澳洲社会与文化.ppt

THE CULTURAL AND SOCIAL LIFE OF AUSTRALIA GENERAL INTRODUCTION POLITICS ECONOMY EDUCATION MULTICULTURALISM CULTURE AND ART MEDIA HEALTH SOCIAL SERVICES Land, people and history Australia is the world’s smallest continent and largest island, a relatively young nation established in an ancient land. Australia has a land area of 7,682,320 km2 and its coastline is 36,735 km long. It is the world’s driest inhabited continent; vast areas are arid or semi-desert, and virtually uninhabited. There are rainforests and vast plains in the north, snowfields in the south-east, desert in the center and fertile croplands in the east, south and south-west. Australia is a multicultural society with about a quarter of the population foreign-born. The population has more than doubled since 1945-largely due to a vigorous migration program. Now it is about 17 million or about 2 people the square kilometer. About 75 percent of Australians say they are Christians. Many non-Christian faiths are followed, including Judaism, Buddhism, Buddhism and Islam. The official language is English-by usage, not law. January 26, the date of the first European settlement of the continent in 1788, is Australia’s national day. The political life Australia’s political institution and practices follow the Western democratic tradition, reflecting the British and North American experience. Broadly, the Australia federation has a three-tier system of government: At the national level, there are the Australian Parliament and government. They are responsible for national affairs. In the second tire are the state governments and their legislatures, which complement the responsibilities of the national government. In the third tier are the local government bodies at the city, town and shire level. International Relations: Relationships with Britain and the rest of Europe, and the US, forged by history, are important factors in Australian policy. However, its growing awareness of the importance of the politi