03 Australia and New Zealand

03 Australia and New Zealand

AUSTRALIA

HISTORY

• Aboriginals – maori and moriori – pantheism

• discovered by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606

• 1770 James Cook started mapping

• became colony of England – penal colony = to exile prisoners

• 19th century – Gold Rush – poeple came and started taking things from natives, who didn’t understand the meaning of possession

• Aboriginal genocide – reservations were made for their protection

SYMBOLS

• Anthem

  • God save the Queen

  • Advance Australia Fair

• Flag: blue field with UK flag + Commonwealth Star = seven-pointed star + Southern Cross Constellation (5 stars)

• Capital city: Canberra

• Currency: Australian Dollar

• Language: English

• Nickname: Aussie

• Symbols: boomerang, didgeridoo, Sydney Opera House, Uluru, koala, kangaroo

• Actors: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett

POLITICAL MAP

• the only continent, that is also a country

• no land borders

• W – Indian Ocean; N – Timor Sea, Arafura Sea, E – Coral Sea, South Pacific Ocean, S – Tasman Sea, Southern Ocean

• Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania

• Population – 24 mil

• Ethnicity

  • 36 % British

  • 35 % Australian – colony, aborigines

• Religion

  • 61 % Christian

  • 22 % non-religious

POLITICAL SYSTEM

• federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy

• Head of State – Queen Elizabeth II

  • represented by Governor-General

  • GG appointed by the monarch on recommendations of government ministers

  • GG is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force

  • can appoint ministers, judges, ambassadors

  • since 1 July 2019 – David Hurley

• Legislative = Parliament + governor general

  • bicameral – Senate + House of Representatives

  • Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament

  • Infulenced by the Westminster system

  • House of Representatives

    • 151 members

    • voted for flexible term of office (not more than 3 years)

  • Senate

    • 76 members

    • elected for flexible term of office (not more than 6 years)

• Executive

  • Federal Executive Council – gives legal effect to the decisions of cabinet

  • Cabinet – Prime minister (changes all the time) + ministers of state (they advise the GG)

• Juduciary

  • the High Court of Australia

  • judges appointed by gornor-general on advice of the FEC

• Constitution – Constitution of Australia – one of world’s oldest written

• federation – power is divided between the federal government and the states and territories

• two-party system – Australian Labour Party and Coalition (Liberal Party and National Party)

• voting is compulsory!

GEOGRAPHY

• Capital: Canberra

• located in Oceania between Indian and South Pacific Oceans

• mostly deserts

  • Great Victoria Desert – biggest

  • Great Sandy Desert

  • Simpson Desert

  • Gibson Desert

• Mountain ranges

  • Macdonnell RAnges

  • Great Dividing Range – east coast

• Highest peak

  • Mount Kosciuszko 2228 m

• Rivers

  • not many – deserts

  • Murray – 2508 km

  • Darling – 1472 km

• Lakes

  • Lake Eyre – biggest

  • Lake Gairdner

  • Lake Hilier – pink

  • Lake Disappointment

• Coral Reefs

  • Great Barrier Reef – world’s largest