FACTS

Location: Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Area (only Total) total: 7,686,850 sq km

Climate: generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Population: 21,007,310 (July 2008 est.)

Main Language (only first): English

Government type: federal parliamentary democracy

Capital (Name): Canberra

Capital (Time Difference): UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Independence: 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorated as 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)

HOLIDAYS

January 1 New Year's Day*

January 26 Australia Day*

March 3 Labor Day

March 21 Good Friday

March 22 Easter Saturday

March 24 Easter Monday

April 25 ANZAC Day

June 9 Queen's Birthday (Except Western Australia)**

September 29 Queen's Birthday (Western Australia)

December 25 Christmas Day*

December 26 Boxing Day (except Southern Australia)

*If these holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, they are observed on the Monday following.

**Except Western Australia and Victoria

State Holidays

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

Date Occasion

17 March Monday Canberra Day

9 June Monday Queens Birthday

August 1st Monday Bank Holiday

6 October Monday Labour Day

New South Wales

Date Occasion

4 August Monday Bank Holiday

6 October Monday Labour Dayk

Northern Territory

Date Occasion

5 May Monday May Day

4 July Friday Alice Springs Show (Alice Springs only)

July 2nd Friday Tennant Creek Show (Tennant Creek only)

July 3rd Friday Katherine Show (Katherine only)

25 July Friday Darwin Show (Darwin only)

4 August Monday Picnic Day

Queensland

Date Occasion

5 May Labour Day

The Royal National (RNA) Show takes place in Brisbane around the middle of the 2nd week of August and is a holiday in Brisbane only.

South Australia

Date Occasion

19 May Adelaide Cup Day (Adelaide only)

8 June Queens Birthday

6 October Labour Day

26 December Proclamation Day

Tasmania

Date Occasion

February 2nd Tuesday Regatta Day (South only)

27 February Launceston Cup Day (North only)

10 March Eight Hours Day

23 October Hobart Show Day (South only)

November 1 Recreation Day (North only)

The Launceston show takes place in early October and is a holiday in Launceston only.

Victoria

Date Occasion

10 March Labour Day

4 November Melbourne Cup Day (Melbourne metro area only)

Where New Year's Day and Boxing Day fall on Sunday the following Monday is observed as the holiday. Other days are not moved.

Western Australia

Date Occasion

3 March Labour Day

2 June Foundation Day

29 September Queen's Birthday

Some non-metropolitan government areas choose to clelebrate the Queen's Birthday on a day of local significance in lieu of the official date. Common dates appear to be the 1st Monday in August or the 1st Monday in October.

Non-Holiday observances

May 2nd Sunday Mother's Day

September 1st Sunday Father's Day

There is a Gay/Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney annually in February/March