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AUSTRALIA

• the land down under

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GEOGRAPHY
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Where in the world is Australia?

• Island southeast of Asia
• Pacific Ocean on the east.
• Indian Ocean on the west.
• Southern Hemisphere.
• Australia is a continent and a country.

If you were to travel east of Australia, what
continent would you first come across?
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Australias Climate

• Mostly arid to semiarid
• Temperate in the south and east
• Tropical in north

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Australias Outback

• Australia is famous for its "outback," the remote
  lands of the interior.
• The desert outback covers most of the interior.
• It is too hot, dry and barren to support many
  people

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Land Use and Natural Resources

• Land Use 6.15 of the land is arable.
• Natural Resources bauxite, coal, diamonds,
  natural gas, petroleum
• note Australia is the world's largest exporter
  of coal (29).

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Where do most people live in Australia?

• Population concentrated along the eastern and
  southeastern coasts (the urban rim).
• 90 of Australians live within 100 miles of the
  ocean

Why do so few people live in Australias interior?
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Cultural Characteristics

• Language English
• Religion Roman Catholic
• Literacy Rate 99
• What does Australias literacy rate tell you
  about its standard of living?

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ECONOMY
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Economy

• Currency Australian dollar
• Australia has a strong booming economy with a GDP
  of 819 billion and a GDP per Capita of 38,100
• A mixed economy, Australia has one of the freest
  economies in the world.
• Starting a business takes only two days, compared
  to the world average of 38.
• One in every 12 adults own his or her own
  business.
• China is Australias major trading partner.

How does Australias location impact its trade
with China?
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Why is Australia the world leader in
entrepreneurs?

• Abundant raw materials
• Highly educated workforce
• Few rules to restrict business.
• Easy to start a business
• Laws protect entrepreneurs and their property.

Human Capital
Natural Resources
Capital Investments
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Trade

• In Australia voluntary trade is encouraged,
  therefore there are very few trade barriers in
  the country.

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GOVERNMENT
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Commonwealth of Australia

• Australia is a federal parliamentary democracy.
• System Federal
• Type Parliamentary Democracy
• Constitutional Monarchy
• Executive Head (head of government) Prime
  Minister
• Head of State Queen Elizabeth II
• Capital Canberra
• Australia is comprised of 6 state and two
  territories.

How is Australias government similar to Canadas
government?
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HISTORY
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• 40,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, people
  from Southeast Asia traveled to Australia either
  by land or canoe.
• Several thousand years later when the Ice Age was
  over, ocean levels rose, and these people were
  cut off from the rest of the world.
• When Cook discovered Australia there were about
  300,000 Aborigines living in the continent.

Will history repeat itself?
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Origin and Culture of the Aborigines

• Arrived from Southeast Asia and occupied
  Australia for at least 40,000 years.
• Hunters and gatherers.
• Settled, mostly along coasts and rivers.
• Created some of the earliest rock art ,as well as
  the first boomerangs.

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Origin and Culture of the Aborigines

• Religion (Dreamtime)
• Focuses on the relationship of people to nature
• They believe that powerful spirits created the
  land and the role of humans is to care for it
• Did not have a written language.
• The Aborigines kept their history by telling
  stories that were passed down from generation to
  generation.

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European Exploration

• In 1770, English Captain James Cook claimed the
  Australian east coast for England.
• Named the area New South Wales.

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Reasons for British Colonization

• A place for prisoners
• A good location to base its navy in the South
  Pacific (WWII).
• Opportunities to trade with Asia, and the
  Americas.

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A Colony for Prisoners

• The American Revolution resulted in independence
  of the American colonies from Great Britain.
• After Great Britain lost colonies in North
  America, it began to look for other locations for
  prisoners
• Australia was a good choice.
• From 1788-1823, the colony of New South Wales
  officially became a penal colony.

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Settlement

• After 1868, Britain stopped sending convicts.
• More British settlers began immigrating to
  Australia.
• By 1861 the European population was over 1
  million.

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Settlement

• Many of the Europeans were farmers.
• Wool becomes a major part of the economy after
  ranchers discovered that Australian sheep
  produced a fine wool
• Discovery of gold in 1851 led to a new rush of
  settlers

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Impact of European Colonization on the Aborigines

• European settlements expansion force Aborigines
  to leave their land.
• European diseases such as small pox kill large
  number of Aborigines.
• Many Aborigines killed when they tried to protect
  their land.
• Weapons such as guns gave the colonists a major
  advantage in fights.
• European ranchers used surviving Aboriginal
  population to work in their ranches as stockmen
  and domestic workers.

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Independence and After

• 1901 Australia granted independence. The six
  colonies join to form the Commonwealth of
  Australia. It has a democratic government.
  Britain's royalty has only a ceremonial role.
• 1962 Aboriginal people given the right to vote.
• 1967 Aboriginal people recognized as citizens.
• 2008The Australian parliament formally
  apologizes for past wrongs committed against the
  Aboriginal people.

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LEARNING CHECK

• What do the countries in light green have in
  common when it comes to the organization of their
  governments?

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• The kangaroo, one of Australias most iconic
  animals is unique to Australia. Why?

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• Why was Australia used as a penal colony by the
  British?

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• As an entrepreneur why would you like to invest
  in Australia?