2.  Australia was first discovered in 1770 by James Cook, who claimed this new land for Great Britain, and named it “New South Wales.”  Australia was eventually split up into seven separate states: New South Wales, Northern Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and West Australia.

3.  Today, Australia is home to about 22,000,000 people.  Australia is largely made up of a remote, dry, desert area know as The Outback.  In The Outback, you are likely to come across wild dingoes, donkeys, sheep, and kangaroos.  As part of APEC ( Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), Australia trades mainly with Asian countries.  Major exports include beef, cotton, dairy products, sugar, wool, and wine.  Exchange Rate: 1 Australian dollar = 84 American cents

5.  As of now, Aboriginals (Australia’s equivalent to Native Americans) have restrictions and laws against them which are being accused of being racist. These laws are considered racist and in violation of human rights because they only target this one particular racial group.  Out of Australia’s 22,000,000 citizens, about 517,000 are Aboriginals.  Aboriginals are not represented in government, therefore their needs are not adequately identified.  Their lives are strictly monitored. For example, items such as alcohol and porn are banned. Also, Aboriginal children were taken from parents and introduced to other Australians for purposes of racial integration.  The problem is, like the Native Americans in the U.S., these Aboriginals had their own culture and way of life that conflicts with other Australian cultures and beliefs.  Life expectancy for Aboriginals is, on average, 17 years less than other Australians. Life expectancy for Australian men= 75 years. Women= 80. “UN Says Indigenous Rights Undermined in Australia” “UN Envoy Slams ‘Entrenched’ Racism in Australia”

6.  On August 14 th, an Australian ship on its way to Iran was found with North Korean weapons on board.  These weapons included rocket launchers, ammunition, and detonators.  The UN Security Council resolution bans arms exported from North Korea.  There is still a pending investigation going on by the Department of Foreign Affairs to determine if Australian law was broken. “Australia Probes North Korean Weapons Shipment” “Australia Confirms Its Ship Had Weapons for Iran”

7.  Australia is currently helping poorer nations meet their goals.  Currently working to strengthen security regulations against terrorism in Indonesia and the Philippines.  Australia is helping Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Indonesia:  Promote trade  Raise education  Improve health services  Creating work opportunities for youth  Assisting countries to access technology

8. Chand, Satish. "WHY NOT CASH ON DELIVERY OF PRIMARY EDUCATION?." Island Business 2007: "Milennium Development Goals." Australian Government (AID) 2006 Web.9 Sep 2009.. "Millennium Development Goals." Global Education 14/08/2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. "Country Profile: Australia." BBC 22/07/2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. Harris, Talek. "UN envoy slams 'entrenched' racism in Australia." The Raw Story 27 August 2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. "About Australia." Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2009) Web.9 Sep 2009.. Mercer, Phil. "UN Representative Criticizes Australia's Aboriginal Policies as Racist." VOA News 27 August 2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. Daley, Gemma. "UN Says Indigenous Rights Undermined in Australia." Bloomberg 227 August 2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. Tim Pearce; Sydney Newsroom. "Australia probes N.Korea weapons for Iran seizure." Reuters 30 August 2009 Web.9 Sep 2009.. McGuirk, Rob. "Australia probes North Korean weapons shipment." Associated Press 30 August 2009 Web.9 Sep 2009..