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Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.^N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east.

For around 40,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 18th century, the Australian mainland and Tasmania were inhabited by around 250 individual nations^[7] of indigenous Australians.^[8] After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north, and European discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606,^[9] the eastern half of Australia was claimed by the British in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales, founded on 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in the following years; the continent was explored, and during the 19th century another five largely self-governing Crown Colonies were established.

On 1 January 1901, the six colonies became a federation, and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system and remains a Commonwealth realm. The population is just over 21.3&_160;million, with approximately 60% concentrated in and around the mainland state capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. The nation's capital city is Canberra, located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

The name Australia is derived from the Latin Australis, meaning "Southern". Legends of an "unknown land of the south" (terra australis incognita) date back to Roman times and were commonplace in medieval geography but were not based on any documented knowledge of the continent. In 1521 Spaniards were among the first Europeans to sail the Pacific Ocean. The first use of the word Australia in English was in 1625, in "A note of Australia del Espiritu Santo, written by Master Hakluyt", published by Samuel Purchas in Hakluytus Posthumus.^[10] The Dutch adjectival form Australische was used by Dutch East India Company officials in Batavia to refer to the newly discovered land to the south in 1638. Australia was used in a 1693 translation of Les Aventures de Jacques Sadeur dans la Découverte et le Voyage de la Terre Australe, a 1676 French novel by Gabriel de Foigny under the pen-name Jacques Sadeur.^[11] Alexander Dalrymple then used it in An Historical Collection of Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean (1771), to refer to the entire South Pacific region. In 1793, George Shaw and Sir James Smith published Zoology and Botany of New Holland, in which they wrote of "the vast island, or rather continent, of Australia, Australasia or New Holland".

Australia Subcategories Australia Articles What Career Options Do Older Australians Have by Melanie Click Dec 02, 2008 Career options for older Australians have never looked so good and this is mostly due to the aging population. Retail managers realize that many of their customers will now be in the older age group and there are distinct advantages in having mature-... How Will the Current Financial Climate Affect the Jobs Market in Australia? by Melanie C Nov 26, 2008 Experts are predicting that the current financial climate will adversely affect jobs in Australia, with the worst affected being in the finance sector. Real estate, banking and construction are other industries that will be affected adversely, becaus... Why Buying a Kit Home Makes Good Financial Sense by Bill Kerr Sep 23, 2008 Buying a kit home makes good financial sense for many people in a variety of situations. The kit home has been designed so that installation is quick and simple, yet the final product is stable and enduring. In addition, there are a number of floor... 7 Key Areas Along the Road to Lasting Wealth by Mika Hamilton Mar 15, 2008 support@global-investment-institute.com. Best regards Mika Hamilton http://www.stockmarketaustralia.com.au 7 Key Areas Along the Road to Lasting Wealth Everybody wants to be wealthy, but few people really commit themselves to do... Investor Types - What Type Of Investor Are You by Mika Hamilton Mar 10, 2008 support@global-investment-institute.com. Best regards Mika Hamilton http://www.stockmarketaustralia.com.au Investor Types - What Type Of Investor Are You There are many different types of investors in the stock market. Some peop... Bad Credit Loans - 9 Things You Need to Know About Australian Low Doc Loans by Tristan Dunston Mar 04, 2008 Bad Credit Loans – 9 Things You Need to Know About Australian Low Doc Loans. 1. Low Doc Loans stands for low documentation loans. These are typically used to purchase property and to be accepted for this type of loan a consumer does not need ... Credit Reports - 11 Things You Really Should Know About Your Australian Credit Rating by Tristan Dunston Feb 28, 2008 A credit report is information sent to private credit checking firms, typically by banks, lenders, utility companies, telecoms and internet suppliers about how customers manage their accounts with them. This information is then used by other banks, l... Investing in Stock Options - What You Need to Know About Options by Mika Hamilton Feb 18, 2008 support@global-investment-institute.com. Best regards Mika Hamilton http://www.stockmarketaustralia.com.au Investing in Stock Options - What You Need to Know About Options Stock options are important investments to consider when Credit Reports Australia - Are Debt Stressed Aussies Getting The Protection They Need? by Tristan Dunston Feb 15, 2008 Surging numbers of Australians defaulting on their credit agreements has led two of Australia’s credit checking firms to call for major credit reporting reforms to tackle the nation’s growing debt problem. Two recent studies conducted by cred... Credit Australia - Are You One of The People Not Being Helped by the Banks? by Tristan Dunston Feb 15, 2008 Australia’s voluntary banking code, designed to protect consumers, is up for review amid concerns bank customers facing financial trouble are not being helped. The Code of Banking Practice, which has been adopted by most of Australia’s banks,...