Government: Federal Parliamentary Democracy and a Commonwealth Realm
Executive Branch:
Chief of State is theQueen of Australia, Elizabeth II (since February 6, 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove (since March 28, 2014)
Head of Government:Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (since September 15, 2015); Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss (since September 18, 2013)
Cabinet is nominated by the prime minister from members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general
Elections/Appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; the leader of the majority is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general
Legislative Branch:
Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats -- directly elected & members serve for 6 years)
House of Representatives (150 seats -- members directly elected & serve terms up to 3 years)
Elections for both last held in September of 2013
Judicial Branch:
High Court of Australia -- consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice
Each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court. The High Court is beyond the state and territory supreme courts.
Justices are appointed by the governor-general and are in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts at the federal, state, and territory level
Suffrage at 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
US Embassy in Australia -- Ambassador Morrell John Berry located at Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600. Consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Australian Embassy in the US -- Ambassador Kim Christian Beazley located at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. Consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Ms. Gillian Elizabeth Bird is the Australian Representative for the United Nations
Independent on January 1, 1901 from the federation of UK colonies
Holidays: Australia Day on January, 26 and ANZAC Day on April, 25
Refugees:7,675 ( from Afghanistan), No Data for any Internally Displaced Persons
Illicit Drug Trafficking/Use:Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate; major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines
No data for Internally Displaced, Stateless Persons, or Human Trafficking
Blue with the flag of the UK. 5 seven pointed stars represent the national symbol, the Southern Cross constellation. The largest star is known as the Commonwealth or Federation 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 kangaroo, emu, and Southern Cross constellation (seven pointed star) are all national symbols of Australia. This is the Australian Coat of Arms.
Internal Disputes:
In 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste agreed to a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing arrangement and deferred a maritime boundary.
Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica
Australia's 2004 submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) extends its continental margins over 3.37 million square kilometers, expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent beyond its claimed exclusive economic zone
All borders between Indonesia and Australia have been agreed upon bilaterally, but a 1997 treaty that would settle the last of their maritime and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary has yet to be ratified by Indonesia's legislature
Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing