Australian Capital Territory - History, Geography, Governance, Demographics, Education

pop (2000e) 309 300; area 2400 km²/925 sq mi. Territory in SE Australia, created in 1911 to provide a location for the national capital, Canberra; bordered on all sides by New South Wales; Jervis Bay on the E coast ceded (1915) for its use as a port; mountainous in the S; urbanized floodplains of the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo Rivers in the N; c.50% of the workforce employed by the government; electronics, computing; state holidays Canberra Day (Mar), Bank Holiday (Aug), Labour Day (Oct).

Australian Capital Territory

(Flag) (Coat of Arms)
Emblems: The floral emblem of the ACT is the Royal Bluebell and the faunal emblem is the Gang-gang cockatoo
Motto: For the Queen, the Law and the People
Slogan or Nickname: (none)
Other Australian states and territories
Capital	Canberra
Government	Const. Monarchy
Administrator	None
Chief Minister	Jon Stanhope (ALP)
Federal representation
- House seats	2
- Senate seats	2
Gross Territorial Product (2004-05)
- Product ($m)	$18,306 (6th)
- Product per capita	$56,303/person (1st)
Population (End of March 2005)
- Population	325,100 (7th)
- Density	137.87/km² (1st)
Area
- Total	2,358 km² (8th)
- Land	2,358 km²
- Water	0 km² (0%)
Elevation
- Highest	Bimberi Peak (1,912 m)
- Lowest	Murrumbidgee River (429 m)
Time zone	UTC+10 (+11 DST)
Abbreviations
- Postal	ACT
- ISO 3166-2	AU-CT
Website	www.act.gov.au

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing territory.

The ACT was conceived during the federation conventions of the late 1800s as neutral location for a new National Capital.

The floral emblem of the ACT is the Royal Bluebell and the faunal emblem is the Gang-gang cockatoo.

History

Before European settlement the area now known as the ACT was inhabited by three Aboriginal tribes: the Ngunnawal, Walgalu, and Ngarigo.

When the constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia was being negotiated between the colonies, a point of contention between the colonies was the location of the national capital, with both Melbourne and Sydney claiming the right to be the capital. In 1909 New South Wales transferred the land for the territory to federal control and in 1910 an act of parliament created the legal framework for the territory.

The seat of the Federal Government officially moved to the ACT from Melbourne on the formal opening of the Provisional Parliament House on 9 May 1927.

The territory was initially known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Despite this, in December 1988, the ACT was granted full self-government through an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament that made the ACT a body politic under the crown.

Geography

Apart from the city of Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory also contains agricultural land (sheep, dairy cattle, vineyards and small amounts of crops), and a large area of national park (Namadgi National Park), much of it mountainous and forested.

In 1915 the Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915 created the Jervis Bay Territory as an annexe to the Australian Capital Territory.

Climate

Because of its elevation and distance from the coast, the Australian Capital Territory experiences four distinct seasons, unlike many other Australian cities whose climates are moderated by the sea.

Highest maximum temperature: 46.4 °C , Canberra, 1 February 1968

Lowest minimum temperature: -13.2 °C , Canberra, 11 July 1971

Geology

Notable geological formations in the Australian Capital Territory include the Canberra Formation, the Pittman Formation, Black Mountain Sandstone and State Circle Shale.

The oldest rocks in the ACT date from the Ordovician around 480 million years ago.

Governance

See also: Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly

The ACT has internal self-government, but it does not have the full legislative independence of the Australian states. However, its decisions can be overruled by the Australian Governor-General (effectively the national government) under section 35 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988.

ACT Ministers implement their executive powers through the following government departments and agencies:

ACT Health and ACT Planning and Land Authority the Chief Minister's Department the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services the Department of Education and Training the Department of Justice and Community Safety the Department of Territory and Municipal Services

In Australia's Federal Parliament, the ACT is represented by four members: two Senators, and two members of the House of Representatives;

Demographics

In the 2001 census the population of the ACT was 311,947, of which only 429 were outside Canberra.

Education

Almost all educational institutions in the Australian Capital Territory are located within Canberra.

As of May 2004, 30% of people in the ACT aged 15–64 had a level of educational attainment equal to at least an bachelor's degree, significantly higher that the national average of 19%.