FACT FILE

Capital: Canberra
Largest city: Sydney
Language: English
Currency: Australian Dollar
Population: about 21 million
Main Religion: Protestant
Government: Federal
parliamentary democracy and
constitutional monarchy
onarch ! Eli"abeth II
#o$ernor%#eneral! &uentin
'ryce
Prime inister! (ulia #illard
)*e+$e the stars to
sho, ,here ,e+re
going and the old -ag
to sho, ,here ,e+$e
been.
/0rom a poem by 1obin
Australia is the only country occupying a
,hole continent in the ,ord and it+s the 2
th

largest one3
The Common,ealth o0 Australia %
comprises 2 states and 2 territories3 The
States are 4e, South *ales5 6ictoria5
&ueensland5 South Australia5 *estern
Australia % the largest one% and Tasmania5
,hich is an island and the smallest one3 The
Territories are the Australian Capital Territory
and the 4orthern Territory3
The Australian Federation Flag displays
a group o0 stars on a blue bac7ground5
,ith5 up in the le0t corner5 The 8nion
(ac7 % the 'ritish -ag /Australia ,as
coloni"ed by 'ritish93 In the begging o0
the 2:
th
century there ,as a national
-ag design competition and a 0ourteen%
year%old school boy ,as the ,inner3
Each symbol on the -ag has a special
meaning 0or Australians3
The 'ritish onarch5 &ueen
Eli"abeth II5 is the 1oyal ;ead o0
Australia but has no real po,er
in the go$ernment and ser$es as
a symbolic ;ead o0 State3
The <rst Australians ,ere
Aborigines3 The )outbac7. is their
traditional home5 but today they li$e
in to,n and cities3 The country+s
original inhabitants su=ered great
hardships ,ith the arri$al o0 the
modern settlers3 Their -ag symboli"es
Aboriginal identity % yello, represents
the sun5 gi$er o0 li0e5 red represents
the red earth and relationship to the
land and blac7 represents Aboriginal