Một số hình ảnh
về đất nước Úc Đại
Lợi
Úc (Australia) là một quốc gia nằm ở Nam bán cầu trong vùng ranh
giới của Thái Bình Dương và Ấn Độ Dương, là một bộ phận nằm
trong Khối Thịnh Vượng Chung thuộc Anh. Thủ đô: Canberra; Diện tích 7,6
triệu km2; Dân số: 20 triệu người
(thống kê tháng
9/2004); Mật độ dân
cư: 2,2/km2; Dân số dưới 15 tuổi: 22.2%; tuổi thọ trung bình: 76,6 tuổi;
tử xuất trẻ em: 7,5% ; trình độ văn hoá cấp II : 99%; Thể chế chính
trị: dân chủ đại nghị; thu nhập bình quân đầu người: 17.450 đô la.
Phật giáo là một trong bốn tôn giáo chính ở Úc bao gồm Gia Tô
giáo, Hồi giáo và Do Thái giáo. Xem bài
Phật Giáo tại Úc.
Toàn cảnh thủ đô Canberra
Nhà quốc hội Úc tại thủ đô Canberra
Hoa xuân ở Canberra
Tượng đài tưởng niệm chiến tranh
Thành phố Sydney
Opera House, Nhà hát con Sò, thành phố Sydney
Cầu Harbour & thành phố Sydney
Bãi biển Manly, Sydney, NSW
Núi tuyết, Snowy Mountains, tiểu bang New South Wales
Sông Yara và thành phố Melbourne
Sông Yara và thành phố Melbourne
Đêm Melbourne
Dòng sông Yara về đêm
Dòng sông Yara, Melbourne, nhìn từ trên cao
Hoàng hôn Melbourne
Thác Lorne , tiểu bang Victoria
Trung tâm nghệ thuật của thành phố Melbourne, tiểu bang Victoria
Thác Beauchamp, Victoria
Rừng nguyên sinh, tiểu bang Victoria
Thành phố Perth, Tây Úc
Toàn cảnh thành phố Hobart, Tasmania
Sông Gordon, tiểu bang Tasmania
Hoa xuân, thành phố Adelaide, Nam Úc
Một thành phố nhỏ, thuộc tiểu bang Nam Úc
Thủ phủ Brisbane, tiểu bang Queensland
Thành phố Cairns thuộc miền Bắc tiểu bang Queensland
Núi đá đỏ Uluru, biểu tượng nổi tiếng của miền Bắc nước Úc
Hoàng hôn ở vịnh Campbell, Victoria
Vịnh Campbell, Victoria
Gấu Koala, một biểu tượng của xứ Úc
Hoàng hôn trên vịnh Fannie, Darwin, Bắc Úc
Nhà quốc hội Darwin, Bắc Úc
Kangaroo, biểu tượng của xứ Úc
---o0o---
Australia
Australia, island continent located
between the Indian and South Pacific oceans south-east of Asia and
forming, with the nearby island of Tasmania, the Commonwealth of
Australia, a self-governing member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The
continent is bounded on the north by the Timor Sea, the Arafura Sea, and
the Torres Strait; on the east by the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea; on
the south by the Bass Strait and the Indian Ocean; and on the west by
the Indian Ocean. The Commonwealth of Australia extends about 4,000 km
from Cape Byron in the east to Western Australia, and about 3,700 km
from Cape York in the north to Tasmania in the south. Its coastline
measures some 36,735 km. The area of Australia, including Tasmania, is
7,682,300 sq km.
Population
18,235,600
(1996 official estimate)
Population Density
2.4 people/sq km
(6.2 people/sq mi)
(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
85% Urban
15% Rural
Largest Cities
Sydney3,772,700
Melbourne3,218,100
Brisbane1,480,100
Perth1,262,600
Adelaide1,081,000
(1995 estimates)
Ethnic Groups
95% European origin
4% Asian
1% Aborigine/Torres Strait
Islanders
Languages
Official Language
English
Religions
26%Anglicanism
26%Roman Catholicism
24%Other Christian
denominations
24%Other
including Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism
Culture
Australia's isolation as
an island continent has done much to shape—and inhibit—its culture. The
native Australian peoples developed their accommodation with the
environment over a time of at least 40,500 years, during much of which
contacts with the outside world, often hinging on changing sea levels,
appear to have been fleeting. The convict heritage ensured that European
perceptions of the environment were often determined by the sense of
exile and alienation. Yet often the distance from Britain, and the
isolation it imposed, served to strengthen rather than weaken ties with
the cultural metropolis.
Australia considerably
reflected the heritage of the British settlers. Customs were modified as
the settlers adapted to the new nation and its exceptionally fine
climate. A culture evolved that, although based on the British
tradition, is unique to Australia. Many cities and towns have built or
expanded art galleries and performing art centers. The architecturally
stunning Sydney Opera House is the best known of the modern venues.
Opera, ballet, and dance companies, symphony orchestras, artists,
playwrights, and writers are supported by the Australia Council.
Australia has many media companies, television, radio stations,
newspapers, and magazines that contribute to local culture, although
some are now owned by foreigners.
Australian actors such as
Nicole Kidman, Rachel Griffiths, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Paul
Hogan, and Heath Ledger have achieved high popularity in the United
States. Australian movies and directors such as Peter Weir and Philip
Noyes also are well known. Australia has had a remarkable school of
painting since the early days of European settlement, and Australians
with international reputations include Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale,
and Arthur Boyd. Writers who have achieved world recognition include
Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Jill Ker
Conway, and Nobel Prize winner Patrick White.
History
Australia was uncolonised until stone-culture peoples arrived, perhaps
by boat across the waters separating the island from the Indonesia
archipelago about 40,100 years ago. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and
English explorers observed the island before 1770, when Captain Cook
explored the east coast and claimed it for Great Britain.
On January 26, 1788, now
celebrated as Australia Day, the First Fleet under Capt. Arthur Phillip
landed at Sydney, and formal proclamation of the establishment of the
Colony of New South Wales followed on February 7. Many but by no means
all of the first settlers were convicts, condemned for offenses that
today would often be thought trivial. The 19th century saw the beginning
of government policies to emancipate convicts and assist the immigration
of free persons. The find of gold in 1851 led to increased population,
wealth, and trade.
The six colonies that now
constitute the states of the Australian Commonwealth were accomplished
in the following order: New South Wales, 1788; Tasmania, 1825; Western
Australia, 1830; South Australia, 1836; Victoria, 1851; and Queensland,
1859. Settlement had preceded these dates in most cases. Discussions
between Australian and British representatives led to adoption by the
British Government of an act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia
in 1900.The first federal Parliament was opened at Melbourne in May 1901
by the Duke of York, later King George V. In May 1927, the seat of
government was transferred to Canberra, a planned city designed by an
American, Walter Burley Griffin. The first session of Parliament in that
city was opened by another Duke of York, later King George VI.
Government
The Commonwealth
government was created with a Constitution patterned partly on the U.S.
Constitution. The powers of the Commonwealth are specifically defined in
the Constitution, and the residual powers remain with the states.
Australia is an
independent nation within the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is the
sovereign and since 1973 has been officially styled "Queen of
Australia." The Queen is described throughout Australia by a governor
general and in each state by a governor.
The federal Parliament is
two-chambered, consisting of a 76-member Senate and a 150-member House
of Representatives. 12 senators from each state are elected for 6-year
terms, with half elected every 3 years. Each territory has two senators
who are elected for 3-year terms. The members of the House of
Representatives are allocated among the states and territories roughly
in proportion to population. In ordinary legislation, the two chambers
have coordinate powers, but all proposals for appropriating revenue or
imposing taxes must be introduced in the House of Representatives. Under
the prevailing Westminster parliamentary system, the leader of the
political party or coalition of parties that wins a majority of the
seats in the House of Representatives is named prime minister. The prime
minister and the cabinet wield actual power and are responsible to the
Parliament, of which they must be elected members. General elections are
held at least once every 3 years; the last general election was in
November 2001 and next will be in 2004.
Australia is an
outstanding producer of primary products. The nation is self-sufficient
in almost all foodstuffs and is a major exporter of wheat, meat, dairy
products, and wool. Australia usually produces more than 25 % of the
world’s yearly output of wool. The volume of manufacturing grew rapidly
between the 1940s and 1970s, and mining became a leading area in the
economy during the 1960s. The value of exports from the mining and
manufacturing sectors now exceeds that of the agricultural sector. In
1998 the around annual federal budget included $87.9 billion in revenues
and $88.5 billion in expenditures. Gross domestic product, which
measures the value of all goods and services produced, was $404 billion
in 1999.
Economy
Australia's accomplished world
reputation is that of a valuable, underpopulated nation prone to natural
disasters, “riding on the sheep's back,” and otherwise heavily dependent
on foreign investment. That was a reasonably fair description during the
first century of white settlement, when wool exports reigned supreme.
Later, more complex stereotypes added wheat, beef, lamb, dairy produce,
and a range of irrigated crops to the list, but the key significance of
farming and grazing was unchallenged. The image was essentially
shattered by the growth of manufacturing and service industries and
particularly by the spectacular developments in mineral exploitation
after World War II.
Australia has a prosperous
Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of
the four dominant West European economies. valuable in natural
resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products,
minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for 57% of the
value of total exports, so that a downturn in world commodity prices can
have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for
increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in
international markets continues to be severe. While Australia has
suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the
OECD countries in the early 1990s and during the recent financial
problems in East Asia, the economy has expanded at a solid 4% annual
growth pace in the last five years. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a
key factor behind the economy's resilience to the regional crisis and
its stronger than expected growth rate. Growth in 2001 will depend on
key international commodity prices, the extent of recovery in nearby
Asian economies, and the strength of US and European markets.
Education
Education in Australia is
free and primarily the responsibility of the individual states. In each
state administration, the training and recruiting of teachers are
centralized under an education department. Education is compulsory
between the ages of 6 and 15 in all the states exclude Tasmania, where
the upper age limit is 16. About 73 % of students attend state schools.
In addition to the state school system there are private schools, which
are usually denominational and charge tuition fees. The majority of the
private schools are Catholic. Some private schools, which in some states
are called public schools as in Britain, accept day students and
boarders.
Plants and Animal
About 71% of the birds, 87% of the
reptiles, and 95% of the frogs are unique to Australia. Seven of the
more than 755 known species of birds have become extinct since the
beginning of European settlement, and another 35 are endangered or
vulnerable. Of mammals, 20 are extinct and 63 are threatened. Of the
22,100 species of plants in Australia, more than 90 % occur naturally
there. Some 850 species are threatened with extinction, and 83 have
become extinct since the beginning of European settlement. around 2,000
plant species are introduced, or nonnative.
Communications
Excellent domestic and international
service
Domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas
of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones
International: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and
Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6
Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean regions)
Defence
Military branches: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal
Australian Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,990,107 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,303,966
(2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 138,971 (2001
est.)
Life
Australians enjoy to middle-class
suburban lifestyles in their homes. Apartments—called flats—were not
common until recent years. They became more prevalent because of reduced
family sizes, the adoption of more cosmopolitan modes of living, a trend
toward rented accommodation, and state government efforts to revitalize
the inner cities and maximize expensive infrastructural investments in
transportation, water supplies, and other services. These developments
were accompanied to some extent by an increased sophistication,
particularly in the capital cities.
International organization Member
ANZUS, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB,
ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO, ZC
People
People of European descent
make up 95.1 % of Australia’s inhabitants. The majority have a British
or Irish heritage, but about 18.5 % of the total population have other
European origins. Asians, including Middle Easterners, account for 4 %
of the population. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders make up 1 % of
the population. In 1991 the largest overseas-born groups were from Great
Britain and Ireland 23 %, other European countries 29 %, and Asia and
the Middle East 20.5 %. Before World War II more than 90 % of the people
were of British or Irish origin. Since then, more than 2 million
Europeans from other countries have migrated to Australia. Since 1975,
about 125,100 Southeast Asians have been admitted to the nation, most as
refugees.
population growth was
often adopted as an index of economic success and environmental
adaptation, and the proximity of Asia's crowded millions deepened
national insecurities. One of the first objectives of the new federal
government, accomplished in 1901, was the design of a White Australia
policy to avoid diluting the Anglo-Celtic heritage. On its own, the
policy was unproductive as well as discriminatory, but it was made more
attractive by the blending of imperial and nationalistic sentiments that
proclaimed “population capacities” of between 100 and 500 million in
Australia's “large empty spaces.” In the interwar time the Australian
geographer Griffith Taylor argued that there were stringent
environmental limits that would restrict Australia's population to 19 to
20 million persons at the end of the 20th century.
Politics
Australian Democratic
Party, Australian Labor Party ; Green Party [Bob BROWN]; Liberal Party
[John Winston HOWARD]; National Party [John ANDERSON]; One Nation Party
Provinces
6 states and 2
territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern
Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western
Australia
General information
|
Australia :
Geographic coordinates |
27 00 S, 133 00
E |
|
Australia :
Population growth rate |
0.99%
|
|
Australia : Birth
rate |
12.86
births/1,000 population |
|
Australia : Death
rate |
7.18
deaths/1,000 population |
|
Australia :
People living with HIV/AIDS |
14,000
|
|
Australia :
Independence |
1 January 1901
|
|
Australia :
National holiday |
Australia Day,
26 January |
|
Australia :
Constitution |
9 July 1900
|
|
Australia : GDP
|
purchasing power
parity - $445.8 billion |
|
Australia : GDP -
per capita |
purchasing power
parity - $23,200 |
|
Australia :
Electricity - consumption |
178.306 billion
kWh |
|
Australia :
Exports |
$69 billion
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat. |
|
Australia :
Imports |
$77 billion
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office
machines. |
|
Australia :
Telephones |
9.58 million
|
|
Australia :
Mobile cellular |
6.4 million
|
|
Australia : Radio
broadcast stations |
AM 262, FM 345,
shortwave 1 |
|
Australia :
Radios |
25.5 million
|
|
Australia :
Television broadcast stations |
104 |
|
Australia :
Televisions |
10.15 million
|
|
Australia :
Internet country code |
.au |
|
Australia :
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) |
264 |
|
Australia :
Internet users |
7.77 million
|
|
Australia :
Railways |
33,819 km
|
|
Australia :
Highways |
913,000 km
|
|
Australia :
Waterways |
8,368 km
|
|
Australia :
Pipelines |
crude oil 2,500
km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km |
|
Australia : Ports
and harbors |
Adelaide,
Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle,
Geelong, Hobart |
|
Australia :
Merchant marine |
54 ships
|
|
Australia :
Airports |
411 |
|
Australia :
Heliports |
N/A |
|
Australia :
Military branches |
Australian Army,
Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force |
|
Australia :
Military expenditures |
$6.9 billion
|
Source:
http://www.australia.gov.au/
; http://www.abs.gov.au/;
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/;
http://www.theage.com.au/;http://www.abc.net.au;
---o0o--
Update: Nhân Văn
