AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA

Name: Australia

Capital: Canberra

Largest city: Sydney

Official Languages: English

 Total population:
 
22,000,000 inhabitants.

Currency: Australian Dollar

   The history of Australia began with the arrival of humans to mainland Australia from the north for more than 42,000 years (or even 68,000, according to some studies) .Despite having been seen since the sixteenth century by Portuguese and Spanish sailors, who by strategic reasons had kept their discovery secret,written history only began with the Dutch explorers sighted in the seventeenth century. They, however, hinted that the southern land was uninhabitable andunsuitable for settlement, leaving the way open for subsequent British expeditions.The interpretation of Australian history is still an issue today, particularly in regardto the treatment of Aborigines by settlers

FLORA AND FAUNA

Main article: Australian Wildlife


The koala and the eucalyptus of Australia's iconic couple.
While much of Australia is desert or semi-arid, there exists a great diversity of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests. Due to the great age of thecontinent, the low fertility of its soil, its different climates vary and its long isolationfrom other continents, the Australian biota is unique and diverse. About 85% offlowering plants, 84% of mammals, over 45% of birds, and 90% of fish intemperate coastal areas are endémicos.27 Many of Australia's ecoregions andnative species that live there are threatened by human activities and the introduction of exotic species. The Environmental Protection Act and BiodiversityConservation 1999 is the legal framework used for the protection of endangered species. Many protected areas have been created by the Action Plan for Biodiversity to protect and conserve the continent's unique ecosystems, 64wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention and there are also 16 sitesdeclared World Heritage Site. Australia is ranked No. 13 in the world in theEnvironmental Sustainability Index 2005.

Culture in Australia

The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne was the first building in Australia to be declared a Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations organization for education, science, and culture) in 2004.The primary basis of Australian culture was Anglo-Celtic until the mid-twentieth century, although the Australians had gone traits acquired from the environment and Aboriginal culture. Over the past 50 years, Australian culture has been strongly influenced by American popular culture (particularly television and cinema), for large-scale immigration from non anglophones and neighboring Asian countries. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia - films, opera, music, painting, theater, dance and crafts - have achieved international recognition.Australia has a long history in relation to the visual arts that begins with cave paintings made by the Indians. Since the time of European settlement in the Australian landscape has been a common theme in the national art, which is evident in the work of Arthur Streeton, Arthur Boyd and Albert Namatjira, among others. Aboriginal traditions are transmitted primarily in oral form (oral tradition) and are closely related to ceremonies and stories about the time of dreams.Music, dance and art of Aboriginal Australians have a significant influence on the visual arts and contemporary Australia. The nation has an active tradition of music, ballet and theater, many of the performing arts companies receive public funding through the Australia Council for the Arts. There is an orchestra in each capital city and a national opera company, Opera Australia, which it acquired importance thanks to the opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland, Australia's music includes classical music, jazz and many other genres of music popular.The literature of Australia has also been influenced by the landscape, for example, works of writers such as Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. The character of colonial Australia, reaffirmed by the country's literature, a large impact on the modern stage of the nation and was noted for its egalitarianism and anti-authoritarianism. In 1973 Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the only Australian to receive this award, is recognized as one of the greatest English writers of the twentieth century. Australian English is a greater variety of English grammar and spelling are largely based on British English, phrases and expressions with a rich vernacular and unique vocabulary.Australia has two national public issuers (the ABC and SBS), three commercial television networks, three pay TV services, and numerous television and public radio stations. The cinema of Australia has achieved critical and commercial success. Every major city has its own daily newspapers, there are also two national daily newspapers: The Australian and The Australian Financial Review.According to Reporters Without Borders, in 2005 the Commonwealth was at number 31 in the world in terms of press freedom ranking on the list below New Zealand (9 th) and the United Kingdom (28 th), but over the United States. The fact that it takes that position, not very high, mainly due to the limited diversity in media ownership. Most of the print media is under the control of the News Corporation, or of John Fairfax Holdings.