The South Australia (in English: South Australia ) is a State of the Australia located at the center of its southernmost part. It occupies some of the most desert areas of the island and with a surface of 984.377 km ², it is the fourth state by its surface of Australia. It is bordered in the west by the Western Australia, in north by the Territoire of North and the Queensland, in the east by Queensland, the News-Wales-of-South and the state of Victoria and with the south by the Grande Australian bay and the Indian Ocean - Antarctic Ocean for the Australian ones.

With 1,5 million inhabitants, the state shelters only less than 10% of the Australian population and is at the fifth rank of the Australian states. The majority of the population lives Adélaïde (: 1140000 inhabitants), majority of the others living the fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and banks of the river Murray.

Single characteristic of the Australian states, it is the only state which did not begin its existence by accommodating convicts. The official beginning of colonization dates from the December 28th 1836 when the birth of the state was proclaimed with " The Old Gum Tree" (" The old man gommier") by the Hindmarsh governor. The principle first of the colony was to apply the theory of Edward Gibbon Wakefield which wished to develop an economy based on a balance between financial farmers, craftsmen and in a province of freedom and religious tolerance. The economy of the state is based on agriculture, industry and mining. The financial sector plays also a considerable part.

History

The first European known to have explored the coasts of southernmost Australia is Dutch François Thijssen who skirted the coasts in 1627 on board " Gulden Zeepaert". He called the island " Pieter Nuyts Land" , of the name of the officer more graded on board. The first charts of coasts were the work of Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin in 1802. Baudin called the island " Napoléon" ground;.

In 1834, the British Parliament voted the " South Australia Act 1834" who allowed the creation of the province. The act allotted 802.511 km ² to a colony of free men. The goal of this creation was to build an ideal British company free people, with a freedom of religion and an absence of unemployment. The first made colonists (636 people on board nine vessels) were installed temporarily in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, until the final choice of the site of settlement to the current site of Adelaide. The first immigrants arrived at the bay Holdfast in November 1836 and the creation of the colony was officially proclaimed the December 28th 1836, now known under the name of " Day" proclamation;.

The flag of the state was officially selected the January 13rd 1904: it relates, to blue bottom, the British flag in the left quarter higher with the weapons of the state than the center and on the right. The weapons represent a " Piping Shrike" an imaginary bird with the wings spread on a yellow disc symbolizing a rising sun. It seems that the weapons of the state were created by Robert Craig of the school of the Art schools d' Adélaïde.

Southernmost Australia was the first country in the world to give the right to vote with the women in 1861 and to authorize them to sit at the Parliament in 1894.

Geography

The country is made up for its most of vast desert or semi-desert extents with several assembly lines of which most important is the chain of the Mont Lofty which extends on nearly 800 km since Cape Jervis in the south at the northern end to the lake Torrens and the salted lakes. The culminating point of the state is the Mount Woodroffe (1 435 meters) in the " Musgraves" in the extreme North-West of the country. The south-western part of the state corresponds to the vast calcareous and very desert plain of the " Nullarbor" whose cliffs overhang the " large bay australienne".

Climate

The average temperature is of 29°C in January and 15°C in July. The maximum temperatures can reach in certain places of the country 48°C.

Record of maximum temperature: 50.7°C with Oodnadatta, January 2nd, 1960 (the record of the maximum temperatures in Australia).

Record of minimal temperature: -8.2°C with Yongala, July 20th, 1976.

Economy

The processing industries play a very important part in the economy of the state, accounting for 15% of the rough national product (PNB).

The processing industries comprise auto industry (44% of the Australian production) and its components, the medicinal products and the materials military.

The economy of southernmost Australia is that which is turned towards export. The incomes which had with exports represent 10 billion Australian dollars and increased by 8,8% between 2002 and 2003.

The manufacture of agricultural produce, food and of drinks (agriculture, horticulture, aquiculture, fishing and processing industry) represents it also ten billion dollars.

The growth of the economy of the state a long time was late compared to the other states but the performances improve.

The GNP was of 48,9 billion Australian dollars at the beginning of 2004 is of 32.996 dollars per capita. Exports in 2006 were estimated at 9 billion dollars whereas the imports represented 6,2 billion dollars

The share of each industrial factor in the economy of the country is the following (in million dollars):

• Meat and derivative products: 463,1
• Cereals: 487,5
• Wine: 1 482,2
• Wool and sheepskins: 160
• Mechanical engineering industry: 379,5
metal
• Metals and products: 1 888,7
• Poisson and shellfish: 316,1
automobile
• Motor vehicles and components: 1 196,9
• Oil and oil products: 227,7
• Others: 2 393,6

Political regime

Southernmost Australia which belongs to the the Commonwealth is a constitutional monarchy which with the queen of Australia as Head of State. The Parliament is bicameral with a " room basse" (" the House off Assembly") and a " room haute" (" the Legislative Council"). The legislative elections take place every four years. Current (May 28th, 2007) the Prime Minister is Mike Rann, member of the Australian workers party (" the Australian Labor Party").

At the beginning, the governor of the state (the first was the captain John Hindmarsh) held almost all the capacity. He answered of his acts only in front of the British Minister for the colonies. Then a new organization was created to help the governor in the administration of the state: " the Legislative Council" (the " council législatif"). It was formed representatives of the British government and four people chosen by the governor. The governor kept all the executive power.

In 1851, the imperial Parliament voted the " Australian Colonies Government Act" who allowed the direct election of his representatives and to choose a constitution. The following year the men could elect 16 of the 24 members of the legislative council, the 8 last continuing to be named by the Governor.

The principal role of this council was to choose a constitution for southernmost Australia. He voted a very democratic constitution for the time. He created a Parliament with two rooms and for the first time the executive power was elected by the people by applying the English system where the government is ensured by the party or the coalition which in the majority at the assembly.

In 1894, southernmost Australia was the first Australian colony to give the right to vote with the women and to give them the right to be elected at the Parliament. Catherine Helen Spence was the first woman candidate at a political station and was selected to be deputy of southernmost Australia to the convention which voted the Australian Constitution.

Southernmost Australia became member of the " The Commonwealth off Australia" January 1st 1901.

At the south of the State is located a large island, the island Kangaroo (Kangaroo Island).

Main cities

• Adelaide
• Ceduna
• Port Augusta
• Peterborough

Sources

• '' Australian Office off Statistics ''.

Simple: South Australia