Government
The Commonwealth of Australia - official name of Australia - was established on Janary 1st, 1901 (Tuesday).Australia is subdivided into 6 states and 2 territories: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory.
The capital is Canberra.
The type of government designates itself as a democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign. The monarch (Queen ELIZABETH II since 6 February 1952) is represented by the Governor General (Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFREY since June 2003). Head of the government is the Prime Minister (John Winston HOWARD since 11 March 1996) and its Deputy Prime Minister (John ANDERSON since 20 July 1999).
The Federal Parliament is bicameral and consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (150 seats - this is up from 148 seats in 2001 election; members elected by popular vote on the basis of preferential representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives). The majority party or majority coalition is responsible for the administration. Their leader is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general. The parliament nominates and selects, from among its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers; from this list, the governor general swears in the final selections for the Cabinet. The monarch is hereditary. The governor general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister.
The current government coalition: Liberal Party and National Party.
The flag of Australia is 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.
Source: CIA Factbook, in 2003