Ethnicity: Over 90% of Australians are of European descent, predominantly British but including migrants from
all European countries and their descendants. About 7% are of Asian descent, and about 2% are of
indigenous (Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) descent.
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Capital: Canberra
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Legislature: Australia has a bicameral legislature, the Parliament of the
Commonwealth. It consists of the House of Representatives, which has 150 members
elected from single-member constituencies for three-year terms, and the Senate, which has 76
members elected by proportional representation from the states and territories for
six-year terms (three years in the case of Senators representing the territories).
Electoral authority: The Australian Electoral
Commission administers federal elections.
Freedom House 2005 rating: Political Rights 1, Civil Liberties 1
Political history
British settlement of Australia began with the founding of Sydney as a penal colony
in 1788. During the early 19th century six British colonies were established around the
coasts. A gold rush in the 1850s greatly increased the population, and five of the six
colonies were given internal self-government before 1860 (Western Australia followed
in 1890). Australia pioneered such democratic ideas as the secret ballot, manhood
suffrage and votes for women.
The opening of the first
Commonwealth Parliament, 1901
In 1901 the six colonies federated to the form the Commonwealth of Australia
within the British Empire. The Australian Constitution was approved by the people at
referendum and can be amended in the same way. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 gave
Australia complete legislative independence from Britain. During the Second World War
Australia formed an allience with the United States which has been the basis of its
foreign policy ever since.
Massive postwar immigration from Europe, and more recently from Asia, has greatly
changed Australian society. In 1967 a referendum removed several references from the
Constitution which discriminated against the Aboriginal people, and Australia is now
officially a multicultural society. In 1999 a proposal to adopt a republican form of
government was rejected at a referendum.
Australia's oldest political party is the Australian Labor Party, a
moderate social democratic party based on trade union affiliates. Since the Second
World War, however, the most successful party has been the Liberal Party of Australia,
a free-market conservative party, which was in power from 1949 to 1972 and 1975 to 1983,
and has been in power since 1996. It usually governs in coalition with the
National Party of Australia, a rural conservative
party.
No other parties wins seats in the House of Representatives, but two minor
parties are represented in the Senate, which is elected on a proportional basis. These are
the Australian Democrats, a party of the
middle-class left and the Australian Greens.
The Liberal-National coalition government easily won the 2004 election and faces
re-election in late 2007.
The opening of the first
Commonwealth Parliament, 1901
In 1901 the six colonies federated to the form the Commonwealth of Australia
within the British Empire. The Australian Constitution was approved by the people at
referendum and can be amended in the same way. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 gave
Australia complete legislative independence from Britain. During the Second World War
Australia formed an allience with the United States which has been the basis of its
foreign policy ever since.
Massive postwar immigration from Europe, and more recently from Asia, has greatly
changed Australian society. In 1967 a referendum removed several references from the
Constitution which discriminated against the Aboriginal people, and Australia is now
officially a multicultural society. In 1999 a proposal to adopt a republican form of
government was rejected at a referendum.
Australia's oldest political party is the Australian Labor Party, a
moderate social democratic party based on trade union affiliates. Since the Second
World War, however, the most successful party has been the Liberal Party of Australia,
a free-market conservative party, which was in power from 1949 to 1972 and 1975 to 1983,
and has been in power since 1996. It usually governs in coalition with the
National Party of Australia, a rural conservative
party.
No other parties wins seats in the House of Representatives, but two minor
parties are represented in the Senate, which is elected on a proportional basis. These are
the Australian Democrats, a party of the
middle-class left and the Australian Greens.
The Liberal-National coalition government easily won the 2004 election and faces
re-election in late 2007.
Massive postwar immigration from Europe, and more recently from Asia, has greatly changed Australian society. In 1967 a referendum removed several references from the Constitution which discriminated against the Aboriginal people, and Australia is now officially a multicultural society. In 1999 a proposal to adopt a republican form of government was rejected at a referendum.
Australia's oldest political party is the Australian Labor Party, a moderate social democratic party based on trade union affiliates. Since the Second World War, however, the most successful party has been the Liberal Party of Australia, a free-market conservative party, which was in power from 1949 to 1972 and 1975 to 1983, and has been in power since 1996. It usually governs in coalition with the National Party of Australia, a rural conservative party.
No other parties wins seats in the House of Representatives, but two minor parties are represented in the Senate, which is elected on a proportional basis. These are the Australian Democrats, a party of the middle-class left and the Australian Greens. The Liberal-National coalition government easily won the 2004 election and faces re-election in late 2007.