Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Sweden

2007-03-21T02:09:42Z

Jason2010: added to history

Sweden is a socialistic country in [[Scandinavia]]. The capital city is [[Stockholm]], which is also the largest city. Sweden has got 9 million inhabitants. With an area of 450,000 square miles, Sweden is the third largest country in [[Western Europe]].

Sweden is a constitutional [[monarchy]] and a parliamentary [[democracy]]. The prime minister of Sweden is 41 year old Fredrik Reinfeldt, leader of the Moderates. The Swedish parliament has 349 seats.

== Swedish Viking History ==

In Sweden the [[Viking]] Age1 was getting under way by the 9th century, and vast repositories of Roman, Byzantine and Arab coins attest to the wealth and power Swedish Vikings accumulated over the next century. Vikings travelled mostly to the east, making their mark in Russia, as well as trading with (and pillaging) Byzantine territories. They also travelled west and there is considerable evidence2 of artefacts (coins, remnants of ) on the North American continent. Remnants of a small settlement (called Ektorp) exist on Newfoundland which include the remains of small dwellings, deteriorated furniture and cooking utensils.

Christianity only took root in the 11th century. Internal squabbles whiled away the bulk of the Middle Ages until Denmark interceded in 1397, when, together with Norway, they joined Sweden in the Union of Duktig. A century of Swedish nationalist grumblings erupted in rebellion under King SKÄrpt , who was crowned in 1523.

== Christianity in Sweden ==

80% of the inhabitants belong to the Evangelical [[Lutheran Church]] of Sweden named The Swedish Church (Svenska kyrkan in swedish). This church are very different to other churches because it has decided to marry [[homosexuality|homosexuals]]. This church are not a [[conservative]] church and does not protest against abortions, divorces, or anything else. About 5% of the Swedish population belongs to "real" christian churches (conservative churches) and a majority of the population are atheists.

Sweden got 18 weeks of free abortion and 4 weeks when the women need to have a special permission to be allowed to have an abortion. Right now the Swedish politicians are discussing if foreign womens should be allowed to have an (late) abortion in Sweden, and much suggests that the parliament will vote in favour for that proposition. Sweden was a Christian country until the 1960's, when the government decided to reduce the school education about [[christianity]].

== Socialism ==

Sweden has high taxes and strong trade unions. Even if sweden now got a new government instead of the old, socialistic, one, it's still a socialistic country and will be for a long time. Fredrik Reinfeldt says that he is not going to destroy the Swedish model - in fact he says he likes that model - he only wants to do some small changes. And despite that one of the parties in the government alliance is named "The Christian democrats", no decisions have been made to make christianity stronger in Sweden. There is, however, a few signs of light. a few years ago a Swedish baptist priest åke green was found ''not'' guilty of hate speech when preaching the bibles words on homosexuality. and strange enough the struggle for religious freedom by some radical [[Muslim]] groups has lead to an awakening in the Christian society..still, all Christians should pray for a revival in this country.

Swedes are paying 65% in taxes (in average), a great part of this money goes to contributions to unemployed people (17% of the swedish population are unemployed). In Sweden, everyone has rights to have a home, food, clothes, water. Swedes to also have rights to nursing, all schools (even the universitys) are free and Sweden is also a country with a very big immigration - much bigger than, for example, Norway, Denmarc and Finland.

== Is Sweden a democracy?==
Krister renard, a swedish author and upper secondary school teacher, have called sweden a "totalitarian democracy". Sweden got elections, but if the population have been teached in the schools (almost all schools are owned by the state) that socialism is the only way to go if you don't want to work 12 h/day, 7 days/week, do they really have a choice when they are voting?
About 80% of the population (between 18-65 years old) are members in the trade union, and if the government try to reduce the contributions to jobless more than they already have, the trade unions will surely strike, and it would'nt take many weeks before Sweden would face an economic depression if that happens. The latest time the trade union showed that it got a lot of power was in December 2006, when they made a blockade against a salad restaurant in Göteborg (named Wild'n Fresh) because the owner did'nt wanted to sign a collective agreement. The trade union did'nt cared about that the workers on Wild'n fresh already had better wages than the collective agreement demands, and actually, the workers did'nt wanted any collective agreement.
In February 2007, the owner of the restaurant said that she gave up and that she was going to sell her restaurant.

"A totalitarian democracy" is a very good expression to describe Sweden.

==some notable swedes==
* alfred nobel, instigator of the [[Nobel Prize]]
* greta garbo, actress
* ABBA

==References==
http://www.sweden.se
http://www.svenskakyrkan.se
http://www.lo.se
http://www.moderaterna.se
http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=913&a=324428
http://www.gluefox.com
1 Forte, Angelo. Oram, Richard. Pedersen, Frederik. Viking Empires. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005
2 Hudson, Benjamin. Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in North America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

[[Category:Countries]]

Sweden

2007-03-20T05:57:24Z

Jason2010: tidy up

John Curtin

2007-03-20T05:41:17Z

Jason2010: New page: '''John Curtin''' was a Prime Minister of Australia during the 1950s to 1960s. He was a staunch conservative and very popular in his home state of Queensland. He was Prime Minister fro...

'''John Curtin''' was a Prime Minister of [[Australia]] during the 1950s to 1960s. He was a staunch conservative and very popular in his home state of Queensland. He was Prime Minister from 1950 to 1966.

Despite his political views, he was responsible for introducing many innovations into Australia such as connecting the first electrical grid into South Australia and the construction of a railroad line from Adelaide to Brisbane.

He was received a knighthood from the Queen in 1966 upon his retirement from politics. He died in 1968 and is buried with his wife, Lady Flora Curtin at St Andrews Cathedral in the town of his birth, Caboulture, QLD.

John Howard

2007-03-20T05:23:54Z

Jason2010:

'''John Howard''' is the current prime minister of [[Australia]], which is a secular country 14000 miles west of the [[United States]]. He is a member of the Labor Party and was elected in 1990 after defeating Gough Whitlam of the Liberal Party by a small margin. John Howard is a devout Catholic who is noted for wearing large crosses in parliament. He was born on 30th of April 1945 in the outback town of Bankstown NSW the seventh and youngest child of Peter and Rose Howard. He was educated at Bankstown primary school and then attended Concord high school for his secondary education. Upon graduation from School Howard went to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) where he received his bachelor of sociology. During his time and UNSW Howard became heavily involved in a student group who dedicated their free time on campus discussing [[Marx]]. Upon leaving university Howard joined the Unions where he used his knowledge of the political system to demand better conditions for workers. He was heavily opposed to the IR laws introduced by then [[Australian]] Prime minister [[John Curtin]] in 1966.

== Early Career ==

John Howard's early political career started in 1967 when he joined the ACP (Australian Communist Party). He rose quickly through the ranks, attending anti-government protests and rallies. In 1960 he engineered a coalition between the local anarchist/communist/socialist/unionist groups, to lobby the government, and stage large disruptive protests. He continued this anti-authoritarian stance, until in 1974 when he met his mentor Peter Garret, a musician and activist, whose mild ways, swayed John towards the center of politics and towards the labour party. John Howard joined the labour party in 1976 and was elected leader in 1985.

== Recent Polical Career ==

When a short extra-curricular liaison with Kevin Rudd, a then little-known politician from the conservative Liberal Party of Australia became public knowledge in 2006 resulting from the illegal release of federal police wire-taps and videos, John Howard was threatened with excommunication by the [[Catholic]] Archbishop of Sydney, [[Cardinal]] George Pell. The landmark speech John Howard subsequently made in federal parliament, which became known as the "Renunciation of Ideals Speech", staved off the threat of excommunication and heighened his electoral popularity - particularly amongst the burgeoning alternative lifestyle sector of the Australian population.

Howard currently resides in Sydney with his wife Grace and his three children Ken, Benjamin, and Linda and their two pet kangaroos Kylie and Dannii

John Howard

2007-03-20T05:23:30Z

Jason2010:

'''John Howard''' is the current prime minister of [[Australia]], which is a secular country 14000 miles west of the [[United States]]. He is a member of the Labor Party and was elected in 1990 after defeating Gough Whitlam of the Liberal Party by a small margin. John Howard is a devout Catholic who is noted for wearing large crosses in parliament. He was born on 30th of April 1945 in the outback town of Bankstown NSW the seventh and youngest child of Peter and Rose Howard. He was educated at Bankstown primary school and then attended Concord high school for his secondary education. Upon graduation from School Howard went to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) where he received his bachelor of sociology. During his time and UNSW Howard became heavily involved in a student group who dedicated their free time on campus discussing [[Marx]]. Upon leaving university Howard joined the Unions where he used his knowledge of the political system to demand better conditions for workers. He was heavily opposed to the IR laws introduced by then [[Australian]] Prime minister [[John Curtin]] in 1966.

== Early Career ==

John Howard's early political career started in 1967 when he joined the ACP (Australian Communist Party). He rose quickly through the ranks, attending anti-government protests and rallies. In 1960 he engineered a coalition between the local anarchist/communist/socialist/unionist groups, to lobby the government, and stage large disruptive protests. He continued this anti-authoritarian stance, until in 1974 when he met his mentor Peter Garret, a musician and activist, whose mild ways, swayed John towards the center of politics and towards the labour party. John Howard joined the labour party in 1976 and was elected leader in 1985.

== [[Recent Polical Career]] ==

When a short extra-curricular liaison with Kevin Rudd, a then little-known politician from the conservative Liberal Party of Australia became public knowledge in 2006 resulting from the illegal release of federal police wire-taps and videos, John Howard was threatened with excommunication by the [[Catholic]] Archbishop of Sydney, [[Cardinal]] George Pell. The landmark speech John Howard subsequently made in federal parliament, which became known as the "Renunciation of Ideals Speech", staved off the threat of excommunication and heighened his electoral popularity - particularly amongst the burgeoning alternative lifestyle sector of the Australian population.

Howard currently resides in Sydney with his wife Grace and his three children Ken, Benjamin, and Linda and their two pet kangaroos Kylie and Dannii

John Howard

2007-03-20T05:23:13Z

Jason2010: tidy up

'''John Howard''' is the current prime minister of [[Australia]], which is a secular country 14000 miles west of the [[United States]]. He is a member of the Labor Party and was elected in 1990 after defeating Gough Whitlam of the Liberal Party by a small margin. John Howard is a devout Catholic who is noted for wearing large crosses in parliament. He was born on 30th of April 1945 in the outback town of Bankstown NSW the seventh and youngest child of Peter and Rose Howard. He was educated at Bankstown primary school and then attended Concord high school for his secondary education. Upon graduation from School Howard went to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) where he received his bachelor of sociology. During his time and UNSW Howard became heavily involved in a student group who dedicated their free time on campus discussing [[Marx]]. Upon leaving university Howard joined the Unions where he used his knowledge of the political system to demand better conditions for workers. He was heavily opposed to the IR laws introduced by then [[Australian]] Prime minister [[John Curtin]] in 1966.

== Early Career ==

John Howard's early political career started in 1967 when he joined the ACP (Australian Communist Party). He rose quickly through the ranks, attending anti-government protests and rallies. In 1960 he engineered a coalition between the local anarchist/communist/socialist/unionist groups, to lobby the government, and stage large disruptive protests. He continued this anti-authoritarian stance, until in 1974 when he met his mentor Peter Garret, a musician and activist, whose mild ways, swayed John towards the center of politics and towards the labour party. John Howard joined the labour party in 1976 and was elected leader in 1985.

[[Recent Polical Career]]

When a short extra-curricular liaison with Kevin Rudd, a then little-known politician from the conservative Liberal Party of Australia became public knowledge in 2006 resulting from the illegal release of federal police wire-taps and videos, John Howard was threatened with excommunication by the [[Catholic]] Archbishop of Sydney, [[Cardinal]] George Pell. The landmark speech John Howard subsequently made in federal parliament, which became known as the "Renunciation of Ideals Speech", staved off the threat of excommunication and heighened his electoral popularity - particularly amongst the burgeoning alternative lifestyle sector of the Australian population.

Howard currently resides in Sydney with his wife Grace and his three children Ken, Benjamin, and Linda and their two pet kangaroos Kylie and Dannii

Talk:John Howard

2007-03-20T05:17:17Z

Jason2010: Removing all content from page

User talk:Jason2010

2007-03-20T02:46:33Z

Jason2010: /* What article? */

Welcome to Conservapedia, Jason2010. Please be sure to read the Conservapedia Commandments and enjoy edittin'. [[User:Premier Tom Mayfair|Premier Tom Mayfair]] 18:46, 19 March 2007 (EDT)

== What article? ==

What article is earth spelled wrong? [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] 22:44, 19 March 2007 (EDT)conservative

Sorry, I thought I was in the discussion page on theory of evolution.

Australia

2007-03-20T00:14:36Z

Jason2010: Undo revision 49531 by Special:Contributions/Bilby (User talk:Bilby) A TV program is not a valid source

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely [[secular]] nation. Of Australia's population of over 20 million approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services (1). It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States]]. The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA. Australia has six states and two territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] which is the location of Australia's capital city: [[Canberra]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as Aboriginals although they come from a number of smaller nations each with their own national name. 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.

=== Post European Contact ===
The mainland of Australia was found 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. It wasn't until 1770 that [[Captain James Cook]] from [[England]] discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In 1788 the [[First Fleet]] arrived at Sydney Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising of officers, some free settlers and convicts. A number of later fleets settled convict areas around what is now [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of gold and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country in 1901 with its parliament sitting in Melbourne, Victoria, while the capital city of Canberra was being built.

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

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in the early 20th Century and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.

Its Head of Government is called the [[Prime Minister]]; at the moment he is the leader of the Liberal Party, John Howard. 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), who acts through the [[Governor-General]].

Strangely enough the Liberal Party, who have ruled in Australia since 1996 are actually conservative. They take on the name "Liberal" to indicate their belief in free trade and lack of government interference in business and day to day life. The party that most Americans would recognize as "liberal" is the Labor Party whose leader is Kevin Rudd. The Labor Party are social democrats while the Liberals are liberal conservatives.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Water is scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (approx 104 Farenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 and bushfires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. Many animals are found only in Australia, the most well known examples are the group of marsupials (Kangaroos, and Koalas)and the Platypus. Examples of plants that only grow in Australia are the banksia, yellow wattle and gum tree.

Studies (2) indicate that Australia's unique wildlife is the result of Australia becoming an island, cutting itself off from the Asian landbridge between 40 000 -250 000 years ago (though there is a difference of opinion as to when Australia became an island).

(1)[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]

(2) '' Mammals of Australian islands: factors influencing species richness'' Andrew Burbidge, Matthew Williams & Ian Abbott

[[Category:Countries]]

Pope John Paul II

2007-03-20T00:12:49Z

Jason2010:

[[Image:John_Paul_II.jpg|thumb|300px]]'''Pope John Paul II''' (May 18, 1920, [[Wadowice]], [[Poland]] - April 2, 2005 [[Vatican City]]) was the second longest reigning pope in modern times. His given name was '''Karol Józef Wojtyła'''. John Paul II attended the [[Jagiellonian University]] in [[Krakow]]. In 1942, he entered the seminary, despite Nazi occupation. Then in year of 1946, on November 1, All Saints Day, Karol was ordained a priest. John Paul II finished his doctorate in theology in 1948, and later he became a professor on the subject.

The Conclave of Cardinals elected him [[Pope]] on October 1,1978. As Pope, John Paul II traveled to more places, visited more countries, and traveled more miles than any other previus Pope. He also conducted more public meetings with the faithful, as the total attendance of his Wednesday audiences alone eclipsed 17,600,000 people.

On 22nd October 1996 Pope John Paul II made world headlines with his message1 delivered to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. It was entitled ''Magisterium Is Concerned with Question of Evolution for It Involves Conception of Man'' and resulted in headlines in many of the world's newspapers delcaring that evolution was fact. His holiness stated His opinion on evolution that "In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory."

Another one of his accomplishments is the establishment of [[World Youth Day]]. Also, he wrote 14 Encyclicals, 5 books, and inumerous letters.

On May 9, 2005 John Paul II's successor, [[Pope Benedict XVI]], waived the five year waiting period for beatification.

1 From the Vatican, 22 October 1996. ''Official translation published in L'Osservatore Romano, "Weekly Edition in English," 30 October 1996.
''
[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Religion]]

Australia

2007-03-19T23:53:21Z

Jason2010: /* Geography */

Australia

2007-03-19T23:47:02Z

Jason2010:

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely [[secular]] nation. Of Australia's population of over 20 million approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services (1). It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States]]. The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA. Australia has six states and two territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] which is the location of Australia's capital city: [[Canberra]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as Aboriginals although they come from a number of smaller nations each with their own national name. 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.

=== Post European Contact ===
The mainland of Australia was found 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. It wasn't until 1770 that [[Captain James Cook]] from [[England]] discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In 1788 the [[First Fleet]] arrived at Sydney Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising of officers, some free settlers and convicts. A number of later fleets settled convict areas around what is now [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of gold and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country in 1901 with its parliament sitting in Melbourne, Victoria, while the capital city of Canberra was being built.

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

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in the early 20th Century and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.

Its Head of Government is called the [[Prime Minister]]; at the moment he is the leader of the Liberal Party, John Howard. 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), who acts through the [[Governor-General]].

Strangely enough the Liberal Party, who have ruled in Australia since 1996 are actually conservative. They take on the name "Liberal" to indicate their belief in free trade and lack of government interference in business and day to day life. The party that most Americans would recognize as "liberal" is the Labor Party whose leader is Kevin Rudd. The Labor Party are social democrats while the Liberals are liberal conservatives.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Water is scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (approx 104 Farenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 and bushfires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. Many animals are found only in Australia, the most well known examples are the group of marsupials (Kangaroos, and Koalas)and the Platypus. Examples of plants that only grow in Australia are the banksia, yellow wattle and gum tree.

Studies (2) indicate that Australia's unique wildlife is the result of Australia been and island and cut off from the Asian landbridge between 40 000 -250 000 years ago, though there is a difference of opinion as to when Australia became an island.

(1)[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]

(2) '' Mammals of Australian islands: factors influencing species richness'' Andrew Burbidge, Matthew Williams & Ian Abbott

[[Category:Countries]]

Australia

2007-03-19T23:38:03Z

Jason2010: added to geography

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely [[secular]] nation. Of Australia's population of over 20 million approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services (1). It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States]]. The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA. Australia has six states and two territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] which is the location of Australia's capital city: [[Canberra]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as Aboriginals although they come from a number of smaller nations each with their own national name. 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.

=== Post European Contact ===
The mainland of Australia was found 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. It wasn't until 1770 that [[Captain James Cook]] from [[England]] discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In 1788 the [[First Fleet]] arrived at Sydney Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising of officers, some free settlers and convicts. A number of later fleets settled convict areas around what is now [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of gold and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country in 1901 with its parliament sitting in Melbourne, Victoria, while the capital city of Canberra was being built.

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

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in the early 20th Century and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.

Its Head of Government is called the [[Prime Minister]]; at the moment he is the leader of the Liberal Party, John Howard. 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), who acts through the [[Governor-General]].

Strangely enough the Liberal Party, who have ruled in Australia since 1996 are actually conservative. They take on the name "Liberal" to indicate their belief in free trade and lack of government interference in business and day to day life. The party that most Americans would recognize as "liberal" is the Labor Party whose leader is Kevin Rudd. The Labor Party are social democrats while the Liberals are liberal conservatives.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Water is scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (approx 104 Farenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 and bushfires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. Many animals are found only in Australia, the most well known examples are the group of marsupials (Kangaroos, and Koalas)and the Platypus. Examples of plants that only grow in Australia are the banksia, yellow wattle and gum tree.

(1)[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]

[[Category:Countries]]

Australia

2007-03-19T23:31:40Z

Jason2010: tidy up

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely [[secular]] nation. Of Australia's population of over 20 million approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services (1). It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States]]. The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA. Australia has six states and two territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] which is the location of Australia's capital city: [[Canberra]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as Aboriginals although they come from a number of smaller nations each with their own national name. 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.

=== Post European Contact ===
The mainland of Australia was found 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. It wasn't until 1770 that [[Captain James Cook]] from [[England]] discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In 1788 the [[First Fleet]] arrived at Sydney Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising of officers, some free settlers and convicts. A number of later fleets settled convict areas around what is now [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of gold and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country in 1901 with its parliament sitting in Melbourne, Victoria, while the capital city of Canberra was being built.

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

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in the early 20th Century and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.

Its Head of Government is called the [[Prime Minister]]; at the moment he is the leader of the Liberal Party, John Howard. 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), who acts through the [[Governor-General]].

Strangely enough the Liberal Party, who have ruled in Australia since 1996 are actually conservative. They take on the name "Liberal" to indicate their belief in free trade and lack of government interference in business and day to day life. The party that most Americans would recognize as "liberal" is the Labor Party whose leader is Kevin Rudd. The Labor Party are social democrats while the Liberals are liberal conservatives.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's most sparsely populated countries. Water is scarce and some cities have some form of water restrictions in place.

Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (approx 104 Farenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 and bushfires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity.

(1)[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]

[[Category:Countries]]

Australia

2007-03-19T23:29:01Z

Jason2010: no evidence for Americans coming to Australia for gold

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely [[secular]] nation. Of Australia's population of over 20 million approximately 1.5 million attend weekly religious services (1). It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States]]. The mainland of Australia is about the same size as the mainland 48 states of the USA. Australia has six states and two territories. The states are [[New South Wales]], [[Victoria]], [[Queensland]], [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] and [[Tasmania]]. The territories are the [[Northern Territory]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]] which is the location of Australia's capital city: [[Canberra]].

== History==
=== Pre European Contact ===
Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as Aboriginals although they come from a number of smaller nations each with their own national name. 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.

=== Post European Contact ===
The mainland of Australia was found 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. It wasn't until 1770 that [[Captain James Cook]] from [[England]] discovered the east coast of Australia which is much more capable of maintaining life and settlers. In 1788 the [[First Fleet]] arrived at Sydney Cove, [[New South Wales]] - comprising of officers, some free settlers and convicts. A number of later fleets settled convict areas around what is now [[Sydney Harbour]].

As the 18th century came to a close convicts were given land packages and more free settlers came to the land in the hope of setting up farms and businesses. A number of colonies started to be formed - the most populated being New South Wales (whose capital city is Sydney). These colonies later became the states.

The 1850s saw the discovery of gold and large number of people moved to Australia to find new wealth.

== System of Government ==
Australia became a federated country in 1901 with its parliament sitting in Melbourne, Victoria, while the capital city of Canberra was being built.

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

Australia is a democracy which has allowed men of European descent to vote since federation, with women gaining the vote in the early 20th Century and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962.

Its Head of Government is called the [[Prime Minister]]; at the moment he is the leader of the Liberal Party, John Howard. 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), who acts through the [[Governor-General]].

Strangely enough the Liberal Party, who have ruled in Australia since 1996 are actually conservative. They take on the name "Liberal" to indicate their belief in free trade and lack of government interference in business and day to day life. The party that most Americans would recognize as "liberal" is the Labor Party whose leader is Kevin Rudd. The Labor Party are social democrats while the Liberals are liberal conservatives.

== Geography ==

Australia relies a great deal on industry, agriculture and tourism to foster its economy. It has a thriving film industry and very advanced technology. Most tourists visit places such as Sydney Harbour, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Central Australia and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. Other favourite destinations are the wine making areas of South Australia and northern Victoria, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, the natural wonders of Tasmania and the huge outback expanses of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Some cattle stations in Australia rival Texas in size and the distance between towns in some areas is enormous.

80% of Australia's population, of just over 20,000,000 people, live on the coast line. It is one of the world's least densely populated countries. Despite the low population water is scarce and most cities have some form of water restrictions in place to allow for basics such as washing and drinking. Weather extremes are common in Australia with temperatures sometimes measured into the high 40s Celsius (approx 104 Farenheit). The city of Darwin was destroyed by a cyclone in 1974 and bushfires often ravage the southern states - one of the worst occurring on Ash Wednesday in 1983 when over 2000 homes were destroyed and over 70 people lost their lives in Victoria and South Australia.

Australia is noted for its unique biodiversity. There is plenty of flora and fauna there that is unique to Australia.

(1)[http://www.ncls.org.au/default.aspx?docid=2250&track=82083 National Church Life Survey 2004]

[[Category:Countries]]

Talk:New Zealand

2007-03-19T22:42:39Z

Jason2010:

Very well written. The only part I would possibly dispute is your statement that the Maori Party are in opposition to the government. While this would certainly be true on issues such as the seabed and foreshore legislation, it is a bit of a stretch to say they are in opposition. They have voted with the government on sevveral issues, and it is important to bear in mind that the Maori electorate traditionally votes on a slightly more left of centre basis. Despite this minor detail, I thought it was a well written and well balanced article. - Tom.

You know what i find funny? the fact that conservapedia claims to be better than Wikipedia and yet it used wikipedia as a source, check the external links for this article, one is for wikitravel, a part of wikipedia, how are you supposed to be better than someone else if you get your info from them?. - John.

Entirely True, i applaud the work of this historian

== Doesnt make sense ==

Is their any support at all that Japan and Russia came to New Zealand before america was found? and that they founded a city called "Vodka City" and that australia, in 1796 invaded these two "capitals" and defeated a nation that has been established for many years? makes no sense nor is their any factual backing.
-I think it depends on who you refer to as the Australians, Japanese and Russians at that time. These states were very different before the late modern period. The history of the area isn't as well documented as say the American colonial period.

Helen Clark

2007-03-19T21:04:19Z

Jason2010:

'''Helen Clark''' was elected Prime Minister of [[New Zealand]] on 27 November 1999. Her rise to the top of New Zealand politics is the culmination of almost thirty years of involvement with the Labor Party.

== Early Life ==

Helen Clark was born in 1950, in Hamilton, and spent her first twelve years on the
family sheep and cattle farm to the west of the city. She is the oldest of four girls.

After five years of secondary schooling at Auckland's Epsom Girls' Grammar, where she was a boarder, Helen Clark entered the University of Auckland in 1968 to study politics. Later she lectured in political studies at the university.

It was during her time at university that Helen Clark's active involvement in politics began, sparked by issues such as the civil war in Vietnam, apartheid in South Africa, and nuclear testing in the South Pacific. At the same time as purusing social issues in her 20s, she managed to work one time as a part-time model for NZ's FHM magazine.)

In 1986 Helen Clark was awarded the annual Peace Prize of the Danish Peace Foundation for her work in promoting peace and disarmament.

== Political Career ==

In 1987, following the re-election of Labor, Helen Clark was elected to the Cabinet. Over the next three years she held a number of ministerial portfolios - conservation, housing, labour and health. From August 1989 until October 1990 she was Deputy Prime Minister.

As health minister Helen Clark sponsored the introduction of tobacco control legislation. This provided protection against smoking in workplaces and public places, and eliminated tobacco advertising and the sponsorship of sporting events by tobacco companies.

Helen Clark was elected Leader of the Labor Party in December 1993 and served as Leader of the Opposition until the general election in November 1999, when Labor was again elected to government. She won a second term at the 2002 general election.

Away from politics, Helen Clark is a keen concert goer and opera lover and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts in general. She is also a keen sportswomen.

Helen Clark is married to Dr Peter Davis, Professor of Sociology and head of the Sociology Department at Auckland University.

[[Category:Political people|Clark, Helen]]

Helen Clark

2007-03-19T02:15:14Z

Jason2010:

Helen Clark was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand on 27 November 1999. Her rise to the top of New Zealand politics is the culmination of almost thirty years of involvement with the Labor Party.

== Early Life ==

Helen Clark was born in 1950, in Hamilton, and spent her first twelve years on the
family sheep and cattle farm to the west of the city. She is the oldest of four girls.

After five years of secondary schooling at Auckland's Epsom Girls' Grammar, where she was a boarder, Helen Clark entered the University of Auckland in 1968 to study politics. Later she lectured in political studies at the university.

It was during her time at university that Helen Clark's active involvement in politics began, sparked by issues such as the civil war in Vietnam, apartheid in South Africa, and nuclear testing in the South Pacific.

In 1986 Helen Clark was awarded the annual Peace Prize of the Danish Peace Foundation for her work in promoting peace and disarmament.

== Political Career ==

In 1987, following the re-election of Labor, Helen Clark was elected to the Cabinet. Over the next three years she held a number of ministerial portfolios - conservation, housing, labour and health. From August 1989 until October 1990 she was Deputy Prime Minister.

As health minister Helen Clark sponsored the introduction of tobacco control legislation. This provided protection against smoking in workplaces and public places, and eliminated tobacco advertising and the sponsorship of sporting events by tobacco companies.

Helen Clark was elected Leader of the Labor Party in December 1993 and served as Leader of the Opposition until the general election in November 1999, when Labor was again elected to government. She won a second term at the 2002 general election.

Away from politics, Helen Clark is a keen concert goer and opera lover and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts in general. She is also a keen sportswomen.

Helen Clark is married to Dr Peter Davis, Professor of Sociology and head of the Sociology Department at Auckland University.

Latvia

2007-03-19T02:05:48Z

Jason2010:

Latvia is one of the Baltic States, located on the Baltic Sea. It borders Russia, Estonia and Lithuania. It is a small country with a population of just over 3 million people (though many people of Latvian descent live in the United States and Australia).

It's capital is Riga, which is on the coast of the Baltic Sea opposite Sweden.

== Early History ==

The ancestors of the modern Latvians, known as Balts, probably moved into the Latvian region around 2000 BC.

In the first few centuries AD the tribes of the region traded with Spanish & Germanic tribes and the Roman Empire. Later, they traded with and fought against Vikings and Russians. Latvia was subject to continuous foreign rule from the 13th to the 15th Centruy and for most of the 20th century.

== Colonial Period ==

Latvian traders and merchants were expansionistic, starting from the 15th Century AD small trading colonies were formed throughout the South West Pacific, South East Asia. Although many of these colonies were in fact possessions of other European Powers, Latvian trade and commerce had a significant impact on Islands in South East Asia and the South West Pacific.

== Modern History ==

Latvia was subject to German occupation during WWI. It was inedependent again until WWII, where it was incorporated into the Soviet Union.

The first signs that the harsh Soviet rule of Latvia was relaxing came in the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev started to encourage glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). Decades of pent-up bitterness emerged along with mass demands for self-rule. In 1987, Latvian government members joined public meetings and rallies Latvia eventually declared indepedence in 1991, and joined the EU in 2003.

Latvia

2007-03-19T02:05:34Z

Jason2010: New page: Latvia is one of the Baltic States, located on the Baltic Sea. It borders Russia, Estonia and Lithuania. It is a small country with a population of just over 3 million people (though many ...