Australia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Australia, it was the name Australia derives from the Latin "australis" meaning "southern"; the Australian landmass was long referred to as "Terra Australis" or the Southern Land. The Government system in this country is the federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
National symbols
Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree (Acacia pycnantha), kangaroo, emu; national colors: green, gold.
The flag
The National flag of Australia has blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars.
Info
The National Anthem
| Title | Advance Australia Fair |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Peter Dodds McCORMICK |
Info
note 1: adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem was not used for all official occasions until 1984; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
note 2: the well-known and much-loved bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda" is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; the original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo PATERSON, and were first published as sheet music in 1903; since 2012, a Waltzing Matilda Day has been held annually on 6 April, the anniversary of the first performance of the song in 1895
note 2: the well-known and much-loved bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda" is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; the original lyrics were written in 1895 by Australian poet Banjo PATERSON, and were first published as sheet music in 1903; since 2012, a Waltzing Matilda Day has been held annually on 6 April, the anniversary of the first performance of the song in 1895
More about the government of Australia
| Date of Independence | 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915) |
| Legal system | common law system based on the English model |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
| Amendments | Proposed by Parliament; passage requires approval of a referendum bill by absolute majority vote in both houses of Parliament, approval in a referendum by a majority of voters in at least four states and in the territories, and Royal Assent; proposals that would reduce a state’s representation in either house or change a state’s boundaries require that state’s approval prior to Royal Assent; amended several times, last in 1977 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 4 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Samantha (Sam) MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general |
| Elections/appointments | the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Federal Parliament consists of: Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 each from the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years) House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years) |
| Elections | Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025) |
| Election results | Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%; seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3; composition - 33 men, 42 women; percentage women 56% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%; seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1, vacant 1; composition- 92 men, 59 women; percentage women 39.1%; total Federal Parliament percentage women 44.7% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice); note - each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state and territory supreme courts |
| Judge selection and term of office | Justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70 |
| Subordinate courts | Subordinate courts: at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island
|
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023) |
| Chancery | 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 797-3000 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 797-3168 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://usa.embassy.gov.au/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Caroline KENNEDY (since 25 July 2022) |
| Embassy | Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600 |
| Mailing address | 7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20512-7800 |
| Telephone | [61] (02) 6214-5600 |
| FAX | [61] (02) 9373-9184 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://au.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 20 (4 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed); note - includes one site on Heard Island and McDonald Islands |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Great Barrier Reef (n); Greater Blue Mountains Area (n); Fraser Island (n); Gondwana Rainforests (n); Lord Howe Island Group (n); Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (c); Shark Bay (n); Sydney Opera House (c); Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (m); Kakadu National Park (m) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Australia
Info
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Australia
Want to know more about Australia? Check all different factbooks for Australia below.
