Australia – Oceania 1

RUNNING HEAD: AUSTRALIA-OCEANIA SUMMARY

Australia-Oceania Summary

Tonya S. Walker

BUS 502 – Online

Dr. Pope

December 31, 2009

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Australia-Oceania Summary

Introduction

Located in the Southwest region of the world is a beautiful country that is better known

as Australia. This country was discovered by the Captain James Cook in 1770. Australians refer

to their country as the Oz, or the Land Down Under. This beautiful place is surrounded by two

oceans, and four seas. People from all over the world love this place because of its desert land,

and white sand beaches. Those who live north of the equator may want to visit Australia during

their fall and winter seasons since its seasons are directly opposite. The government continues to

introduce reforms in order to accommodate the people residing there. The animals are unique

and some of the most famous people come from this place.

Geography

When people talk about animals like kangaroos and koala’s the first place that comes to

mind is Australia. This place is home to more than 200 species of kangaroos as well as numerous

other types of animals. Most of the country is comprised of dry desert land, which is better

known as the Outback (McCollum, 2008). Australia is surrounded by two oceans: The Pacific

and Indian ocean; and four seas: The Tasman, Coral, Timor, and Arafura seas. This country is

located south of the equator, which means the seasons are opposite of the seasons from the north.

For instance, when Americans are in their winter season, those in Australia are in their summer

season.

Australia is also considered to be one of the hottest places on Earth. During the winter

tourists can enjoy temperatures as high as 80 degrees. There are a lot of plateaus located

throughout the northern side of the country. The highest point of Australia is located at the top of

Mount Kosciusko. There are several farms located on the eastern side of the country. Crops such
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as; beets, wheat, and grapes are grown in this area. New South Wales is said to have some of the

most popular wines being sold all over the world (McCollum, 2008).

People

Aboriginals are said to have been in Australia for more than 50,000 years. However, their

land was invaded in 1770 after Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain. After the discovery,

the Britain began bringing convicts to the colony by the boatloads. There were an estimated

160,000 convicts who were migrated onto the land from 1788 to 1868. Unfortunately, the natives

suffered the most due to exploitation of the women, forced migration of freed convicts, and

diseases. The biggest turn for the people of Australia was when gold was discovered. This started

the gold rush, which ensued in New South Wales in 1851 (Staff, 2007).

The language is unique and was coined by linguist Alastair Morrison as being “Strine”

meaning most of the words being spoken through closed teeth. This language is a combination of

British and Aboriginal words (Smitz, Bain, Bao, & Farfor, 2005). Prior to the arrival of the

British, Aboriginals were said to have spoken over 700 different dialects throughout the country.

The citizens consider themselves as mates, and tend to favor the underdog. They also like to use

reverse meanings and nicknames for people. For instance, a heavy man would be called “tiny,” a

red-haired person would be called “bluey,” and dark-skinned person may be called “snowy.”

Australians are also emphatic about sports. It’s estimated that over 6.5 million people

participate and belong to more than 120 sporting organizations. They honor their colors of green

and gold, and have taken numerous awards in sporting events over the decade. Sports like

cricket, football, beach surfing, and boxing are the most popular of sports. Visitors are invited to

enjoy Yacht races in the Sydney Harbour as well. On the first Tuesday in November, it is said

that the nation stops for the famous horse race, the Melbourne Cup too (Staff, 2007).
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Government

Australia has two territories, Northern and Australian Capital; and is broken up into six

states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and

Tasmania. The capital of Australia is Canberra, which is located in north of the Australian

Territory. Government entities like the Parliament Hose and High Court of Australia along with

numerous other agencies are located in Canberra (Government, 2009). The Commonwealth of

Australia is under a parliamentary democracy, which was formed in 1901. During the same year

the six broken up states were joined into one single constitution.

The country is currently under a reform of their industrial relation system, climate change

policies, and health and education sectors as well. Australia also has three self governing

territories, which is the Australian Capital, Northern, and Norfolk Island territories. The

government better known as the legislatures of these territories exercise powers delegated to

them by the Commonwealth. However, the Parliament House, like the President of the United

States, retains the power to override territorial legislation and transfer powers to or from the

territories. Keep in mind while the Australian Capital and Northern territory citizens are

represented by the Commonwealth Parliament, the Norfolk Islanders are not represented

federally.

The government is comprised of three interconnected forces of the government: First, is

the Legislature, which is the Commonwealth Parliament (Government, 2009). Second, is the

Executive, which is the Sovereign, whose executive power is exercisable by the Governor-

General, the Prime Minister, Ministers, and their departments. Third, is the Judiciary system,

which is powered by the High Court of Australia and the subsidiary Federal Courts. Australians

have gone through a lot of changes over the last two decades. Now citizens can enjoy free
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university tuition, free universal health care, and not be forced to join the military or support the

government during the time of war. They also have new policies in place that offer equal pay to

women and no-fault divorce as well.

Economy

The Hawke-Keating labor government introduced the floating Australian dollar and the

deregulation of the banking system between 1986 and 1996. Australia has experienced an

extended amount of growth. For instance, as of August 2009, this country has over 10.8 million

people that are currently employed, and their unemployment rate is an overall low of 5.8 in

comparison to the United States. This country generates a lot of revenue from their natural

resources, such as wheat, wool, and minerals. Since it is a developed market economy, they are

estimated to have a GDP of approximately $1 trillion USD (Government, 2009). They also

ranked the 21st largest importer and 23 largest exporters of goods and services as well.

The Australian Dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the

Australian Securities Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Australia. The government

eventually phased out the British currency system and implemented the metric system that is

currently being used today. Australia has a higher GDP in comparison to the UK, Germany, and

France (Government, 2009). Since 1980, the Australian economy has undergone continued

economic liberalization especially with the reduction of income taxes, which has been lowered as

a trade –off in order to encourage savings amongst lower income earners.

Australia continues to generate a large portion of their revenue through their trades with

China for ore, iron, and steel. The country is self sufficient in food and raising farm animals as

well. Their grains, tropical fruits, dairy and tobacco also help them maintain favorable trading

relationships with other countries (Press, 2007).

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Conclusion

In summary, Australia is a beautiful place where tourists as well as citizens can enjoy

pleasant temperatures year-round. It is rich with farmland and minerals. Plus they are known for

their fair balanced trades. The country is comprised of six states that function under one

constitution. The employment rates are low and the employment rates is higher in comparison to

other countries. This country has been going through changes in their governmental policies, and

is currently in a reform status. The government continues to find a way to make life better for the

citizens by lifting decade long policies and procedures. Australia is well known for their high

rank on the GDP as well. This country is flourishing with change and is making changes to

accommodate the natives of the land as well. With over 200 countries being represented in this

country it is no wonder why the 21 million residents of Australia continue to make a good

impression on the rest of the world.

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References

Government. (2009, December). The World Factbook: Australia - Oceania. Retrieved December

26, 2009, from Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.cia.gov

McCollum, S. (2008). Australia. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Press, C. U. (2007). Australia: Economy. Retrieved December 31, 2009, from Infoplease - The

Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia:

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0856772.html

Smitz, P., Bain, C., Bao, S., & Farfor, S. (2005). Lonely planet: Australia. Melbourne, Australia:

Lonely Planet Publications.

Staff. (2007, January). Tourism Australia. Retrieved December 31, 2009, from Australia:

http://www.australia.com