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Capital: Canberra
Flag: union jack (great Britain), big star= states, the others= the tack of the south
1. History
The first people came from Indonesia to Australia 60.000 years ago. Not before 1606 something important happened. Then the Dutchman William Jansz, who was the first European on Australian ground, arrived at the west-coast of Cape York. Australia was called "New Holland" now. In 1642 Abel Tasman, who was a Dutchman, too, discovered another island beside Australia. It was called Tasmania. One year later he sailed around Australia, but he didn't want to settle there. The discoverers thought, it was a hostile and barren area. Engaged by the English King George III the sailor Captain Cook took possession of the eastern part of Australia(1770).
English prisoners settled there in 1788, but in 1793 the first voluntary settlers came to Australia. Matthew Flinders was the first man who made a map form the Australian coast in 1801 until 1803. In the years from 1803 until 1836 more and more housing estates developed. The name Australia was mentioned for the first time in 1814. A popular happening was the discovery of gold in New South Wales in 1851. Seven years later Australia had a population of one million people, whose number was rising in the following years. Nowadays there live 19 million people. John McDuall was the first man who went from the south to the north of Australia. The way he covered is called "Stuart Highway" today. On the 1st January 1901 the "Commonwealth of Australia" was founded.
In the 1st World War fought against Germany. 350.000 Aussies took part, 60.000 of them died and 170.000 were wounded.
Having a war alliance in the 2nd World War with Great Britain Australia was attacked by Japan. After this war the "UNO" was founded.
The population grew within 20 years from 7.5 to 11 million inhabitants, because new immigration-waves came to Australia since 1945. Since 1951 the "School of Air" was opened for children living in the outback. "School of Air" means that they are given lessons by radio. In 1967 the Aborigines got the Civil Rights. Australia Dollars are the new currency since 1966. The "Land Rights Act" gave back the Aborigines' land in 1977. Eight years later Ayers Rock was a donation to the Aborigines, too. Celebrating the settlement of 200 years the Expo was in Brisbane in 1988. Three years later 256.00 Aborigines were registered in a census. In 2000 the Olympic summer games took place in Sydney. Canberra, the capital of Australia, was partly destroyed by a forest fire.
2. Climate and politics
The climate zones are divided in a tropical climate and a subtropical climate. Actually this is strange because of the huge area of this country. The summer months are from December to January, and the temperature lies between 29° C in the North and 18° C in the South. The average temperature in winter lies between 24° C and 10° C. In the tropical part and on the Northern coasts it rains average 3500mm a year, but in the heartland it rains only 250mm. In the mountains it either rains or snows. So the Australians celebrate Christmas in summer, sometimes at the beach.
But the enormous heat causes forest fire in the whole country. You could notice that in 2003. There was a great forest fire which destroyed many square miles of land, especially around Canberra.
The government of Australia is formed by members of a free-chosen parliament with two chambers, the House of Representatives (150 members) and the Senate (76 members). The majority party in the House of Representatives forms the government and appoints secretaries and ministers, they can select members of both chambers.
The legislature period lasts only 3 years, from the 1st meeting of the new parliament. But a Prime minister is able to ask the General Governor to hold new elections, either before the legislature period is ending.
The Australians have the elect the members of the House of Representatives by name with numbers. The average poll is about 96%, which is very high compared to other countries, especially the USA which has an average poll of max. 60%.
Queen Elisabeth II is the head of Australia. She appoints the General Governor in suggestion with the elected government. Michael Jeffery is the Australian General Governor since 2003. On the 10th November 2001 Johan Howard was elected to be the Prime Minister of Australia.
The national holiday is on the 26th January, it is called Australia Day. This date was selected because Captain Arthur Phillip landed with 736 prisoners on the coast of Sydney. They settled there and he named the settlement "Lord Sydney" after an English politician which had the responsibility of the transport. This day also means shame of the invasion for the Aborigines. So this national holiday separates the native inhabitants and the "settlers".
3. Aborigines
The Aborigines are the native people of Australia. They have been living there for over 50.000 years and have their own culture of celebrations, painting, weapons and music. In 1770 300 thousand Aborigines lived in 500 separate tribes. In this time James Cook claimed Australia to a colony of Great Britain. But the settlers and the native Australians didn't like each other. The settlers killed the native Australians and many tribes died out. But they get other problems that were alcoholism and for the native Australian unknown illness.
The Aborigines didn't have any civil rights at the beginning, they weren't allowed to vote or to own land. The settlers also could do to them what they wanted.
Only after 1967 the native Australian people became civil rights from the white Australian government.
In the 1990s many natives and half-caste lived in their reservations or on the edge of the big cities like Melbourne or Sydney. But they had many problems with unemployment, poverty and alcoholism!
Now the government wants to start programmes to assimilate the Aborigines into the civil population. But the Aborigines protest against the assimilation. They want to be accepted in their own culture and own way of live. They want to keep their traditions.
The Aborigines have their own music. It consists of several sounds and rhythms of didgeridoos, drums, sound sticks and other rhythmic instruments joining their singing.
The native Australians are a group of people which paint most of the things they have. They paint their didgeridoos, their skin or other things of day life made of wood, tree-rind or stone. They use the "Dot-painting" by using little sticks or "the cross-and hatch-painting" by using grass with many different colours. The most of their paintings show symbols or animals of their country for example koala bears, snakes, kangaroos and turtles.
They believe in the "Dreamtime". That means that in this time their ancestors went over the whole world and made all mountains, valleys, rivers, trees and animals. So the Aborigines have great respect to the whole nature. And that is the reason why they cannot understand the culture of the white man.
The Aborigines live in the Outback. That means they live in the middle of Australia, in an area like a desert. Many of them are still hunters and use weapons like a boomerang or a spear for hunting. The boomerang is a piece of wood so specially formed, that it comes back whenever you throw it away. The spear is a long wooden stick with a sharp tip. The Aborigines throw it to an animal which they want to kill.
4. Wild life
In Australia there are many plants and many animals, for example: snakes, birds, fish and many more. The most famous animals which live in Australia are the koala, the kangaroo and the emu. There also exist many species of turtles, crocodiles and other interesting creatures. One of the most dangerous animals is the shark, which is known because of some films. All over the world the people know that the sharks bite because it is published by some magazines. Therefore it isn\'t allowed to swim at the beaches sometimes.
Large areas of this land are uncivilized and empty. That means that nobody lives in some parts of this land.´
Australians all let us rejoice
For we are young and free
We\'ve golden soil and wealth for toil
Our home is girt by sea
Our land abounds in nature\'s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare
In history\'s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair
When gallant Cook from Albion sailed
To trace wide oceans o\'er
True British courage born him on trug
Till he landed on our shore
And there he raised old England\'s flag
The standard of the brave
With all her faults we love her still
Britannia rules the wave
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We\'ll toil with hearts and hands
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands
For those who\'ve come across the seas
We\'ve boundless plains to share
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair
Froh lasst uns jubeln, Einwohner Australiens,
Denn wir sind jung und frei,
Goldner Boden und Überfluss,
sind unsere ganze Mühe,
Unsere Heimstatt umschließt das Meer,
Unser Land ist reich an Gaben der Natur,
Von kostbarer und erlesener Schönheit,
Möge im Buch der Geschichte mit jedem Abschnitt,
Das schöne, glückliche Australien weiter voranschreiten.
Dann wollen wir zu frohen Klängen singen,
Schreite voran, schönes, glückliches Australien.
Unter dem Kreuz des Südens,
Werden wir uns mit Herzen und Händen abmühen,
Um unseren Commonwealth,
Der berühmt für sein Land ist, weiter aufzubauen.
Für die, die über die See zu uns kamen,
Haben wir grenzenlose Ebenen zum Teilen;
Mit Tapferkeit last uns alle vereinen,
das glückliche Australien voranzubringen.
Dann wollen wir zu frohen Klängen singen,
Schreite voran, schönes, glückliches Australien.
5. Sights
5.1 Canberra
5.1.2 Lake Burley Griffin
The Lake Burley Griffin is named after Walter Burley Griffin and is in the middle of Canberra. The shoreline is 35km.
5.1.3 The Telstra Tower
The most people visit the tower for the view. It's a spectacular view, day and night. The Telstra Tower is the compass of the city. The tower rises 195 metres above the summit of Black Mountain, providing 360 degree views of Canberra and the countryside around it. The tower is more than a landmark and viewing gallery, however. It has a functional role in providing state-of-the-art telecommunications facilities for Canberra. In the lower level of the Tower\'s entrance foyer, the exhibition \"Making Connections\" traces the history of Australian telecommunications from the earliest days into the 21st century.
5.1.4 The War Memorial
The War Memorial is a building with a large collection of pictures and documentations about the war. It is international recognized. The building represents a lot of stories about Australians at war, in armed conflicts. More than 102.000 people died in the war.
5.1.5 The Government House
It is a location for many formal events, such as the presentation of the Order of Australia Awards.
5.1.6 The Parliament House
The 81 metre long flag mast of Parliament House has become the symbol of Canberra. The Parliament House marks the place where Australians law begin. It's a modern-looking structure with metal struts. There are the offices of the Australian Prime minister. It was designed by an Italian in 1988.
5.1.7 The Old Parliament House
Old Parliament House made headlines for more than sixty years as home to Australia\'s Federal Parliament from 1927 to 1988. Today the House is a museum with a changing and an exciting program tour and special events but you can besides go on a self tour. Visitors can look into Australian's fascinating past.
5.2 Sydney
5.2.1 Harbour Bridge
The Sydney harbour Bridge is one of Sydney's most famous landmarks. It was completed in 1932, the construction of the bridge was an engineering triumph. The Sydney Harbour Bridge took eight years to be built. The total cost of the bridge was 6.25 million Australian Dollars.
5.2.2 Bondi Beach
This beach is one of Australian's most famous beaches and among the world's most well-known beach. The beach is roughly one kilometre long.
5.2.3 The Rocks
The "Rocks" is one of the most visited parts of Sydney. It is often described as "Sydney's outdoor museum", because the "Rocks" is the oldest area of Sydney. There are cafes, restaurants and interesting tourist shops.
5.2.5 Sydney Tower
The Sydney Tower is 305 metres high and its Sydney's tallest building. The Sydney Tower was officially opened on September 27th, 1981. Whatever it has been called before, the tower is now the officially called Sydney Tower.
5.4 Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea 15-160 km west of Australia. It is made up of smaller islands, reefs and shoals of coral. The Great Barrier Reef reaches southeast for over 2,000 km. There are more than 350 species of coral there, some of which have existed for millions of years. Between the Australian coast and the main reef is the Lagoon. The Lagoon is shallow and has many islands, some of which are the peaks of ancient mountains that have submerged over millions of years.
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