Austral Islands Group of islands (pop., 2002: 6,386), southern French Polynesia. The southernmost part of French Polynesia ( austral is Latin for “south”), the islands form a chain about 800 mi (1,300 km) long. They were sighted by Capt. James Cook in 1769 and 1777. They were taken over by the French in the late 19th century. The inhabited islands are Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raevavae, and Rapa.
Australia officially Commonwealth of Australia Smallest con¬ tinent and sixth largest country (in area) on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Area: 2,969,978 sq mi (7,692,208 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 20,345,000. Capitaclass="underline" Canberra. Most Australians are descendants of Europeans. The largest nonwhite minority is the Aus¬
tralian Aborigine population. The Asian portion of the population has grown as a result of relaxed immigration policy. Language: English (offi¬ cial). Religions: Christianity (mostly Protestant; also Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, other Christians), Buddhism, Islam. Currency: Austra¬ lian dollar. Australia has three major physiographic regions. More than half of its land area is on the Western Australian plateau, which includes the outcrops of Arnhem Land and the Kimberleys in the northwest and the Macdonnell Ranges in the east. A second region, the Interior Lowlands, lies east of the plateau. The Eastern Uplands, which include the Great Dividing Range, are a series of high ridges, plateaus, and basins. The coun¬ try’s highest point is Mount Kosciusko in the Australian Alps, and the low¬ est is Lake Eyre. Major rivers include the Murray-Darling system, the Funders and Swan rivers, and Cooper Creek. There are many islands and reefs along the coast, including the Great Barrier Reef, Melville Island, Kan¬ garoo Island, and Tasmania. Australia is rich in mineral resources, includ¬ ing coal, petroleum, and uranium. A vast diamond deposit was found in Western Austraua in 1979. The country’s economy is basically free enter¬ prise; its largest components include finance, manufacturing, and trade. Formally a constitutional monarchy, its chief of state is the British mon¬ arch, represented by the governor-general. In reality it is a parliamentary state with two legislative houses; its head of government is the prime min¬ ister. Australia has long been inhabited by Aborigines, who began arriving at least 50,000 years ago. Estimates of the population at the time of Euro¬ pean settlement in 1788 range from 300,000 to 1,000,000. Widespread European knowledge of Australia began with 17th-century explorations. The Dutch landed in 1616 and the British in 1688, but the first large-scale expedition was that of James Cook in 1770, which established Britain’s claim to Australia. The first British settlement, at Port Jackson (1788), consisted mainly of convicts and seamen; convicts were to make up a large proportion of the incoming settlers. By 1859 the colonial nuclei of all Aus¬ tralia’s states had been formed, but with devastating effects on the indig¬ enous peoples, whose populations declined sharply with the introduction of European diseases. Britain granted its colonies limited self-government in the mid-19th century, and an act federating the colonies into a common¬ wealth went into effect in 1901. Australia fought alongside the British in World War I, notably at Gallipoli, and again in World War II, preventing Australia’s occupation by the Japanese. It joined the U.S. in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Since the 1960s the government has sought to deal more fairly with the Aborigines, and a loosening of immigration restrictions has led to a more heterogeneous population. Constitutional links allowing British interference in government were formally abolished in 1968, and Australia has assumed a major role in Asian and Pacific affairs. During the 1990s there were several debates about giving up its British ties and becoming a republic. See map on following page.
Australian Aboriginal languages Group of perhaps as many as 500 languages spoken by the 300,000 to 1,000,000 native inhabitants of Australia before the beginning of European conquest in 1788. More than half are now extinct; of the remainder, only about 20, mostly in the North Territory and northern Western Australia, remain in active use by both adults and children. Most Australian languages belong to a single super¬ family, Pama-Nyungan, and the remainder, a very diverse group of lan¬ guages spoken in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and parts of the North Territory, may be remotely akin to Pama-Nyungan.
Australian Aborigine \a-b3- , ri-jo- l ne\ Any of the indigenous peoples of Australia. The first Australians are estimated to have reached the con¬ tinent at least 50,000 years ago. At one time there may have been as many as 500 language-named, territorially anchored groups of indigenous Aus¬ tralians. They subsisted as hunters and gatherers. Groups (bands) were formed along the male line (patrilineal descent) and consisted of two or more families. Their lives were centred around a specific site settled by the group’s ancestors. The men were custodians of the mythology, ritual, sites, and symbols evoked in the Dreaming. Australian Aborigines are believed to have numbered 300,000-1,000,000 when European coloniza¬ tion began in the late 18th century, but they were devastated by intro¬ duced diseases and by the bloody 19th-century policy of “pacification by force.” In the early 21st century they were estimated to number more than 400,000. Most aspects of their traditional culture have been severely modified. All Aboriginal peoples have had some contact with modern Australian society, and all are now Australian citizens. At the turn of the 21st century Aboriginal interest in cultural revival was strong.
Australian Alps Mountain range, southeastern Australia. The moun¬ tains form the southern end of the Great Dividing Range and the watershed
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
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between the headstreams of the Murrum- bidgee River and the rivers flowing south to the Pacific Ocean. The highest peak is Mount Kosciusko. The valleys of the Aus¬ tralian Alps have been used for grazing, while the highlands have seen scattered mining ventures.
Australian Ballet Leading ballet company of Australia. It was spon¬ sored in 1962 by art patrons interested in promoting a national ballet. Peggy van Praagh was the first artistic director (1962-74). Since 1965 the company has toured Europe and North America.
Australian Capital Territory Political entity (pop., 2001: 321,680), southeastern Australia. A capital territory was mandated by the 1901 Aus¬ tralian constitution; the site was chosen in 1908. It lies within New South Wales and consists of Canberra and the area around Jervis Bay. Parliament moved there from Melbourne in 1927. In 1989 the Territory received responsibility for self-government similar to that held by Australian states.