POLITICS
Conventional Long Form name: Commonwealth of Australia
Capital: Canberra
Type of government: federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
Date of Independence: January 1, 1901 from the federation of UK colonies
National holidays: Australia Day (January 26) - commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers
ANZAC Day (April 25) commemorates the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during WWI in Turkey.
Chief of State: Queen of Australia Elizabeth II (pictured left)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Anthony John "Tony" Abbott (pictured right)
Capital: Canberra
Type of government: federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth
Date of Independence: January 1, 1901 from the federation of UK colonies
National holidays: Australia Day (January 26) - commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers
ANZAC Day (April 25) commemorates the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during WWI in Turkey.
Chief of State: Queen of Australia Elizabeth II (pictured left)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Anthony John "Tony" Abbott (pictured right)
About the Executive branch:
Led by the Queen, Prime Minister, and Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of Prime Minister nominates, from among the members of Parliament, and candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers. The monarchy is hereditary' the governor general is appointed by the monarch and recommended by the Prime Minister.
About the Legislative branch:
The bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the senate (76 seats), and the House of Representatives (150 seats). The House of Representatives members can serve terms of up to three years. One-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-years terms while all territory members are elected every three years.
About the Judicial branch:
The highest courts are the High Court of Australia, Supreme Court, and High Court. Then, the subordinate courts, containing Federal Court, Family Court, Local Court and District Courts. Justices are appointed by the governor general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70.
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Ambassador to U.S.: Kim Christian Beazley
U.S. Embassy: Washington, D.C.
Consulates in the U.S.: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
U.S. Ambassador to Australia: John Berry
Australian Embassy: Canberra, Australia
Consulates in Australia: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Representative to UN: Gary Quinlan
National symbols: Commonwealth Coat of Arms, Australia's national colors (green and gold), the floral emblem, and national gemstone: opal.
Led by the Queen, Prime Minister, and Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of Prime Minister nominates, from among the members of Parliament, and candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers. The monarchy is hereditary' the governor general is appointed by the monarch and recommended by the Prime Minister.
About the Legislative branch:
The bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the senate (76 seats), and the House of Representatives (150 seats). The House of Representatives members can serve terms of up to three years. One-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-years terms while all territory members are elected every three years.
About the Judicial branch:
The highest courts are the High Court of Australia, Supreme Court, and High Court. Then, the subordinate courts, containing Federal Court, Family Court, Local Court and District Courts. Justices are appointed by the governor general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70.
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Ambassador to U.S.: Kim Christian Beazley
U.S. Embassy: Washington, D.C.
Consulates in the U.S.: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
U.S. Ambassador to Australia: John Berry
Australian Embassy: Canberra, Australia
Consulates in Australia: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Representative to UN: Gary Quinlan
National symbols: Commonwealth Coat of Arms, Australia's national colors (green and gold), the floral emblem, and national gemstone: opal.
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/3/0/23301720/3278794.gif)
The seven-pointed stars on this Australian flag represents the federation of the colonies in 1901. The "Commonwealth" or "Federation Star" express each of the original six states and one showing all of Australia's internal and external territories.