Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

CAPITAL CITY OF Australia: Canberra
LANGUAGE OF Australia: English
CURRENCY OF Australia: Australian dollar (AUD)
COMMENTS ABOUT Australia:
Cities : Canberra (capital), Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin
Best Places : Ararat, Broome, Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Caloundra, Noosa, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas, the Atherton Tablelands, Daintree National Park, Australia's red centre, Uluru, aka Ayers Rock, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Ballarat Victoria's, Townsville, Thuringowa City
Visa / Passport : All foreigners except New Zealanders require visas for all visits to Australia.
Electricity : 240V AC
Calling Code : +61
Time Zone : UTC +8 to +11

CLIMATE OF Australia: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
RELIGION OF Australia: Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%
POPULATION OF Australia: 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)>>
HISTORY OF Australia: Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country was able to take advantage of its natural resources in order to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999.
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Australia: Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up to $14 billion in 2003 and to $11 billion in 2004 from $5 billion in 2002. One other concern is the domestic housing bubble.