Essay On Australia

Australia's Economy

Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Now,Australia has a prosperous Western–style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies. Rich 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...show more content...

Wheat and sugarcane are the leading crops, followed by barley, oats, rice, potatoes, cotton, sunflower seeds, and tomatoes. Fruits include grapes, primarily for wine, and oranges, apples, pineapples, and bananas.

Rangeland and pastures occupy about 55 percent of the total land area; on this are raised the world's largest number of sheep, producing more wool than any other country. Other livestock include cattle, about one–twelfth for dairying, and pigs. Beef and cattle hides are important products. Australia is almost self–sufficient in lumber production. Most of roundwood production is broadleaved, and timber plantations account for about one–fifth of the lumber output. Most fishing in Australia is marine, three–fifths from the Indian Ocean and two–fifths from the Pacific Ocean.

More than two–thirds of the annual catch consists of crustaceans; tuna is also important. Mining and quarrying account for about 4 percent of the GDP and employ about 1 percent of the labour force. Bituminous and lignite coal are the leading energy minerals, followed by petroleum and natural gas. Australia leads the world in the production of bauxite, industrial diamond, and lead; other metallic minerals include iron ore, manganese ore, titanium oxide, zinc, copper, nickel, tin, silver, gold, platinum, cobalt, cadmium, antimony, zircon, bismuth, and tungsten. The principal nonmetallic

The name of Australia comes from the Latin word Australis, which means southern. Since it lies entirely in the southern hemisphere, Australia is most commonly referred to as "down under". Australia, being a country, is also a continent. In land area it's the sixth largest for a country and the smallest continent.Australia is a very dry, thinly populated country. Very few coastal areas receive enough rainfall to support a large population. The largest group of Australian people live in two large cities, Sydney andMelbourne.

The vast interior is mainly desert or grassland and there are very few settlements. As a whole, the country has a density of six people per square mile.The down under is famous for vast wide–open spaces, bright...show more content...

In the southern region lie the Australian Alps.

The Murray River, Australia's only river that constantly flows from the Alps, is the longest river.Australia's second major region, the central lowlands, is generally a flat area with infrequent rainfall along the north and south coasts and near the eastern highlands. Farmers in the southern region grow wheat but most of the region is to hot or to dry for crops. However the course grass or shrubs that cover the land make it suitable for livestock. The two large towns in the region have fewer than 30,000 people.Australia's third major region, the western plateau, covers the western two thirds of Australia.

A vast, dry, treeless plateau extends about 400 miles along the regions southern edge; while the central part is mostly desert. A lot of the desert area consists of swirling sands that often drift into giant dunes. In places the desert gives way to land covered by grass and shrubs. Grazing livestock can then use the land. The north and south has the regions heaviest rainfall. The regions two largest cities are Adelaide and Perth.The OutbackThe bush, as the Australians call it, refers to the countryside.

The term outback refers specifically to the interior of the country, with is mainly open countryside including vast expanses of grazing land. About 13 percent of Australia's people live in these rural areas. Many people live extremely isolated lives on sheep and

Immigration to Australia Essay

Immigration to Australia

Introduction

Australia is often described as one of the 'classical countries of immigration'. The concept of being a 'nation of immigrants' is at the center of Australian identity. Australia is a unique country, and it has a long history of population growth due toimmigration. Australia is a young country and has not fully developed. It is commonly called "The Land of Opportunity." This paper will discuss the history of immigration, the history of the immigration policy, the economic, social and cultural, and the population impacts of immigration to Australia.

The History–Immigration to Australia

The history of immigration to Australia started before 1770. The first human inhabitants of Australia...show more content... The British government wanted the convicts as far away from Britain as possible. The designated place would come to be Australia, then known as New South Wales. "On the 13th May 1787 a fleet of eleven ships left Britain with two years provision and a cargo of 759 unwilling convicts, their guards, and ships crew numbering–1530 people in all. They were to colonize the new land."

(http://www.ozramp.net) Transported criminals were the basis of the first migration from Europe. Starting in 1788, some 160,000 people were shipped to the Australian colonies. These convicts, along with the officials of the penal system, were joined by free immigrants from the early 1790's."

(http://www.immi.gov)

Not too many people wanted to migrate to Australia in the early days. Life was very hard during this time. Australia needed farmers, carpenters, builders, etc., but most people did not want to leave the comforts of home for the hardships of this new land. Therefore, in the early 1800's as poverty and unemployment increased in Britain, the government tried to encourage people to come to Australia. The British government encouraged people by agreeing to pay for their passage. It was called "assisted passage", which is why these settlers were called "Free Settlers."

Early migration peaked between 1851 and 1860. During this time arrival levels were around 50,000 people a year. There were several causes for the significant

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Australia has several ties with other countries. These ties are established in several ways, one of which is through trade. The nature of trade includes exporting and importing goods and services which form trade links with partner countries. Trade comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Australia also takes part in multilateral agreements, such as APEC, to be able to strengthen trade links. International trade is the exchange of goods and services between nations. Goods meaning tangible objects like clothes, food and such, while services are non–tangible items like tourism and education. Australia imports and exports a variety of goods and services. Australia's leading exports in 2009 were Coal, Iron & or and education, while...show more content...

Australia's Position in the global exporting market is only 22nd, which is far from its leading top trade partners that fit in the Top 5. Also, Australia's global ranking in the global importing market is 18th, which is under India whose economic status is much lower than Australia. A second disadvantage that Trading brings to Australia is the competition between local small businesses and Trans National Corporations (TNC). Local businesses are closing down and being taken over because of the increase in the entrance of TNCs in Australia. Large Fast food chain Corporations like McDonalds, put local fish and chips shops under pressure. Another disadvantage with Australia being part of International trading is that most of the products that Australiaexport are agricultural goods that has high tariffs, making it costly for Australia to be able to export.

Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is the pre–eminent economic rally in Australia's region. APEC's goal is to drive an extensive trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation agenda. It is focused on structural reform as a means of raising competitiveness and the efficiency of trade and investment flows. It has helped Australia with building and strengthening ties with other countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Philippines and other countries in the region. In 2009, 70% of Australia's trade is with APEC countries.

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Australian Aborigines

Australian Aborigines are thought to have the longest continuous cultural history in the world. Yet, within a hundred years, the near extinction of the Aboriginal culture almost occurred. This single event, the invasion of the Australian continent by European settlers, changed the lifestyle, the culture, and the fate of Australian Aborigines. Their entire lives were essentially taken away and they were forced into a white, European world where the lifestyle change could not have been any different. Aborigines in Australia today are struggling to deal with a past in which they lost touch with their culture and now are trying to regain some of that cultural identity.

In order to understand the effects of...show more content...

Australian Aborigines believe that to destroy or damage a sacred site threatens not only the present inhabitants but also the spiritual inhabitants of the land. Broome described that "Each tribe believed that its boundaries were fixed and validated by the stories about the movements of their ancestors, and therefore there was no reason to desire or try to possess the country of another group: it would have seemed meaningless to them since their creation stories only related to their own piece of territory" (14). Australian Aborigines traveled around a land that was a symbolic and religious world. There were not simply rocks, trees, and watering holes but they were objects and places that the great ancestors had created and places where they still lived. The Aboriginal culture stressed continuity over change.

The question of intertribal trading and communication occurring between Aboriginal groups is one that is not agreed upon by investigators of the culture. Broome described in his book, Aboriginal Australians, some trading between groups but did not place an emphasis on it. In fact, Broome seemed to describe a slow response to European presence because of the lack of sufficient communication between groups (36). However, Reynolds in The Other Side of the

To some degree the unfamiliar country of Australia was a 'Fatal Shore', a land of suffering and hardship for the British, however after its early years, the colony began to flourish and Australia was established as being a land of opportunity. Events in Britain, such as The Industrial Revolution, encouraged people to consider migrating to Australia for a better life as many of the working class were profoundly affected. Furthermore, the increase in crime due to unemployment lead to overcrowded prisons and no destination to transport the convicts, especially after the American War of Independence in the eighteenth century. And so, the British embarked on a new settlement project, leading to long struggles for some and great opportunity for...show more content...

Enticed by news of inexpensive land and the abundance of work, free settlers were lured into the country and boatloads of migrants swarmed into Australia, thus proving that Australia was no longer a destitute place but was a land of great potential.

The British people were not met without resistance from the native Aboriginal people. Conflict, as expected, arose between the two parties, resulting in many deaths. Captain James Campbell, an officer who came with the First Fleet, wrote in a letter in 1788 that "I stumbled upon the bodies of two of our Convicts...I never saw a more shocking sight – the sculls of both were fractured, one quite open with no less than seven Spears through the body", referring to the response of the native people to the arrival of the British. For the native Aboriginals most of all, their country became one of suffering and brutality as the British brought with them diseases and unprecedented military power. John Hunter wrote in April 1789 that "Small Pox had made its appearance a few Months ago amongst these poor unfortunate Creatures...Men, Women, & Children laying dead". This provides evidence pointing to the conclusion that the arrival of the British directly resulted in Australia becoming a 'Fatal Shore' for the native people.

Convicts could find themselves living in rough

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The thick burnt scent of roasted coffee tickled the tip of my nose, just seconds before the old faithful alarm blurted a distorted top–forty through its tiny top speaker. As I wiped away the grit from last night's sleep, the stark white sunlight blinded me momentarily as I slung my arm along the top of the alarm, searching for an off button. While stretching my hands and feet to the four posts of my bed, my eyes opened after several watery blinks. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I crawled out of the comforter, edging awkwardly like a butterfly from a cocoon. The dusty pebbles on the chilled wood floor sent ripples spiralling from my ankles to the nape of my neck, when my feet hit the floor. Grabbing my emerald robe, recently...show more content...

It was the holiday of a life time, the most relaxing and peaceful place to visit; in my opinion!

It was October 16th, 2008. Mid–spring in Australia where the flowers were in bloom, the weather was warm, and the sand and surf of Australia's beaches beckoned to me. Sure the place has got deadly spiders, snakes and sharks, and it's hot, real hot, but that was just the beginning. From the prehistoric gorges of Kakadu National Park, to the white sails of the Sydney Opera House, Australia is a country as big as your imagination. It was the first day of our holiday and everything had been planned out.

Slowly but surely, thesun rose and was high in the sky by midday. We were all up, dressed and fed and were ready to go for the eventful day ahead.

First on our list of the day was a sunbathing session and to go surfing in the sea. I'm not exactly the best at surfing; to be honest I fell off almost every time. My mum sat and watched us from the sea shore, while Laney, Nour, me and Jenny swam and surfed in the crystal blue ocean. The water was frothy as it churned below my surfboard. As rushing waves rolled onto the , shrieks derived from the people who were too close to the shoreline. and After an hour of swimming and sunbathing, and being burnt to a crisp, it was time to go home for food. As we all walked back to the hotel, I watched the people

Australian Climate

Australian Climate Zones

When looking at the climate of Australia, we can break up the continent into three basic areas of climate. The tropical region containing the northern peninsulas of Australia, as well as the city of Darwin, is hot and extremely wet. Average maximum temperatures range from 30– 39В°C with an average annual rainfall of up to 400 cm. The tropical north is covered with rainforests and is regularly hit by tropical monsoons, hence the extreme amount of precipitation. Secondly, the central deserts and grasslands cover over seventy percent of the inland and receive the least amount of rain, from 12 to 100 cm annually. The maximum temperature ranges from 24В°C in the southern deserts to over 36В°C in...show more content...

The high pressure causes divergence, which decreases cloud cover. Therefore, the subtropical high which exists over Australia causes dry and cloud–free weather, atmospheric conditions which are conducive to deserts. The southeast corner of Australia is farthest away from the subtropical high and is moister than the central regions because of this. The northern area of the country is hit by tropical cyclones in the summer; while the southern part of Australia is struck by cold frontal systems from the south. Because the central region only receives the tail end of these systems, minimal precipitation occurs year–round. The driest location in Australia is Mulka Station on the Birdsville Track (in the Outback), which receives less than twelve centimeters of precipitation per year.

Although the subtropical high pressure belt is generally centered over Australia, it shifts from season to season. The high pressure belt causes many changes in weather; from October to March the belt is in the south, carrying moisture from the Pacific into the temperate area in the southeast. During the winter, the belt shifts northward, increasing the amount of precipitation in the tropical regions of the north. When the high pressure system shifts north, the

The Australian population currently exceeds 20 million, with most of the population located primarily in the cities and along the coast; it also spreads to rural and remote indigenous communities. The Australian Government spends in excess of 66 billion dollars per year on health care, averaging out to approx $3,300 per person. (Medicare Australia 2009)

This essay will discuss the structure of Australia's healthcare system, known as Medicare. It will also discuss the role of the Government and Non–Government agencies, and Medicare's strengths and weaknesses. It will also address the health and illness issues that aboriginal and people from overseas face, and also the significance of implementing best practice and quality management...show more content...

Home care and personal preventive services, such as immunisation is also the role of the Local Government. (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2009)

Non–government agencies have a specific role in our communities, and comprise of either individual organisations with specific issues, (eg. Heart disease, asthma) or whole populations, (eg. Aboriginals, people with HIV/AIDS). They offer specific knowledge, experience and access to individuals in need of assistance. These services are contracted out by the Government, but are funded both privately and by the government also. ( Public Health in Australia 1998) There are other agencies that are funded purely on donations alone. The Salvation Army is one of these agencies, and it offers assistance to the society in dire need in ways such as housing, health, providing support, clothing, food etc. (The Salvation Army 2009)

About one third of all hospital beds in Australia are provided by Private Hospitals. Although half of all Australians have privatehealth insurance, the Government is seeking to achieve an even higher balance of Australians with private cover, while preserving Medicare as the universal safety net. An example of how the private system works is; if a private patient was admitted to either a private or public hospital, they would have a choice of doctor to treat them. Medicare would pay 75% of the Medicare

Essay On Australia Day

Earlier this year, thousands of indigenous Australians and activist marched in major cities across Australia, arguing that January 26 shouldn't be celebrated as its marks a day of mourning for many people. Thousands of Aboriginal people and activist protest in Melbourne arguing the date of Australia day must be altered.

A Sky News report revealed that several protests turned violent with an Australian flag set alight in Sydney and Melbourne, and protesters likening the day to the bombing of Hiroshima.

On January 26, 1788 the first fleet arrived, marking the beginning of genocide of the Aboriginal People. By 1935 all states came to acknowledge the colonisation of Australia, and January 26 became known as "Australia Day".

However, leading up to the bicentenary of European colonisation in 1988 the term "Invasion Day" came into usage by Aboriginal people who questioned what was to celebrate about mass genocide. Since then protests have been held every year.

With Australia Day associated to celebrating genocide and the destruction of the Aboriginal culture, the government must consider altering the date of Australia Day out of respect for the Aboriginal People and to further assimilation between Indigenous and Non–Indigenous Australians, which in contrast to genocide, is something truly worth celebrating.

Before the arrival of the first fleet the Aboriginal people were free however, after the invasion the Aboriginal people were controlled by the Europeans, as displayed in

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