AAUSTRALIA
FACTBOOK
Australia FactbookDraft

November 2026 Edition

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Australia Factbook · National chapter / AUS

Government

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2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: October 29, 2026

Sections in Government
  1. Country name
  2. Government type
  3. Capital
  4. Administrative divisions
  5. Dependent areas
  6. Legal system
  7. Constitution
  8. International law organization participation
  9. Citizenship
  10. Suffrage
  11. Executive branch
  12. Legislative branch
  13. Legislative branch - lower chamber
  14. Legislative branch - upper chamber
  15. Judicial branch
  16. Political parties
  17. Diplomatic representation in the US
  18. Diplomatic representation from the US
  19. International organization participation
  20. Independence
  21. National holiday
  22. Flag
  23. National symbol(s)
  24. National color(s)
  25. National coat of arms
  26. National anthem(s)
  27. National heritage

Government

Country name:82

conventional long form:Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form:Australia
etymology:the name Australia derives from the Latin australis meaning "southern;" the Australian landmass was long referred to as "Terra Australis," or the Southern Land
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [82]

Government type:83

federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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Source note [83]

Capital:84

name:Canberra
geographic coordinates:35 16 S, 149 08 E
time difference:UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April
time zone note:Australia has six time zones, including Lord Howe Island (UTC+11)
etymology:the name may derive from the Aboriginal word nganbirra , meaning "meeting place"
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Source note [84]

Administrative divisions:85

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
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Source note [85]

Dependent areas:86

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island (7)
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Source note [86]

Legal system:87

common law system based on the English model
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Source note [87]

Constitution:88

history:approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
amendment process:proposed by Parliament; passage requires approval of a referendum bill by absolute majority vote in both houses of Parliament, approval in a referendum by a majority of voters in at least four states and in the territories, and Royal Assent; proposals that would reduce a state’s representation in either house or change a state’s boundaries require that state’s approval prior to Royal Assent
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Source note [88]

International law organization participation:89

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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Source note [89]

Citizenship:90

citizenship by birth:no
citizenship by descent only:at least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia
dual citizenship recognized:yes
residency requirement for naturalization:4 years
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Source note [90]

Suffrage:91

18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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Source note [91]

Executive branch:92

chief of state:King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Samantha (Sam) MOSTYN (since 1 July 2024)
head of government:Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022)
cabinet:Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and sworn in by the governor general
election/appointment process:the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general
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Source note [92]

Legislative branch:93

legislature name:Parliament
legislative structure:bicameral
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Source note [93]

Legislative branch - lower chamber:94

chamber name:House of Representatives
number of seats:150 (all directly elected)
electoral system:plurality/majority
scope of elections:full renewal
term in office:3 years
most recent election date:5/3/2025
parties elected and seats per party:Australian Labor Party (ALP) (94); Liberal National coalition (43); Independents (10); Other (3)
percentage of women in chamber:46%
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Source note [94]

Legislative branch - upper chamber:95

chamber name:Senate
number of seats:76 (all directly elected)
electoral system:proportional representation
scope of elections:partial renewal
term in office:6 years
most recent election date:5/3/2025
parties elected and seats per party:Australian Labor Party (ALP) (16); Liberal (6); The Greens (6); Liberal/Nationals (4); Pauline Hanson's One Nation (3); Liberal National Party of Queensland (2); Other (3)
percentage of women in chamber:56.6%
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Source note [95]

Judicial branch:96

highest court(s):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 the final appellate court
judge selection and term of office:justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70
subordinate courts:subordinate courts: at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island
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Source note [96]

Political parties:97

Australian Greens Party or The Greens
Australian Labor Party or ALP
Centre Alliance (formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team or NXT)
Jacqui Lambie Network or JLN
Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal National Party of Queensland
The Nationals
One Nation or ONP
United Australia Party
note:the Labor Party is Australia’s oldest political party, established federally in 1901; the present Liberal Party was formed in 1944; the Country Party was formed in 1920, renamed the National Country Party in 1975, the National Party of Australia in 1982, and since 2003 has been known as the Nationals; since the general election of 1949, the Liberal Party and the Nationals (under various names) when forming government have done so as a coalition
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Source note [97]

Diplomatic representation in the US:98

chief of mission:Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023)
chancery:1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:[1] (202) 797-3000
FAX:[1] (202) 797-3168

email address and website

info.us@dfat.gov.au
https://usa.embassy.gov.au/
consulate(s) general:Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
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Source note [98]

Diplomatic representation from the US:99

chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Erika OLSON (since January 2025)
embassy:Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address:7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20512-7800
telephone:[61] (02) 6214-5600
FAX:[61] (02) 9373-9184

email address and website

AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov
https://au.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general:Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
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Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [99]

International organization participation:100

ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Quad, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Source note [100]

Independence:101

1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)
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Source note [101]

National holiday:102

Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
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Source note [102]

Flag:103

description:blue, with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower-left quadrant; on the right half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white, with one small five-pointed star and four larger seven-pointed stars
meaning:the largest star is known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star and represents the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901; the star has one point for each of the six original states, plus one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories
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Source note [103]

National symbol(s):104

Commonwealth Star (seven-pointed Star of Federation), golden wattle tree ( Acacia pycnantha ), kangaroo, emu
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Source note [104]

National color(s):105

green, gold
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Source note [105]

National coat of arms:106

King George V of the United Kingdom granted the current Commonwealth Coat of Arms to Australia on 19 September 1912; the center of the shield has the symbols of Australia’s six states; the kangaroo and the emu symbolize a nation moving forward, since neither animal can move backward easily; the gold Commonwealth star sits above the shield, with six points representing the Australian states and the seventh representing the territories; the gold and blue in the wreath under the star are the livery, or identifying, colors for the coat of arms; Australia’s floral emblem, the golden wattle, frames the shield
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Source note [106]

National anthem(s):107

title:Advance Australia Fair
lyrics/music:Peter Dodds McCORMICK
history:adopted 1984; although originally written in the late 19th century, the anthem was not used for all official occasions until 1984
history:_____
title:"God Save the King"
lyrics/music:unknown
history:royal anthem, as a Commonwealth country
note:the well-known and much-loved bush ballad "Waltzing Matilda" is often referred to as Australia's unofficial national anthem; Australian poet Banjo PATERSON wrote the original lyrics in 1895, and they were first published as sheet music in 1903; since 2012, a Waltzing Matilda Day has been held annually on 6 April, the anniversary of the first performance of the song in 1895
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Source note [107]

National heritage:108

total World Heritage Sites:21 (5 cultural, 12 natural, 4 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales:Great Barrier Reef (n); Greater Blue Mountains Area (n); Fraser Island (n); Gondwana Rainforests (n); Lord Howe Island Group (n); Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (c); Shark Bay (n); Sydney Opera House (c); Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park (m); Kakadu National Park (m); Murujuga Cultural Landscape (c)
note:includes one site on Heard Island and McDonald Islands
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Source note [108]

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Government type. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Capital. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Administrative divisions. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Dependent areas. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Legal system. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Constitution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  8. International law organization participation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Citizenship. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Suffrage. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Executive branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Legislative branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Legislative branch - lower chamber. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Legislative branch - upper chamber. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Judicial branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Political parties. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Diplomatic representation in the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Diplomatic representation from the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  19. International organization participation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Independence. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  21. National holiday. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Flag. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  23. National symbol(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  24. National color(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  25. National coat of arms. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  26. National anthem(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  27. National heritage. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 09:22:13 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
← EnvironmentNotes & sourcesEconomy →

Countries & territories

Same-year values. Equal values share a rank.

Sources & method

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RankCountry or territoryValue
Source information
International organization

Source observations