Australia

Capital: Canberra Currency: Australian

Dollar

Area: 7,682,300 sq. km

Other Large Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide; Languages: Eng lish and aboriginal languages; Religions: Catholic-25.8%, Anglican-18.7%, Uniting Church-5.7%, Presbyterian and Reformed 3%, Eastern Orthodox-2.7%, other Chris tian-7.9%, Buddhist-2.1%, Muslim-1.7%; Literacy: 99%; Life Expectancy: 81.44; p.c.i: $ 45,138; HDI rank: 2; Date of

9. Australia

Coastline: 25, 760 km Population: 23,780,900

Independence: 1st January, 1901. Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Democracy; Governor-General: Sir Peter Cosgrove; PM: Tony Abbott. Climate: Arid and Semi-arid, Temperate in

south and east, Tropical in north Regional Divisions: 6 States and

2 Territories Geography: Australia, the world's sixth

largest country, occupies the smallest, flat test and driest continent. The only continent without glaciers. Population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts. The invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast and is one of the most

consistent winds in the world.

History: The first recorded European

Coral contact with Australia was in March 1606, when Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon charted the west coast of Cape York Pen insula, Queensland. Later that year, the Spanish explorer Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the strait separating Australia and Papua New Guinea. Over the next centuries, European explorers and traders continued to chart the coastline of Australia, then known as New Holland. In 1688, William Dampier became the first British explorer to land on the Australian coast, but it was not until Captain James Cook's voyage in 1770 that Great Britain claimed possession of the vast island, calling it New South Wales. A British penal colony was set up at Port Jackson (what is now Sydney) in 1788, and about 161,000 transported English convicts were settled there until the system was suspended in 1839.

Free settlers and former prisoners es tablished six colonies: New South Wales (1786), Tasmania (then Van Diemen's Land) (1825), Western Australia (1829), South Australia (1834), Victoria (1851), and Queensland (1859). Various gold rushes attracted settlers, as did the min ing of other minerals. Sheep farming and grain soon grew into important economic enterprises. The six colonies became states and in 1901 federated into the Common wealth of Australia with a constitution that incorporated British parliamentary and U.S.

federal traditions. Mission in India: High Commission for

Australia, 1/50-G, Shantipath, Chanaky apuri, New Delhi-110021. Tel: 41399900; Fax:4149 4491, 2688 7536. E-mail: austhighcom.newdelhi@dfat.gov.au

Mission in Australia: High Commission of India, 3-5, Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra ACT-2600, Australia. Tel: 00 61-2-62733999; 62733774, 00-61-2 62735479 (After office hours); Fax: 00-61 2-62731308.

E-mail: is@hciindia-au.org