Australia
Australia's indigenous inhabitants, a hunting-gathering
people collectively referred to today as Aboriginals and
Torres Straits Islanders, arrived more than 40,000 years
ago. Although their technical culture remained
static--depending on wood, bone, and stone tools and
weapons--their spiritual and social life was highly
complex. Most spoke several languages, and confederacies
sometimes linked widely scattered tribal groups.
Indigenous population density ranged from one person per
square mile along the coasts to one person per 35 square
miles in the arid interior. When Captain James Cook
claimed Australia for Great Britain in 1770, the native
population may have numbered 300,000 in as many as 500
tribes speaking many different languages. In 2006 the
indigenous population was approximately 517,200,
representing about 2.5% of the population. Since the end
of World War II, the government and the public have made
efforts to be more responsive to aboriginal rights and
needs, most recently with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's
historic apology to the indigenous people in February
2008.
Immigration has been vital to Australia's development
since the beginning of European settlement in 1788. For
generations, most settlers came from the British Isles,
and the people of Australia are still predominantly of
British or Irish origin, with a culture and outlook
similar to those of Americans. Non British/Irish
immigration has increased significantly since World War
II through an extensive, planned immigration program.
Since 1945 around 6.6 million migrants have settled in
Australia, including 690,000 refugee and humanitarian
entrants. About 80% have remained; 24 percent--almost
one in four--of Australians are foreign-born. Britain,
Ireland, Italy, Greece, New Zealand, and the former
Yugoslavia were the largest sources of post-war
immigration, but New Zealand is closing on Britain as
the largest source country for permanent migrants to
Australia, with India, China, and the Philippines making
up the rest of the top five. Since the end of World War
II, Australia's population has more than doubled.
Australia's humanitarian and refugee program of about
13,000 per year is in addition to other immigration
programs. In recent years, refugees from Africa, the
Middle East, and Southwest Asia have comprised the
largest element in Australia's refugee program. Although
Australia has scarcely more than three people per square
kilometer, it is one of the world's most urbanized
countries. Less than 2.5% of the population lives in
remote or very remote areas. |
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Australia was uninhabited until stone-culture peoples
arrived, perhaps by boat across the waters separating
the island from the Indonesia archipelago more than
40,000 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. (Three American colonists were crew
members aboard Cook's ship, the Endeavour).
On January 26, 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day),
the First Fleet under Captain 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, some condemned for offenses that today would
often be thought trivial. From the mid-19th century
convict transportation to Australia significantly
declined; the last ship to arrive was in 1868. The
discovery of gold in 1851 led to increased population,
wealth, and trade.
The six colonies that now constitute the states of the
Australian Commonwealth were established in the
following order: New South Wales, 1788; Tasmania, 1825;
Western Australia, 1829; South Australia, 1836;
Victoria, 1851; and Queensland, 1859. Settlement
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. In 1911, control of
the Northern Territory was transferred from South
Australia to the Commonwealth. Also that year, the
Australian Capital Territory (where the national
capital, Canberra, is located), was established. The
Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory were
granted self-government in 1978 and 1988, respectively.
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 American Walter
Burley Griffin. The first session of Parliament in
Canberra was opened by another Duke of York (later King
George VI). Australia passed the Statute of Westminster
Adoption Act on October 9, 1942, which officially
established Australia's complete autonomy in both
internal and external affairs and formalized a situation
that had existed for years. The Australia Act (1986)
eliminated almost all remaining vestiges of British
legal authority, including the ability to appeal to the
British Privy Council. |
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