Australia

**History**

Australian History timeline

 * 70,000 BC or later-** Aborigines seem to have immigrated to Australia.
 * 35,000 BC or later-** Aborigines seem to have found Tasmania.
 * 2000 BC-** The dingo is the first domesticated animal in Australia.
 * 1616 AD-** Dirk Hartog (Dutch explorer) sails to Western Australia.
 * 1688 AD-** William Dampier (English explorer) reaches Western Australian coast.
 * 1770 AD-** Captain James Cook explores Easter Australia and claims it for Britain.
 * 1804 AD-** Hobart Town is established in Van Diemens Land which is now known as Tasmania.
 * 1833 AD-** Port Arthur opens as a penal settlement (place where they send prisoners to exile them and remove them from society so that they can have no contact whatsoever) in Tasmania.
 * 1851 AD-** Gold rush begins in Bathurst, New South Wales.
 * 1853 AD-** Last few Port Arthur convicts are shipped over to Tasmania.
 * 1873 AD-** Ayers rock is discovered by Europeans.
 * 1876 AD-** The last full-blooded Tasmanian (Truganini) dies.
 * 1901 AD-** Australia becomes its own commonwealth/country. It is now the Commonwealth of Australia.
 * 1914-1918 AD-** Australia fights in World War I.
 * 1920 AD-** QUANTAS is formed as a local Australian airline.
 * 1923 AD-** Vegimite is first produced.
 * 1927 AD-** first Federal Parliment is held in Canberra.
 * 1932 AD-** Sydney Harbour Bridge is completed and opened.
 * 1939-1945 AD-** Australian troops fight in World War II.
 * 1948 AD-** The Holden is the first Australian car ever produced.
 * 1956 AD-** Melbourn host the Olympics.
 * 1960s-** Uggs become popular.
 * 1965 AD-** Australian troops fight in Vietnam War.
 * 1973 AD-** Sydney Opera house opens.
 * 1973-1981** AD- Asian immigration to Australia increases.
 * 1983 AD-** Australia wins the America's Cup.
 * 1988 AD-** Bicentenary: The new Parliament House opens in Canberra.
 * 2000 AD-** The Sydney Olympics held.

Australian Flag & Significance
Australia's flag base color is dark blue. In the upper left-hand corner, there is a union flag. It has a large 7-pointed star underneath the union flag known as the commonwealth star. The other stars on the right half form the southern cross consellation, and the stars are also 7-pointed, and 5-pointed stars. To get the fag design, there was a world-wide competition in 1901, when Australia became a country. King Edward VII approved a slightly different design in 1902. The flag continued to have changes throughout time until 1954 when the flag was finally accepted in //Flag Act 1953//. The significance of the southern cross consellation is that it has been used to identify Australia since the early days of British settlement. The union flag is believed to be a representation of how Australia used to be 6 different British territories. Others see it as Australia's loyalty to Britain.

Q:How does the history of the country inform the decisions it makes in current times? Are there conflicts that persist over generations? Have there been lessons learned that impact how the country interacts with other nations? Why does the history of the nation matter?

A: Yes, Australia uses Britain as model, and also uses the United States. They have no conflicts other than a lack of water in the desert. They have learned from other country's mistakes. Australia's history matters to it because it used to be a part of Britain and it was inhabited by Aborigines. This has influenced its culture.

**Geography ** Australia

Australia is the "m" shaped continent in the mid right, beneath Asia and above Antarctica, on the Western edge of the Pacific Ocean. Australia's major cities are: Sydney in the South East, Melbourne in the South East, and Canberra, the capitol, in the East.

Elevation
Australia's lowest point in -15 meters at Lake Eyre. Australia's highest point is +2745 meters at Mawson's Peak.

Size
Australia is the 6th largest country in the world. It has 2,969,907 square miles. It covers 5.2% of the world. Australia is 747,906 square miles smaller than the United States, which has the 4th largest land mass. Australia is the largest borderless country in the world. It is also the largest country in the southern hemisphere.

Cimate/Weather
Most of Australia is desert or semi-arid. The southeast and southwest have temperate climates. The north is a mixture of a tropical climate, grassland, and a little desert. It is a small continent seperated by the polar regions. The continent of Australia receives the smallest amout of rainfall every year except for Antartica.

 Q: How do the geography of the country impact its behavior? Does it make it vulnerable to attack? Does it provide a tourist economy? Does it hold valuable resources that make it powerful or the target of external threats? Is it a challenging environment in which to establish a society, and if so how did this reality shape the people and their culture? How has the country been shaped by its neighbors?

A: Since Australia receives so little rainfall every year, Australians must be very careful with their water supply. Australia is not vulnerable to attack because it has never been attacked in the past and since it is a very large island/continent, it would take a lot to take it over. It does have a lot of resources and could potentially threaten other countries, but Australia is very peaceful and does no do so. It is a little challenging in Australia to build desert cities, but they manage. This has made the people adapt to the small amouts of water and caused them to be very environmentally concious. The country has no near neighbors, so it has been shaped mostly by its British settlement before it became its own country/commonwealth.

Economy

Currency Exchange Rate: 1 AUD dollar to 1.04 USD dollar AUD/USD: -1.021%
 * ~ Paper Money Type ||~ Picture ||~ US Value ||
 * = $5 note ||= [[image:herrickun/181px-Australian_$5_polymer_front.jpg width="159" height="90" align="center"]] ||= $5.23 ||
 * = $10 note ||= [[image:herrickun/193px-Australian_$10_polymer_front.jpg width="171" height="90" align="center"]] ||= $10.46 ||
 * = $20 note ||= [[image:herrickun/200px-Australian_$20_polymer_front.jpg width="156" height="80" align="center"]] ||= $20.92 ||
 * = $50 note ||= [[image:herrickun/212px-Australian_$50_polymer_front.jpg width="168" height="80" align="center"]] ||= $52.28 ||
 * = $100 note ||= [[image:herrickun/220px-Australian_$100_polymer_front.jpg width="175" height="80" align="center"]] ||= $104.57 ||


 * ~ Coin Type ||~ Picture ||~ US Value ||
 * $0.05 || [[image:herrickun/CCCCen.jpeg width="142" height="70"]] || $0.052 ||
 * $0.10 || [[image:herrickun/gargoyl.jpeg width="138" height="72"]] || $0.104 ||
 * $0.20 || [[image:herrickun/20c.jpg width="123" height="125"]] || $0.209 ||
 * $0.50 || [[image:herrickun/50c.jpg width="123" height="125"]] || $0.522 ||
 * $1 || [[image:herrickun/$1.jpg]] || $1.04 ||
 * $2 || [[image:herrickun/$2.jpg]] || $2.087 ||

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
Australia is ranked 19th in the world for imports and exports. Australia mostly exports products to China, which is why Australia's economy has been doing so well. Australia also gets most of its imports from China. The primary Australian exports are coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Their primary imports are machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products. Australia trades mostly with China (18%), the USA (11%), Japan (8%), Thailand (6%), Singapore (6%), and Germany (5%).

Natural Resources
Australia's natural resources are: bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, natural gas, and petroleum. Australia is the worlds largest exporter of coal. Twenty-nine percent of coal in the world is from Australia's coal mines.

Major Trading Partners
Australia's major trading partner is China, but it also trades heavily with the USA, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Germany.

Q: How does the country's economic standing affect its relationships with other nations? Is the economy on the rise or is it declining? Is the country economically powerful or weak? What trading relationships does it have established and how do these inform national decisions?

A: Australia's economy is rising. They're economic standing is good when comparison to their relatively small population. They have a lot of natural resources, which promotes their trade. They have good, solid trading relationships with very many countries, and they make national decisions based on what will help their country grow with trade, financially, and what's best for their citizens.

C <span style="color: #13ec13; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 180%;">u <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 210%;">l <span style="color: #a90aa9; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 210%;">t <span style="color: #ffff00; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 210%;">u <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 210%;">r <span style="color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 210%;">e

Recipes- Honey and Fig Biscuits


Ingredients- 3/4 cup of caster sugar 125 grams of butter 2 large eggs 1/4 teaspoons ground lemon myrtle 1/2 cup of honey, infused with lemon myrtle essential oil 2 &2/3 cups of plain sifted flour 3 tablespoons of milk 1 cup of finely chopped dried fig 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut 1 &1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

Cooking Directions- 1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Grease the baking trays 2. Cream the butter and sugar together until they are pale and fluffy 3. Add eggs one at a time, ground lemon myrtle and lemon myrtle infused honey. Mix well. 4. Sift in the flour and baking soda 5. Fold in figs and coconuts. 6. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the tray, and allow room for it to spread. 7. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow biscuits to cool on the tray.



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: medium;">**Mocha Fudge Pudding**
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: medium;">**Ingredients:**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Pudding mixture: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1 cup self raising flour <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">2 tspns cocoa <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">One quarter of a cup of butter <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Half a cup of caster sugar (can use normal white sugar) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1 egg <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Half a cup of milk

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Sauce: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Half a cup of brown sugar <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1 tspn cocoa <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1 and a quarter cups boiling water with 2-3 tspns of instant coffee in it

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: medium;">**Procedure:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Pudding: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1. Sift flour and cocoa together. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">2. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">3. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed butter and sugar mixture. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">4. Pour into small (20cm is ok) pie dish (pyrex dishes work well). Leave to stand and start on sauce.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Sauce: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">1. Combine brown sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle over pudding mixture. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">2. Pour the coffee/water mix all over pudding. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Bake at 190 degrees celsius for 45 minutes or until pudding springs back when touched (like a cake).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">Serve with whipped cream.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: medium;">Australia's Current Form of Government:
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Australia is currently a commonwealth or federal government. It's government is very similar to the US government. It also has the three branches: the legislature, the executive, and judiciary branch. The Australian government also has a constitution, but it is called the Australian Constitution. Their branches have the same function as our three branches and carry out the same jobs in Australia as ours do in America.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: medium;">Public Holidays-
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">January 1- New Year's Day <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">January 26- Australia Day <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 90%;">First Friday after the full moon, the Friday before Easter- Good Friday Monday after Easter Sunday- Easter Monday December 25- Christmas December 26- Boxing Day

Music and Entertainment
The Sydney Opera House is a very large form of entertainment for Australians and also a tourist attraction. Australians enjoy the same TV shows and movies as Americans do, but have some of their own shows (shows native to Australia). They also listen to a lot of the same music as we do.

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Q: How does the particular culture, with religions, social norms, values, etc. impact the behavior of the nation? How do other nations characterize this country? Is the culture of the country tied to the culture of other nations? If so, how does this alter their relationships? Is the country heterogeneous or homogeneous?

A: The culture allows the nation religious freedom and a very liberal point of view. Other countries view Australia as a nation that is doing very well, and is somewhat enviable. Australian culture has developed from English culture, Aboriginal culture, and American culture combining to make Australia. It helps Australia because then they can have better relationships with power countries like England, France, America, and China. Australia is has a heterogeneous culture because each person in Australia has different beliefs and celebrates the things they want to. Australia’s culture allows for people to be different and pursue what they want to.

__//** Link to my bibliography page: **//__

http://herrickun.wikispaces.com/Australia%27s+Bibs