Australia

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=Geographical Profile/ Political Information= =Economic Information= =Population Information= =Human Rights Information= Australia has no protection for human rights, whether it is though religion, constitution or some other form of protection through legislation. The rights that people have in Australia are directly dependent on the leaders of Australia, they do not choose for themselves. Dealing with the court system Australian’s are denied a lawyer of their choice, can be held without a charge and without knowing all the evidence that is held against them. Authorities are also allowed to detain people without trial and with no restriction on time. Australia also doesn’t have freedom of speech and citizens are often punished for their words rather than actions. Human rights groups have recently begun do everything in their power to work against these restrictions to try and get them “rescinded” .
 * **Distance from Lancaster to Australia**: 9963[[image:maps_australia-marisa.jpg width="632" height="440" align="right"]]
 * Most of Australia's climate is desert and semi-arid
 * **Absolute location of Canberra**: 35º S, 149ºE
 * **Relative location of Australia**: Located south of Papua New Guinea, AUstralia is located in oth eastern and southern hemispheres. Also Australia is surrounded fully by the Pacific and Indian oceans and Tasmanian Sea. Figi also borders Australia to the east along with New Zealand to the south east and Solomon Islands to the north east.
 * **Climate**: Most of Australia's climate is desert or semi-arid
 * 40% of the land is covered by sand dunes
 * The south east and south west of Australia have a temperate climate and fertile soil, while the northern part of the country is tropical with a climate varied between tropical rainforests, grasslands, and part desert
 * There are frequent droughts in Australia, with 50% of the country having less than 11.81 in of rain per year
 * Average summer temps are 90 to 104 °F and average winter temps are 64 to 73 °F.
 * **Capital:** Canberra!
 * **Major cities**: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra
 * **Type of government**: Federal Parlimentary Democracy and Commonwealth
 * Australia is the largest in comparison to the other countries in the Oceania Region
 * **Total size:** 7,741, 220 sq mi
 * **Major Physical Features**: Deserts (Great Sandy, Great Victoria and Simpson Desert), Mount Kosciuszko is the tallest mountain in Australia, Nullarbor Plain is an ancient seabed, some mountains are, Eastern Highlands, Western Plateau, Snowy Mountains, Blue Mountains
 * Member of European Union
 * **Head of State**: Divided between Queen of Australia and Governor-General of Australia
 * **Currency**: Australian Dollar (AUD) is used in Australia, $1 in US = 0.940789 AUD
 * **Import partners**: China, US, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Germany
 * Import $200.4 million worth of products a year
 * Some imports include oil, gas, machinery and transportation epuipment, office machines, petroleum products, and more
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Export partners **: China, Japan, US, South Korea, New Zealand, India, United Kingdom
 * Exports total $210.7 in 2007
 * Exports include coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, machine equipment, and wheat
 * **Unemployment rate**: 5.1%
 * **Agricultural Products**: Wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep, poultry
 * **GDP per capita:** $41,300
 * **GDP**: $889.6 Billion
 * **Industries:** Mining, farming, tourism
 * **Natural Resources**: Minerals, coal, natural gas, uranium ore, zinc, lead, and aluminum
 * **HDI**: 0.937 (ranked 2nd)
 * **Total Population**: 21,766,711
 * **Religions**: Catholic 25.8%, Anglican 18.7%, Uniting Church 5.7%, Presbyterian and Reformed 3%, Eastern Orthodox 2.7%, other Christian 7.9%, Buddhist 2.1%, Muslim 1.7%, other 2.4%, unspecified 11.3%, none 18.7%
 * **﻿Ethnic Groups**: White 92%, Asian 7%, Other 1%
 * **Literacy rate**: 99%
 * **Life Expectancy**: 81.81
 * **Infant mortality (out of 1,000 births)**: 4.61
 * **Main Language**: English
 * (166- 4.61) x 0.625 = 100.87
 * (81.81- 42) x 2.7 = 107.487
 * (.99+ 100.87 + 107.487) /3 = 69.78
 * Age distribution: 0-14: 18.3%
 * 15-64: 67.7%
 * 65+: 14%
 * **Population Density**: 137.53 km squared

In Australia there are many violations of the right to be treated equal. There are 26 reported cases where federal law disfavors gays and have been taken to court as a violation of the equal treatment of all people. Australia has also had many problems with deportation. Australia is said to have mentally ill persons in immigration detention centers which violates their right to be treated with dignity. They have held children in detention centers for 2 years which violates the government’s duty to protect children’s rights. Even though Australia is a very popular vacation spot and seems like a very happy place to be, it is not the perfect place it is always pictured to be.

=Environmental Information=

Although Australia has many environmental issues, there are a few major issues just like any other coutry. A big problem in Australia's environment is deforestation. Deforestation is when forests are cut down. This is not only a problem for the many organisms that live in the forest but it is also creates a major problem in the countries water. When forests are chopped down, something called "saline" in the soil increases. In result water containing saline drains downstream. About 7% of western Australia has this problem with water due to deforestation. Although 7% may not seem like a lot, it is starting to have a big impact on the country in very negative ways.

Some other environmental problems in Australia are overfishing and the introduction of new species of insects/animals and new varieties of diseases. In Australia it is said that 17 out of 82 species were over fished in 2005. Over fishing has brought certain fish stocks to extremely low levels. There are two causes for over fishing to have such a strong impact, some species can not regenerate so quickly therefore their population is depleted. Another cause is because there is illegal fishing so it is not as easy to tell the amounts of fish that have been fished and what kind. Lastly, each year about 20 new exotic pests or diseases are introduced into Australia. These can cause extinctions of other animals through predation. So as you can can see Australia has it's share of drawbacks as well as advantages. =Decision Statement= I think that Australia would be a well suited place to live in for many reasons. To start with Australia has a very nice climate, it is very warm during the day and cool at nights. But there is also a variety throughout the country. Australia has a rainforest, desert, and tropical climate. Australia also has many beaches, rural areas, and a great city life. Sydney is world known and it has an awesome night life. While these are all great things that attract me to the country, I can't think of Australia wothout thinking about the awesome variety of wildlife and animals. Australia is home to animals like kangaroos that you can't find anywhere else in the world. The thought of being in a counry with such amazing creatures, being surounded by water and rainforest, well nothing beats that.

Another reason I think Australia is well suited is because the culture is very relaxed. In Australia it is in their custom to have a relaxed atmoshpere, in all settings of the country. This interests me because i see myself as a laid-back person and to have a whole country revolve around being relaxed and make it a point to be laid back is pretty cool. Australia is also a very fun country to be a part of. There are many traditions and festivals that take place each year that are very different from what we are accustomed to in the US but are none the less entertaining. Australia would be an awesome place to live in because of its great culture.

Even though Australia has a few human rights problems and environmental issues i feel comfortable bringing myself past that and living in this country. No country is going to be perfect and there are lawsuits right now trying to fix and better the human rights issues. As for the environmental issues, well if there are 20 new species introduced each year then i feel that the environment is healthy enough and I am comfortable with the fact that there are issues in Australia but I know they won't go unresovled. I would move to Australia for the awesome scenerey, animals, beaches, culture, and the promise for a better future.

=Works Cited= Images:

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