| Australia, a penal colony of Great Britain until 1901, is today known for koala bears, kangaroos, and Crocodile Dundee. Australia is also famous for its Great Coral Reef and its Aboriginal inhabitants. Its relaxed atmosphere attracts people from all around the world, making tourism a profitable industry. Australia?s landscape and culture experienced heightened fame during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, which also attracted political attention. As the millennium and the Olympics neared, Australians undertook a political self-evaluation, questioning their attitudes toward their indigenous population and even their century-old constitution. As a country (and a continent) of an ever-shrinking globe, Australia possesses strengths and faces challenges as do all other nations. As a Western nation, Australia has many attributes in common with other Western nations, particularly the United States and Great Britain. However, Australia is also located far from the Western Hemisphere, very near to Asian nations, making it a country very unique in character. The history, key institutions and party politics, and major contemporary issues will be discussed. Historically, Australia has ties to both indigenous Aboriginal populous and Great Britain colonists, making Australia?s current situation very similar to that of the United States. Politically, Australia takes British roots, operating as a parliamentary monarchy under the Queen of England. Concerning current issues, however, Australia possesses an identity of its own, for the question of Aboriginal land, globalization, and turning Australia into a republic have qualities that are uniquely Australian. |
