Australia is a highly developed, technologically advanced country with a stable democratic government and market economy. It has a diverse population and is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. Australia also has a strong record of innovation and is ranked highly in terms of productivity, education levels, and quality of life.

1. These are some of the most popular images of Australia…
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2. But today’s Australia is much more…
Sophisticated... Technologically advanced… Scientifically advanced
Impressive record of innovation… Strong new economy… IT credentials
Highly trained… culturally diverse and multi-lingual workforce
Australia is a society built on parliamentary democracy,
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3. Government
• Australia has one of the most stable democratic
systems of Government in the world
• Australia was one of the first countries in the
world to introduce women’s suffrage
• All citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote
• Voting is compulsory
• In addition to the Commonwealth (Federal)
Government, each State and Territory has its own
government
• The maximum term for the Commonwealth
Government is 3 years
• Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a
written constitution
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4. Multicultural Australia
• Australia’s multicultural society is a source of
competitive advantage, cultural enrichment and
social stability
• The first Australians arrived over 40 000 years ago
from Java
• The first European settlers arrived in 1788
• In 2001, 24% of the Australian population was born
overseas
• In 1999 – 2000, 24% of Australia’s labour force of 9.6
million were born overseas
• Largest source countries of Australians born
overseas: United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy,
Vietnam, People’s Republic of China
• 15% of Australians speak languages other than
English at home
• There are over 800 000 Asian language speakers in
Australia
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5. Indigenous Australians
• Indigenous Australians have lived in Australia for
more than 40 000 years
• Today 352 000 people of Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander descent live in Australia
• They live in every State and Territory of Australia, in
both urban and remote areas
• They are making their mark in many fields, including
academia, literature, sport, the arts, business and the
professions
• The Australian Government is committed to improving
understanding between Indigenous Australians and
the wider community
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6. Economy
• Australia has had one of the strongest economies
in the world in recent years, growing at an average
annual rate of over 4% in the 5 years to 2000 - 01
• GDP – A$670 billion (US$341 billion)
• Low inflation – 2.26% compound average in 1990s
• Low interest rates – Since 1996, lowest since
1960s
• Strong productivity – Ranked 11th in world for
overall productivity
• Falling unemployment – 6.5% in 2001
• Skilled and multicultural, flexible labour market
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7. Trade and Investment
• In 2001-02, Australia’s total exports were valued at
$A152 billion
– Merchandise exports were valued at
$A121 billion
– Services exports were valued at $A31
billion
• Major exports include: tourism, coal, transportation
services, crude petroleum, iron ore
• Largest export markets: Japan, United States,
Republic of Korea, China
• The Australian Government and its agencies were
rated among the most efficient in the Asia Pacific
region at seeking and developing investment
projects (Political and Economic Risk Consultancy
PERC)
• Foreign investment in Australia at June 2002
totaled $845 billion
• Australian investments abroad as at June 2002
totaled $459 billion
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8. Industry and Resources
• The minerals and energy resources sector is
Australia’s largest export industry
• In 2001, Australia was the world’s top producer of
six mineral resources—bauxite, alumina, lead,
ilmenite, rutile and zircon—and among the top five
in nine others
• No other country exports such a range of
commodities
• Australia produces some of the highest quality
grains, beef, wool and wine in the world
• Australian fisheries export a wide variety of
products from clean waters which span a range of
climates
• Australian companies develop about 60% of the
world’s mining software and provide solutions for
transportation, utilities, defence and government
• Research and training are encouraged in Australia
to ensure innovation in industry
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9. Food, Wine & Fashion
• Australia is one of the most exciting ‘food
destinations’ in the world (according to Le Cordon
Bleu)
• Australia’s fresh, clean produce is prepared with
influences from around the world to create a
distinctive, exuberant style of cooking
• Australia is the world’s fourth largest wine exporter
(behind France, Italy and Spain)
• Australian wines consistently win international
awards
• Australia’s fashion industry has an international
reputation as a vibrant, dynamic balance of brave
and chic
• Well known Australian fashion designers and labels
include Akira Isogawa, Zimmermann, Lisa Ho,
Bare, Collette Dinnigan, Scanlan & Theodore,
Alannah Hill, Sample
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10. Innovative Australia
• Australia has
- strong record of scientific and technological
innovation
- a highly regarded telecommunications network
- proximity to growing markets
- secure internet infrastructure
- skilled, multicultural and multilingual workforce
• Australia is 2nd only to the US in terms of ‘e-
readiness’ according to the Economist Intelligence
Unit (EIU)
• Australian companies develop about 60 per cent of
the world's mining software
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11. Education
• Australia ranks 3rd in the English-speaking world
as an international student destination
• There is a wide variety of English language training
available in Australia
• Participation rates and secondary school
completion rates for Australian students are among
the highest in the world
• School education in Australia is compulsory from
the ages of 5 until 15
• 2 main types of Tertiary education
- Vocational Education Training (VET)
- Higher Education Institutions (University, TAFE)
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12. Defence
• Key aims of Australia’s current defence policy:
-Develop and maintain the capacity to defend
Australia from armed attack
-Promote regional and global security
environments that discourage aggression
• Members of Australia’s Defence Force has been
involved in peacekeeping in: Zimbabwe, the
Middle East, Iran, Namibia, Afghanistan, Iraq,
Cambodia, Rwanda, Somalia, Papua New Guinea,
Solomon Islands, East Timor and elsewhere
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13. Arts and Culture
• Australia’s contemporary arts are as unique and
diverse as the society and continent they come
from
• The arts and cultural sector generates 2.5% of
GDP
• The visual and performing arts, including music,
theatre and dance have a strong following in
Australia
• Australian films are internationally renowned
- Films made in Australia include Moulin Rouge,
Matrix, Mission Impossible II, Chopper, Babe,
Crocodile Dundee
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14. Sport
• Australia has consistently had world champions in
most sports
• Australia won 58 medals at the Sydney Olympics in
2000 and gained first place in the Paralympics with
a total of 149 medals
• The role that science plays in sport is now a major
factor in Australia’s sporting success
• The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) - 26 sports,
over 75 coaches, 600 athletes
• The AIS has 2 international training centres:
- The Oceania Olympic Training Centre (OOTC)
50 athletes a year from 12 Oceanic nations
- The African Olympic Training Centre (AOTC) 2
athletes a year from each of 11 African nations
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15. Tourism
• Australia welcomes overseas visitors
• In 2001-02 international visitors to Australia
totalled 4.9 million
• Tourism is one of Australia’s largest industries.
Inbound tourism brought $17.1 billion to Australia
in 2001-02
• Important emerging markets include China, the
Middle East, South America and India
• Australian visas are issued by:
- Australian government missions
- electronic travel authority (ETA) system
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16. Environment
• Australia is committed to developing an effective
global framework to address climate change.
• Australia
- is the largest island continent on earth
- is the driest continent on earth
- owns the third largest ocean territory in the world
- has 16 World Heritage listed sites
• Australia is one of only 17 ‘mega-diverse’ countries
in the world
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17. Flora and Fauna
• Australia has more than one million species of
animals and plants. Due to Australia’s isolation,
many of these are not found anywhere else in the
world
• Australia has
- Over 60 different species of kangaroos and their
close relatives
- 770 species of reptile, including 520 lizard
species
- 750 species of birds
- Over 268 species of mammals, including100
species of marsupials.
- More endemic flowering plants than anywhere
else in the world
- 20 000 species of vascular plants, 17 000 of
which are found only in Australia
• Australia maintains a National Reserves System
which plays an important role in biodiversity
protection.
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18. Health
• The Australian Government gives all citizens
access to a high standard of universal health care
through a national health care system called
Medicare It is financed largely by general taxation
revenue
• Over 8% of GDP is spent on health
• Australia is 2nd to Japan in life expectancy
rankings according to the World Health
Organisation
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19. Australia
• 8 States and Territories
• Capital of Australia
Canberra
• Language
English
• Currency
Australian Dollar (A$)
• Land area
7.69 million square km
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20. Sydney
• Capital of New South Wales
• Australia’s biggest city
• Population
- 4 million
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21. Canberra
• Canberra is the capital of
Australia
• Located in the Australian
Capital Territory
• Population – 313,000
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22. Melbourne
• Capital of Victoria
• Melbourne is home to over
140 ethnic groups
• Population – 3.5 million
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23. Adelaide
• Capital of South
Australia
• Adelaide has more
restaurants per head of
population than any
other Australian city
• Population - 1.1 million
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24. Perth
• Capital of Western
Australia
• Population – 1.4
million
• Western Australia,
with an area of 2.5
million square
kilometres, covers
one third of the
continent and is one
of the largest states
in the world
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25. Darwin
• Capital of the
Northern Territory
• Most northerly
capital city of
Australia
• Population – 77 000
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26. Hobart
• Capital of Tasmania
• Most southerly
capital city of
Australia
• Population – 194 000
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27. Brisbane
• Capital of
Queensland
• Brisbane region is
the fastest growing
region in Australia
• Population – 1.6
million
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28. Regions
• Overview of Australia
• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Darwin
• Hobart
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney
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29. Page Index
Arts & Culture
-
www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au
• Defence
- www.defence.gov.au
Indigenous Australians
• Economy
- www.atsia.gov.au
- www.axiss.com.au
Industry & Resources
• Education
- www.industry.gov.au
- www.studyinaustralia.gov.au
Innovative Australia
• Environment
- backingaus.innovation.gov.au
- www.greenhouse.gov.au
Multicultural Australia
Flora & Fauna
- www.immi.gov.au
- www.ea.gov.au
Sport
Food, Wine & Fashion
- www.ausport.gov.au
- www.affa.gov.au
Tourism
• Government
- www.australia.com
- www.fed.gov.au
Trade & Investment
• Health
- www.investaustralia.gov.au
- www.aihw.gov.au
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