| Cover | Antarctica | Australia | Brazil | India | Liberia | Mexico | Spain | Credits | |||
| Australia |  |
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| INTRODUCTION & HISTORY Australia is a modern democracy, with a two-tier elected legislature. Strengthening international relations is currently high on the country's agenda. One consequence was a military pact with the United States and New Zealand in 1988. Although executive power resides with the prime minister, the British Crown is still officially head of state. This remains a controversial issue, especially since the dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam by the governor general in 1975. The first British settlement in Australia was established in 1788. Its primary function was as a penal colony, to relieve overcrowding in British jails. Colonization had a disastrous effect on original Australians, or Aborigines. Having arrived some 60,000 to 40,000 years before, these nomadic hunters and gatherers had developed a balanced culture, utilizing scarce resources in a harsh environment. Since 1988, the government has accepted some responsibility for the mistreatment of Aborigines. Compensation is now available and land rights are being reassessed. SPECIAL FACT |
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