Australia
House of Representatives (esindajate koda) and the Senat. The House of
representatives consists of 150 members. The Senat comprises 12 representatives
from each state and 2 from each territory. The executive power in Australia is in the
hands of the Prime Minister. Today the Prime Minister is John Howard.
History. The first inhabitants in Australia are the Aborigines who came there
about 60000 years ago. The first known Europeans to arrive in Australia were the
Dutch. William Jaanzsoon tried to reach the East Indies, but landed in western
Australia in 1611. The Dutch gave a poor account of Australia considering it to be and
arid land inhabited by fierce savages. Abel Tasman was also a Dutch sailor and he
discovered Tasmania.
Captain James Cook discovered the fertile eastern coast in 1770 and had a
more favourable outlook. He explored the coast and named some most important
features, such as Botany Bay, for instance. Australia was called Terra Australis
annaabi.ee 
