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| Republic of Australia Republiek Australië Timeline: Differently | ||||||
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| Motto: "Dispereert niet" "Despair not" |
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| Anthem: Lang leve Australië! "Long live Australia!" |
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| Capital | Canberra | |||||
| Largest city | Nieuw Amsterdam | |||||
| Official languages | Dutch | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary republic | |||||
| - | Head Councilor | Rik Ouwehand | ||||
| - | Grand Pensionary | Klaas van Kooten | ||||
| Legislature | States General | |||||
| - | Upper house | Senate | ||||
| - | Lower house | House of Representatives | ||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | Federation of Australia | 9 September 1846 | ||||
| - | Independence from The Netherlands | 12 May 1892 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 7,692,024 km2 2,969,907 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | Estimate | 25,079,200 | ||||
| Currency | Australian guilder | |||||
Australia, officially the Republic of Australia (Dutch: Republiek Australië), is a Dutch-speaking nation in Oceania bounded by the Indian Ocean on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the east. The country is composed of mainland Australia, considered by some as the largest island in the world, plus the island of Tasmania and many smaller islands.
At 7,692,024 square kilometers, Australia is the world's fifth largest country, ranking first in Oceania, being several times larger than Melanesia, which is in second place. Its population of 25 million people makes it the 52nd most populous country in the world and again the first in Oceania.
The territory of present-day Australia has been inhabited by hundreds of indigenous ethnic groups since at least 40,000 years ago. The first Europeans to see the land were the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon and his fleet in 1606. Dutch colonization of Australia began shortly after, in 1620. The prosperous Dutch colony lasted for 272 years until it peacefully gained independence in 1892. As an independent country, Australia has played a major role in the local economy. It is not a member of the Oceania Union and has not expressed any interest in joining.
Australia is a Federal parliamentary constitutional republic, with the Head Councilor (Dutch: Hoofdraadslid), being the Head of State and the Grand Pensionary (Dutch: Raadpensionaris) being Head of Government. The Parliament, the States General (Dutch: Staten-Generaal), is bicameral, divided into an upper house, The Senate (Dutch: Eerste Kamer) and the House of Representatives (Dutch: Tweede Kamer). The capital of Australia is the city of Canberra.
The Summer Olympic Games were held twice in Australia in De Baai (1956) and Nieuw Amsterdam (2000). The country also held the 2000 FIFA World Cup.
States and Generality Lands[]
A map of Australia with its main cities. The five largest cities are highlighted in red.
The States and Generality Lands of Australia are the second level of government division in Australia, between the federal government and local governments. States and Generality Lands are self-administered regions with a local legislature, police force and certain civil authorities, and are represented in the States General of Australia. Generality Lands though, unlike states, rely on federal legislation and additional financial contributions to operate, and have less representation in the Senate.
| State | Population | Area (km²) | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Holland (Nieuw Holland) |
8,164,128 | 809,952 | Nieuw Ansterdam |
| Willemsland | 5,174,437 | 1,851,736 | Janzsoon |
| South Australia (Zuid Australië) |
1,769,319 | 1,044,353 | Wilhemine |
| Tasmania (Tasmanië) |
540,569 | 90,758 | Palawa |
| Wilhelmina | 6,694,884 | 237,657 | De Baai |
| Western Australia (West Australië) |
2,661,936 | 2,642,753 | Nieuw Limburg |
| Land | Population | Area (km²) | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Land (Hoofdstad Land) |
431,519 | 2,425 | Canberra |
| Northern Lands (Noordelijk Landen) |
245,980 | 1,419,630 | Arafura |
| Christmas Island (Kersteiland) |
1,938 | 135 | Flying Fish Cove |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Cocos (Keeling) Eilanden) |
547 | 14 | West-Eiland |
| Norfolk Island (Norfolkeiland) |
1,758 | 35 | Daun a'Taun |
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