《英美国家概况》Chapter17-Government-and-Society

AustraliaChapter17GovernmentandSocietySpeakers:AliceChloeDaisyⅠ.Government

Australia‘ssystemofgovernmentreflectsboththeBritishandNorthAmericanmodelsofliberaldemocracy(民主),butwithsomeuniqueAustralianfeatures.GOVERNMENTThecommonwealthofAustralia,formedin1901,iscomprisedof6statesand2mainlandterritories(领土).AustraliafollowsthefederationmodeloftheUS,.Thefederalgovernmenthasathree-tiresystem.ItisbasedonapopularityelectedParliamentwith2chambers.ThepartyorgroupofpartieswithamajorityintheHouseofRepresentativesformsthegovernment.Thelegislature(立法机关〕TheParliament(议会)oftheCommonwealthisthefederallegislatureofAustralia.TheAustraliaparliamentconsistsoftheQueenand2Houses—theUpperhouseandtheLowerhouse.TheSenate〔参议院〕consistsof76Senators.TheSenatehasvirtuallyequalpowertomakelawswiththeHouseofRepresentatives.TheHouseofRepresentativeshas150members,eachrepresentinganelectoraldivision.Membersareelectedforatermofupto3years.ThecentralfunctionoftheHouseofRepresentativesistheconsiderationandpassingofnewlawsandamendments(修正案)orchangestoexistinglaws.TheExecutive〔政府部门〕①InAustralia,executiveauthorityisvested(赋予权利〕intheGovernorGeneral,whoisappointedbytheBritishmonarch(君主)ontheadviceofthePrimeMinister(总理).②ThekingorQueenofBritish:theroyalheadofstate,norealpower,asymbolicrole.③TheGovernorGeneralcanonlyactontheadviceoftheFederalExecutiveCouncilortheCabinet.④Federalpolicy,inpractice,isdeterminedbytheCabinet,whichischairedbythePrimeMinister.TheJudiciary(司法部)①Thejudiciaryisabsolutelyseparatefromtheexecutivebranchandthelegislature(立法部)soastochecktheconcentration(民主)ofgovernmentpower.②TheAustralianjudiciaryincludestheHighCourt,theFederalCourt,theFamilyCourt,theFederalMagistrates(地方)Courtandstateandterritory(领土)courts.PoliticalPartiesTherearethreemajorpoliticalpartiesinAustralia:theAustralianLaborParty,theLiberalPartyandtheNationals.Australiahasatwo-partysystem.TheAustralianLaborParty,nominally(名义上地)representingthetradeunions,isAustralia’soldestpoliticalparty.Inthepastmorethan100years,theAustralianLaborPartyhadgovernedatthefederallevelforonly33years.Inthe20thcentury,thepartyexperiencedthreetraumatic(痛苦的)splitsandwaskeptoutofofficeformanyyears.TheLiberalPartynominally

representsurbanbusiness-relatedgroups.Itisarelativelyyoungparty.Sincethen,ithasremainedoneofAustralia’smajorpartiesandhasenjoyedalongperiodofsuccess.TheNationalsisthesecondoldestpoliticalpartyinAustralia.ElectionAustraliaisoneofthefewcountriesthathavecompulsoryvoting.Withthethree-tier(三层)government,Australianelectorallaws,practicesandsystemsvarygreatly.Thus,Australiancitizenshavebeenfacedwithnotonlyhighfrequency,butalsocomplexityanddiversityoftheelectoralsystems.Themajorityofvotersdependupon“how-to-vote”cardstoguidethem.Ofalltheelections,thegeneralelectionisthemostimportant,theresultofwhichdetermineswhichpartyleaderwillrulethecountryasthePrimeMinister.TherearethreeelectoralsystemswhichareimportantinAustralia,namelythesimplemajoritysystem,thepreferentialvotingsystemandtheproportional(成比例的)representationsystem.Ⅱ.People

PopulationThepopulationofAustraliaisabout22.9million〔2013〕.Theindigenous(本地的)population,theAustralianAborigines〔尤指澳大利亚的土著居民),estimated(估计，估算)300,000atthetimeoftheEuropeanarrival,numbered517,000in2006.Thoughstillmorerural(乡下的)thanthegeneralpopulation,theAboriginalpopulationhasbecomemoreurbanized(都市化的),withone-thirdofthemlivinginmajorcities.Australiaisthemostsparsely(稀疏地)populatedoftheinhabitedcontinents.Intermsoflandmass,Australiaisthesixthlargestnationintheworld.However,itranks53rdintermsofpopulation,withanoverallpopulationdensity(人口密度)ofabout3peoplepersquarekilometer.

MulticulturalSocietyDiversityofPopulation人口多样性:ThreemajorcontributorstoAustralia'sdiversepopulationaretheindigenous(本地的)peoples,theBritishcolonial(殖民的)pastandextensive(广阔的)immigrationfromdifferentcountriesandcultures.Theindigenous(本地的)Australiansmakeuponlyabout2.5%ofthetotalpopulation.Theoverwhelming(压倒性的)majorityareimmigrants[OverhalfofthemarefromEurope,predominantly(占主导地位地)Britain.Inrecentyears,therehasbeenanewtrendofimmigrationfromNewZealand,China,IndiaandVietnam.]andtheirdescendants(后裔).DiversityofLanguage语言多样性:WhlieEnglishisthedominant(占优势的)languageinAustralia,manypeoplespeakalanguageotherthanEnglishwithintheirfamiliesandcommunities.Collectively(总的来说),Australiansspeakover200languages.ThemostcommonlanguageotherthanEnglishareItalian,Greek,ChineseandArabic.Inaddition,thereareabout50indigenous(本地的)languagesandAustraliancreoles(克里奥耳语，一种欧洲语言和其他语言的混合语)spokenbytheAustralians.DiversityofReligion宗教多样性：ThemajorreligioninAustraliaisChristianity(基督教)andChristiansrepresent69%ofthepopulation.Thenon-ChristianreligionsincludeJudaism(犹太教),Hinduism(印度教),BuddhismandIslam(伊斯兰教).Buddhismisthelargestnon-Christianreligionandispracticedby1.9%ofthetotalpopulation.Islam,thesecondlargestnon-ChristianreligioninAustraliatoday,ispracticedby1.5%ofthetotalpopulation.

ImmigrationintoAustraliaSince1945,morethan7.2millionpeoplehavecometoAustraliaasnewsettlers.AfterWorldWar2,immigrationtoAustraliamushroomedasaresultofaterriblelaborshortage(劳动力短缺)andagrowingbeliefthatsubstantial(大量的)populationgrowthwasessential(根本的)forthecountry'sfuture.Recently,morethan100,000peopleimmigratedtoAustraliaeveryyear.Today,nearlyone-fourthofAustralianswerebornoverseas.ThecurrentAustralianimmigrationprogramisglobalanddoesnotdiscriminateonracialorethnic(种族的)grounds.Australiaalsoacceptsimmigrationonothercriteria(准那么，标准),suchasfamilyreunion(家庭重聚)andhumanitariangrounds(人道根底).

Ⅲ.Economy

AgricultureAustraliaisself-sufficientinfood;theraisingofsheepandcattleandtheproductionofgrainhavelongbeenthecountry'smajoroccupations.Despiteitslimitedarable(适于耕种的)area,Australiaisoneoftheworld'sleadingexportersofagriculturalproducts.Today,however,astheAustraliaeconomybecomesincreasinglydiverse,theproportion(比例)hasdeclineddespiteanincreasingagriculturaloutput.

IndustryAustraliaisalsoahighlyindustrializedcountry.Itisaleadingsupplierofmineral(矿物)resourcestointernationalmarkets.Manufacturing(制造业)inAustraliawasdevelopedinthelate19thcentury.In1908,theAustraliangovernmentbegantotakemeasurestopromotethedevelopmentofmanufacturing,mainlythroughtariffs(关税).BytheendofWorldWarⅡ,manufacturingcontributedmorethanone-fourthofGDP,peakingataboutone-thirdfrom1959to1960.Decliningsharplyfromthishighpoint,manufacturingnowemploysabout10%ofthelaborforceandcontributesabout9%ofAustralia'sGDP.

ForeigntradeForeigntradehastraditionallyplayedanessentialroleinAustralia'seconomicgrowth,largelydominated(控制)bythecountry'srichnaturalresourcesandcomparativelysmallpopulation.Todaytradecontinuestobethebest-performingindustryinAustralia.

TourismTourismisoneofAustralia'slargestandfastest-growingindustries.Itemploys4.5%oftheworkforceandcontributesabout2.6%ofAustralia'sGDP.Australiaisrenowned(享有声誉的)foritsuniqueplantandanimalspecies(物种).Itisestimatedthattherearearound27,700differentplantsandanimalsnativetoAustralia.Emu澳洲鸵鸟Duckmole鸭嘴兽

TouristattractionsUluru(艾尔斯巨石)theGreatBarrierReef(大堡礁)theGoldCoast(黄金海岸)theheart-shapedisland(心形岛)theSydneyOperaHousetheSydneyHarborBridgeⅣ.EducationEDUCATIONElementaryandsecondaryeducationWhenchildrenarebetween2and5yearsold,theycangotokindergartens,daycentersandplaygroupsofschooling.Mostboysandgirlsenterthesecondaryschoolat12.secondaryschoolusuallylasts6years.Theaustraliabroadcastingcorporationalsoprovidesavarietyofprimaryandearlyeducationprogramsforchildrernlivinginisolatedareas.FamousuniversitieslikeAustraliaNationalUniversity,CanberraUniversity,R