore, mineral sands, silver, lead, and |
| smallest continent, but the sixth largest country in | | | | tungsten.The country exports aluminium, coal, |
| the world. It's only slightly smaller that the | | | | gold, meats, wool, iron ore, wheat, machinery, and |
| contiguous 48 United States. The terrain is | | | | transport equipment. Among its imports are crude |
| predominantly low plateaus with deserts, but the | | | | oil and petroleum products, computers and office |
| country does have several small mountain ranges | | | | equipment, telecommunications equipment and |
| as well.The history of Australia records that the | | | | parts, and machinery and transport equipment. |
| first settlers were Aboriginals from Southeast | | | | Australia counts as its major trading partners |
| Asia who arrived about 40,000 years ago. The | | | | China, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the United |
| first European explorations did not begin until the | | | | Kingdom, and the United States.Australia has long |
| 17th century. The first territorial claim was made | | | | been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations |
| in 1770, by Captain James Cook, who took | | | | and is allied with Great Britain and the United |
| possession in the name of the British | | | | States, among other countries. It fought alongside |
| Empire.Between the 18th and 19th centuries, six | | | | its allies in World War I (with Great Britain) and in |
| colonies were established: New South Wales | | | | World War II (with both the United Kingdom and |
| (1786), Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land - | | | | the United States). The Prime Minister sent troops |
| 1825), Western Australia (1829), South Australia | | | | to fight, again, alongside its allies in Iraq in 2003. |
| (1834), Victoria (1851) and Queensland (1859). In | | | | And in July 2003, Australian troops and |
| 1901, the colonies united and became federated | | | | negotiators successfully restored order to the |
| as the States of the Commonwealth of Australia. | | | | Solomon Islands, following the brutal civil war |
| Its Constitution embraced the British | | | | which had spawned wide-spread chaos and |
| Parliamentary and U.S. Federal traditions. The | | | | disorder in its wake.The country has ongoing |
| government is democratic, has an elected Prime | | | | debates with East Timor over the delimitation of |
| Minister, and recognizes the British Monarch as | | | | a maritime boundary, and sharing untapped |
| sovereign. The Monarch is represented by a | | | | petroleum resource which are not covered by the |
| Governor General who is appointed upon | | | | 2002 Timor Sea Treaty, which had established |
| recommendation of the Prime Minister.The Prime | | | | the Joint Petroleum Development Area. However, |
| Minister nominates members of the Parliament to | | | | negotiations continue and Australia strives to |
| serve on the Cabinet. Those nominees are | | | | arrive an agreeable arrangement for all parties |
| subsequently sworn in by the Governor General | | | | involved. |