Australia Overview
As an industrialized country, Australia has a well-developed research landscape. The primary goal is the strategic positioning as a high-tech location in Asia.
Population / geography
| Country name | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Capital | Canberra |
| Land area | 7,692,024 km² |
| Population | approx. 25.47 million (2020 estimate) predominantly of European descent, of which: indigenous people (Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders): 5% |
| Growth of population | 1.4%(2020 estimate) |
| National languages | English |
| Religions | Christian 53.2%, (Anglican Church 13.3%, Catholics 22.6%, Lutherans 7%, other Protestants 0.5%, Uniting Church 3.7%, Presbyterians & Reformed 2.3%, Baptists 1.5 %, Orthodox 2.3%), Buddhists 2.4%, Hindu 1.9%, Muslims 2.6%, others 1.3%, no answer 9.6%, no religious affiliation 30.1% |
| National holiday | January 26 (Australia Day) |
| Currency | 1 Australian dollar AUD / 100 centsCurrent exchange rate at OANDA.com – Currency converter (see links below) |
| Prefix | +61 |
Sources: Countryaah.com
Politics / Administration
| Country name | Commonwealth of AustraliaShort form: Australia / Australien |
| Form of government | Parliamentary-democratic monarchy in the Commonwealth of Nations |
| Head of state | Her Majesty Elizabeth II. Queen of Australia (in office February 6, 1952; coronation: June 2, 1953) represented by His Excellency General the Honorable Sir General David John Hurley, AC, DSC, FTSE, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia; Appointed: July 01, 2019 |
| Capital | Canberra (457,000 residents) |
| Head of government | Scott Morrison, Prime Minister,since August 26, 2018 |
| Foreign Minister | The Honorable Marise Payne,since August 26, 2018 |
| Minister of Education | The Honorable Dan Tehan,since August 28, 2018 |
| Science Minister | Karen Andrews (Secretary of State for Industry, Science and Technology),since August 26, 2018
The Ministry of Industry is responsible for science |
| Houses of Parliament | Two-chamber federal parliament: House of Representatives (150 seats)Senate / Senate (76 seats) |
| Ruling parties | National-Liberal Coalition, 77 seats, consisting of:
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| Opposition parties | Australian Labor Party (ALP), The Greens, Smaller Parties and Independents |
| Administrative structure | 6 states: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia2 territories: Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory |
| Independence day | January 1, 1901 (founding of the Commonwealth of Australia) |
| National holiday | January 26 (Australia Day) |
Political system
In the parliamentary elections on May 18, 2019, the coalition of the Liberal / National Party emerged as the clear winner. It now has 77 seats in the House of Representatives. With Scott Morrison as Prime Minister, the incumbent coalition government won a third three-year term, and the coalition currently has 34 seats in the Senate. The Australian Labor Party, under Bill Shorten, had 68 seats in the lower house. The Australian Labor Party has 26 seats in the Senate.
Science rests with the Department of Industry, led by Karen Andrews. Responsibility for universities and university research is based in the Ministry of Education under the direction of Dan Tehan.
The complicated Australian electoral system tries the disadvantages of a pure majority suffrage or. to avoid pure proportional representation. The principle of majority voting applies to the House of Representatives. In the Senate, on the other hand, a proportional representation system is used. Here, the senators appointed by smaller parties “tip the scales”.
Business information
Australia’s economy is dominated by the service sector (approx. 70 percent of the gross domestic product), the mining share is around 8 percent. Australia’s most important export goods are iron ore, coal, natural gas and gold, as well as agricultural products. The excellent university landscape attracts a large number of foreign students, especially from Asia.
