Changes

|}

|}

The [[Commonwealth]] of Australia is a [[country]]-[[continent]] with its west coast on the [[Indian Ocean]], east coast on the [[Pacific Ocean]] facing [[New Zealand]], southern coast on the [[Southern Ocean]] facing [[Antarctica]], and northern coast bordering [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]]. Australia is considered geographically as part of [[Oceania]], but has been establishing its place politically and commercially in [[South East Asia]].  

The [[Commonwealth]] of Australia-land is a [[country]]-[[continent]] country where the celebration of kangaroo races is a national past time.

Australia is the only country to occupy an entire continent<ref>This refers just to the Australian mainland.  Some authorities now include [[Papua New Guinea]], [[New Zealand]], and various other [[Pacific Ocean]] islands in the continent of "Oceania".  See [http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>, the smallest of the planet's seven continents.<ref>Some people count six, combining North and South America or Europe and Asia.  See [http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>

Australia is the only country to occupy an entire continent, making it a hot bed for incestous relationships.<ref>This refers just to the Australian mainland.  Some authorities now include [[Papua New Guinea]], [[New Zealand]], and various other [[Pacific Ocean]] islands in the continent of "Oceania".  See [http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>, the smallest of the planet's seven continents.<ref>Some people count six, combining North and South America or Europe and Asia.  See [http://worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/contnent.htm WorldAtlas.com].</ref>

It is 2,400 miles, (3,860 km) from east to west and 2,000 miles (3,220 km) from north to south.

It is 2,400 miles, (3,860 km) from east to west and 2,000 miles (3,220 km) from north to south.

It covers an area of 2,967,877 sq miles (7,686,810 sq km). The Australian coastline is 22,812 miles long (36,735 kilometers).

It covers an area of 2,967,877 sq miles (7,686,810 sq km). The Australian coastline is 22,812 miles long (36,735 kilometers).

== History==

== History==

=== Pre European Contact ===

=== Pre European Contact ===

Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as [[Australian Aborigines|Aborigines]] although they come from over 700 smaller nations each with their own tribal name and language.  Over time, many of these nations and tribes lost their identity or were decimated by disease, poor nutrition, massacres by white settlers and the forced removal of children from their parents into white families or mission stations.  Nevertheless, many Aboriginal languages and traditions have survived the more than 200 years of white settlement. Under recent legislation recognising native title, Aboriginal communities now have the right to claim back land dispossessed from them where they can prove that lasting cultural links still persist and where the native title has not been extinguished by freehold or leasehold title.

Australia before european contact was a country run by strange black people, who worshipped animals that we Americans look at with disdain. if you don't believe me then i'll cut you. YES THIS IS A WRITTEN THREAT.

 

The original inhabitants of the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and far northern Queensland are different and are known as [[Torres Strait Islander]]s. These people are more closely related to [[Melanesian]]s than to Aborigines. The term usually used to include all indigenous Australians is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".

 

=== Post European Contact ===

=== Post European Contact ===

European discovery of the mainland of Australia was by [[Holland|Dutch]] sailors heading to the spice isles of what is now [[Indonesia]], in the 16th Century.  Most of their descriptions of Australia are based on the exploration of the North West coast which is very rugged and inhospitable.  

European discovery of the mainland of Australia was by [[Holland|Dutch]] sailors heading to the spice isles of what is now [[Indonesia]], in the 16th Century.  Most of their descriptions of Australia are based on the exploration of the North West coast which is very rugged and inhospitable.  

The 1850s saw the discovery of [[gold]] and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.  Most of these people were British, although there were also many dispossessed by the "land clearings" in [[Scotland]] and the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[potato]] [[famine]], and there was a significant number of [[China|Chinese]] immigrants during this rush. "Americans were drawn to Australia to participate in various enterprises such as the gold fields" <ref>[http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/comm-summ/textversion/usa.htm| Australian Dept of Immigration and Citizenship]</ref>

The 1850s saw the discovery of [[gold]] and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.  Most of these people were British, although there were also many dispossessed by the "land clearings" in [[Scotland]] and the [[Ireland|Irish]] [[potato]] [[famine]], and there was a significant number of [[China|Chinese]] immigrants during this rush. "Americans were drawn to Australia to participate in various enterprises such as the gold fields" <ref>[http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/comm-summ/textversion/usa.htm| Australian Dept of Immigration and Citizenship]</ref>

== System of Government ==

== Economy ==

Australia became a federated country on [[1 January]] [[1901]] under the [[Constitution of Australia]], and all former British colonies became states. The declaration of federation was made in Sydney. The parliament met in [[Melbourne]], Victoria, until the infrastructure was built for the capital city, [[Canberra]].

The Australia-land Economy is fueled by the sale of vegemite. However, in America, Vegemite is illegal and thus something of the devil. In Australia-land, instead of traditional notes and coins, they exchange tubs of vegemite for common goods. Slang has arrisen based on this currency, such as "i'll give you eleventy eleven tubs of vege for 3 kangaroos and a wombat".

 

Australia has a [[Parliament|parliamentary system]] of government based on the British system with a [[bicameral]] system:  the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[Australian Senate|Senate]]. Each state and territory also has its own parliament. 

 

Australia is a [[democracy]] which has allowed men of [[European]] descent to vote since federation, with non-Aboriginal women gaining the vote in 1902 and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.  Voting is compulsory for all citizens who are 18 years old and over (with a few exceptions.)

 

Australia's Head of Government is the [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. The current Prime Minister is [[John Howard]], the leader of the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]. The Deputy Prime Minister is [[Mark Vaile]], the leader of the [[National Party of Australia]]. The two parties are in [[coalition]] to form the Government.

 

The Head of State is [[Queen Elizabeth II]], the Queen of Australia (who is the same person, but a different title, as the Queen of Great Britain.) Under the Constitution, and in practice, the authority of the Head of State is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia]], currently the retired Major-General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, GCL, who assents to acts of parliament, is the Commander in Chief of the military forces, and appoints all Ministers of the Government; all these various powers are normally exercised on advice from the Prime Minister.  

 

The Government of Australia is exercised, day-to-day, by the Ministers through their various Departments of State.

 

Australia has [[preferential voting]], which is designed to ensure that the candidates with the most support get into office, rather than the candidate with the most primary votes. So if three candidates, A, B, and C, get 40%, 35%, and 25% of the votes respectively (so no candidate has more than 50% of the votes), then the second preference of the voters who voted for C are distributed to the remaining candidates. The result might be that A ends up with 45% of the votes, and B with 55%, indicating that 55% of the voters prefer candidate B over A.

 

One consequence of this voting system is that it encourages a multiplicity of parties and even independent candidates. There have been times when the balance of power has been held by minor parties or independent individuals.

 

There is no limit on the time a person can be a Member of Parliament (MP) (elected, notionally, for 3 years, but the timing of elections is decided by the Prime Minister) or a Senator (elected for two cycles of the House of representatives.) The Prime Minister is normally a member of the House of Representatives, and the tenure is not limited by statute. (John Gorton was a Senator when appointed leader of his party. He immediately resigned from the Senate and stood for election to the House of Representatives.)

 

The Federal 'opposition' political party, is the [[Australian Labor Party]]. Its leader is [[Kevin Rudd]]. The Labor Party is in government in all of the states and territories but remains in opposition at the Federal level.  The next Australian Federal election is expected to be held late in 2007. The Labor Party is "social democratic" while the Liberals are "liberal conservatives"; however, some of the smaller parties are more socialist or more conservative than Labor and Liberal respectively.  

===Parliamentary political parties===

===President of the republic of Australia-land===

The President of the proud country Australia-Land is then man who owns the most kangaroos. Kangaroos are seen as a holy animal to the australians, and having many of them determines great wealth and status.

* National Party of Australia

Despite the name, the Liberal Party, which has been in power in Australia since 1996, is conservative in political stance, a paradox established since the years that Sir Robert Menzies was Prime Minister. Menzies helped found the Liberal Party in 1944 and was the Prime Minister from 1939 until 1941 and then again from 1949 until 1966. <ref> [http://www.liberals.net/liberalpartyhistory.htm History of the Liberal Party in Australia]</ref>The liberal term refers to the party's predominantly free-market approach to economic management.

== Prime Ministers of Australia ==

== Prime Ministers of Australia ==