2. AUSTRALIA The Land Down Under

3. Australia’s Location: The Land Down Under

4. Australia’s Climate: How does it affect where people live and where they work? Australia is mostly desert. The large desert portion of the mainland is called the Outback. The climate along the coasts varies. The northern coast is closest to the Equator. It has a tropical climate. The southwestern and southeastern parts of Australia have a temperate climate. Australia’s large cities-Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane-are all in these regions. There are over 20 million people living in Australia. Most live in these cities. Why?

5. Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources: How they impact trade. Australia is a mixed economy that falls closer to free market/capitalism on the economic continuum. Australia invests in their human resources or human capital by educating and caring for the health of their people. Australia has an abundance of natural resources that contribute to the economic success of the country.

6. Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources: How they impact trade. Australia has a large tourist trade that contributes to the economy. Australia makes many products and exports a number of goods. Australia’s main exports are minerals, wool, wheat, and meat products, as well as wine and other good products. Mining is very important to the economy; most mining is concentrated in Western Australia.

7. Australia’s location, climate, and natural resources: How they impact trade. Historically, Australia relied on livestock and crops for its economy. Australia produces about a quarter of the world’s wool. There is a great deal of manufacturing in Australia. In the last fifty years, the country has invested in capital goods-building factories and developing technology.

8. The Australian Aborigines The first people to live in Australia were called the Australian Aborigines. The first Aborigines lived on the coast where more plants grew. There were also more animals to hunt and fresh water. Aborigines were hunter-gatherers. Aboriginal religion is based on the Dreaming. The Dreaming is what Aborigines call the beginning of life on Earth. During the Dreaming, spirits shaped the land and made animals and people. Then the spirits disappeared, but some live on in objects. Aborigines believe the earth is a link to the spiritual world. The land itself is sacred to the Aborigines.

9. British Colonization of Australia British Captain James Cook explored many parts of Australia from 1770-1771. Captain Cook claimed the whole east coast for Great Britain. Australia became a colony that Great Britain used to jail criminals (penal colony). Over 150,00 were sent to Australia; this practice ended in 1852.

10. British Colonization of Australia British colonists sent raw materials from Australia back to Great Britain. Colonists exposed the native Australians called the Aborigines to diseases that they could not fight-many of them died. The British also had superior weapons which the Aborigines were at a disadvantage to fight against (Spears against guns-who wins). The British also took the Aborigines’ land. (Where have you heard this story before?) What impact do you think the British had on the language and religion of Australia? Think back to Latin America!

11. Structure and National Government of Australia Type of government- Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy Type of leadership- Queen of United Kingdom (Elizabeth II)= head of State; Governor-General appointed by and represents the Queen; Prime Minster= Head of Government (nominates the Governor-General); Prime Minister is chosen by Parliament of Australia Type of Legislature- Parliament that is bicameral (two houses: Senate and House of Representatives) – gained legislative freedom from United Kingdom’s Parliament in 1931

12. The End