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• n  a nation occupying the whole of the Australian continent; Aboriginal tribes are thought to have migrated from southeastern Asia 20,000 years ago; first Europeans were British convicts sent there as a penal colony
• n  the smallest continent; between the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean

• Australia
• Commonwealth of Australia

News & Articles

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• Australia's Export Volume Rose 6 Percent in 2012
  Australia’s total export volume rose by more than 6 percent in 2012, according to “Composition of Trade, Australia 2012” and “Trade in Primary and Manufactured Products 2012,” released by the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  June 22, 2013 - Journal of Commerce Online
• Australia's Great Barrier Reef On Watch
  UNESCO gave Australia a reprieve of one year to determine whether the country is taking enough protective measures to keep the World Heritage Site from being labeled as a site "in danger." Continue reading ?
  June 21, 2013 - Discovery News
• Australia’s Eliza Park sold to Hong Kong-based group
  Eliza Park, one of Australia’s top breeding operations and the residence of Black Caviar’s sire Bel Esprit, has been sold to Hong Kong-based investors Sun International Group, English and Australian media outlets report.
  June 21, 2013 - Daily Racing Form

Quotes

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• Julia Gillard in ABC Online
  The purpose [of the new centre] would be to ensure that people smugglers have no product to sell,she said. "A boat ride to Australia would just be a ticket back to the regional processing centre...... to ensure that everyone is subject to...
• Kevin Rudd in The Associated Press
  This is a tragic day for Australia, and for the Australian defense force,Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in a statement to Parliament. "We know our mission in Afghanistan is hard, but this mission is critical for our common security."