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Country name: |
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
Conventional short form: Australia |
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Government type: |
Democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign |
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Capital: |
Canberra |
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Administrative divisions: |
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
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Dependent areas: |
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island |
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Independence: |
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
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National holiday: |
Australia Day, 26 January (1788) |
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Constitution: |
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
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Legal system: |
Based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Flag: |
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia’s internal and external territories; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars |
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Judicial branch: |
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) |
