South Australia
26716
221666999
2008-06-25T15:12:27Z
Civil Engineer III
1001318
grammar; wikify
{{For|the song|South Australia (song)}}
{{coord|30|0|S|135|0|E|region:AU-SA_type:state_scale:10000000|display=title}}
{{Australia state or territory
|Name = South Australia
|Fullname = State of South Australia
|Flag = Flag of South Australia.svg
|CoatOfArms = South_Australia_coa.png
|Motto =
|Map = South Australia locator-MJC.png
|Nickname = Festival State
|Emblem_title1 = Faunal
|Emblem1 = [[Wombat|Hairy-Nosed Wombat]]<br/>''Lasiorhinus latifrons'')
|Emblem_title2 = Bird
|Emblem2 = [[Piping Shrike]]
|Emblem_title3 = Floral
|Emblem3 = [[Sturt's Desert Pea]]<br/>(''Swainsona Formosa'')
|Emblem_title4 = Aquatic
|Emblem4 = [[Leafy Seadragon]]<br/>(''Phycodurus eques'')
|Emblem_title5 = Gem
|Emblem5 = [[Opal]]
|Emblem_title6 = [[Australian state colours|Colour]]
|Emblem6 = Red, Blue, Gold
|Capital = [[Adelaide]]
|ChiefType = Premier
|Chief = [[Mike Rann]]
|ChiefParty = [[Australian Labor Party|ALP]]
|Viceroy = [[Kevin Scarce]]
|ViceroyType = Governor
|PostalAbbreviation = SA
|AreaRank = 4<sup>th</sup>
|TotalArea = 1043514
|LandArea = 983482
|WaterArea = 60032
|PercentWater = 5.75
|PopulationRank = 5<sup>th</sup>
|Population = 1,584,500
|PopulationYear = June 2008
|DensityRank = 6<sup>th</sup>
|Density = 1.61
|EntityAdjective = State
|GSP = $65,676<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/5220.0 Australian National Accounts: State Accounts, 2006-07]</ref>
|GSPYear = 2006-07
|GSPRank = 5<sup>th</sup>
|GSPPerCapita = $41,820
|GSPPerCapitaRank = 7<sup>th</sup>
|TimeZone = [[UTC+9:30]] (+10:30 [[Daylight Saving Time|DST]])
|HighestPoint = [[Mount Woodroffe|Mt. Woodroffe]]
|HighestElev = 1,435 m
|HighestElev_ft = 4,708
|LowestPoint = [[Lake Eyre]]
|LowestElev = -16 m
|LowestElev_ft = -52
|HouseSeats = 11
|SenateSeats = 12
|ISOCode = AU-SA
|Website = www.sa.gov.au
}}
'''South Australia''' is a [[States and territories of Australia|state]] of [[Australia]] in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of {{convert|983482|km2|sqmi|0}}, it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories. It is bordered to the west by [[Western Australia]], to the north by the [[Northern Territory]] and [[Queensland]], to the east by Queensland, [[New South Wales]] and [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], and along the south by the [[Great Australian Bight]] and the [[Southern Ocean]].<ref name="SouthernOcean">Most Australians describe the [[Australia and the Southern Ocean|body of water south of the continent]] as the Southern Ocean, rather than the [[Indian Ocean]] as officially defined by the [[International Hydrographic Organization]] (IHO). In 2000, a vote of IHO member nations defined the term "Southern Ocean" as applying only to the waters between Antarctica and 60 degrees south latitude.</ref> With nearly 1.6 million people, the state comprises less than 10% of the Australian population and ranks fifth in population among the states and territories. The majority of its people reside in the state capital, [[Adelaide]], with most of the remainder settled in fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and [[Murray River|River Murray]].
The state's origins were unique in Australia as a freely-settled, planned [[United Kingdom|British]] province rather than a [[convictism in Australia|convict]] settlement. Official settlement began on [[28 December]] [[1836]], when the state was proclaimed at [[The Old Gum Tree]] by Governor [[John Hindmarsh]]. The first city/town to be established was [[Kingscote, South Australia|Kingscote]], [[Kangaroo Island]], established in 1836. The guiding principle behind settlement was that of ''systematic colonisation'', a theory espoused by [[Edward Gibbon Wakefield]] that was later employed by the [[New Zealand Company]]. The aim was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free [[immigrants]], promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. Although its history is marked by economic hardship, South Australia has remained politically innovative and culturally vibrant. Today, the state is known as a state of festivals and of fine wine.
The state's [[economy]] centres on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries and has an increasingly significant finance sector as well.
==History==
{{main|History of South Australia}}
The first recorded European sighting of the South Australian coast was in 1627 when the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] ship the ''Gulden Zeepaert'', skippered by [[Francois Thijssen]], examined the coastline. Thijssen named his discovery "Pieter Nuyts Land", after the highest ranking individual on board. The coastline of South Australia was first mapped by [[Matthew Flinders]] and [[Nicolas Baudin]] in 1802. Baudin referred to the land as "Terre Napoléon".
In 1834, the British Parliament passed the [[South Australia Act 1834]], which enabled the province of South Australia to be established. The act stated that {{convert|802511|km2|sqmi|0}} would be allotted to the colony and it would be convict-free. The plan for the colony was that it would be the ideal embodiment of the best qualities of British society, that is, no religious discrimination or unemployment.
Settlement of nine vessels and 636 people was temporarily made at Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, until the official site of the colony was selected where Adelaide is currently located. The first [[Immigration to Australia|immigrants]] arrived at [[Holdfast Bay]] (near the present day [[Glenelg, South Australia|Glenelg]]) in November 1836, and the colony was proclaimed on [[December 28]], [[1836]], now known as [[Proclamation Day]]. South Australia is the only Australian state to be settled entirely by free settlers.
The current [[flag of South Australia]] was adopted on [[January 13]], [[1904]], and is a British blue ensign defaced with the state badge. The badge is described as a [[Piping Shrike]] with wings outstretched on a yellow disc. The state badge is believed to have been designed by [[Robert Craig]] of the [[Adelaide School of Arts]].
South Australia granted restricted women's [[suffrage]] in 1861, and in 1894 became the second place in the world to grant universal suffrage (after [[New Zealand]]) where women had the dual rights to vote and to stand for election.<ref>[http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/women_and_politics/suffr6.htm Women and Politics in South Australia] [[The State Library of South Australia]]</ref>
==Geography==
{{main|Geography of South Australia}}
[[Image:Eastern South Australia Satellite Photo.jpg|thumb|right|Satellite image of eastern South Australia. Note the dry lakes (white patches) in the north]]
The terrain consists largely of [[desert|arid]] and semi-arid rangelands, with several low [[mountain range]]s in which the most important mountains are the [[Mount Lofty Ranges|Mt Lofty]]-[[Flinders Ranges]] system which extends north about {{convert|800|km|mi|0}} from [[Cape Jervis, South Australia|Cape Jervis]] to the northern end of [[Lake Torrens]] and salt lakes. The highest point in the state is not in those ranges, but [[Mount Woodroffe]] at {{convert|1435|m|ft|0}} in the [[Musgrave Ranges]] in the extreme northwest of the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/landforms/highmtns.htm#state |title=Highest Mountains |publisher=[[Geoscience Australia]] |accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref> The western portion of the state consists of the sparsely-inhabited [[Nullarbor Plain]] fronting the cliffs of the [[Great Australian Bight]].
The principal industries and exports of South Australia are wheat, wine and wool. More than half of Australia's wines are produced here.
South Australia has boundaries with every other Australian state and territory except the [[Australian Capital Territory]] and [[Tasmania]]. The area now known as the Northern Territory was annexed to South Australia in 1863, however it was handed over to the federal government in 1911 and became a separate territory.
South Australia's south coast is flanked by the Southern Ocean.
===Climate===
Its mean temperature range is {{convert|29|C|F|0|lk=on}} in January and {{convert|15|C|F|0|abbr=on}} in July. Daily temperatures in parts of the state in January and February can be up to {{convert|48|C|F|0|abbr=on}}.
The highest maximum temperature was recorded as {{convert|50.7|C|F|1|abbr=on}} at [[Oodnadatta, South Australia|Oodnadatta]] on [[2 January]] [[1960]], which is the highest official temperature recorded in Australia. The lowest minimum temperature was {{convert|-8.0|C|F|1|abbr=on}} at [[Yongala, South Australia|Yongala]] on [[20 July]] [[1976]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.iinet.net.au/~jacob/worldtp.html |date=[[2005-10-17]] |accessdate=2006-05-28 |title=World temperature extremes}}</ref>
==Economy==
The manufacturing industry plays a very important role in South Australia's economy, generating 15% of the state's [[Gross State Product]] (GSP) and playing a large part in exports. The manufacturing industry consists of automotive (44% of total Australian production, 2006) and component manufacturing, [[pharmaceuticals]], defence technology (2.1% of GSP, 2002-2003) and electronic systems (3.0% of GSP in 2006). South Australia's economy relies on exports more than any other state in Australia. Export earnings stand at AUD$10 billion worth per year and grew by 8.8% from 2002 to 2003.
Production of [[South Australian food and drink]] (including agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, fisheries and manufacturing) is a $10 billion industry.
South Australia's economic growth has lagged behind the rest of Australia for some time (2.1% from 2002 to 2003), but performance seems to be improving. South Australia's [[credit rating]] was upgraded to AAA+, having lost it in the [[State Bank of South Australia|State Bank]] collapse. South Australia's Gross State Product was [[AUD]]$48.9 billion starting 2004, making it [[AUD]]$32,996 per capita. Exports for 2006 were valued at $9.0bn with imports at $6.2bn. Private Residential Building Approvals experienced 80% growth over the year of 2006.
South Australia's economy includes the following major industries: meat and meat preparations, wheat, wine, wool and sheepskins, machinery,metal and metal manufactures, fish and crustaceans, road vehicles and parts, and petroleum products. Other industries, such as education and defence technology, are of growing importance.
South Australia receives the least amount of federal funding for its local road network than any other state on a per capita or per kilometre basis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/efpa/localgovt/submissions/sub308.pdf |title=Inquiry into Local Government and Cost Shifting |accessdate=2007-06-11 |publisher=[[Australian House of Representatives]] |year=2003}}</ref>
==Government==
{{main|Government of South Australia}}
[[Image:Adelaide parliament house.JPG|250px|right|thumb|Parliament House, Adelaide]]
South Australia is a [[constitutional monarchy]] with the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen of Australia]] as the [[head of state]]. It is a state of the [[Commonwealth of Australia]]. Its bicameral [[parliament]] consists of a [[South Australian House of Assembly|House of Assembly]] (lower house) and a [[South Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] (upper house), with [[South Australian legislative elections|legislative elections]] held every four years. The current [[Premier of South Australia]] is [[Mike Rann]], a member of the [[Australian Labor Party]].
Initially, the [[Governor of South Australia]] held almost total power that he derived from the Letters Patent created by the Imperial Government to create the colony. He was only accountable to the British [[Colonial Office]], and thus democracy did not exist in the colony. A new body was created to advise the governor on the administration of South Australia in 1843 called the Legislative Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/about/1_1_1_legcouncil.shtm |title=Legislative Council 1843-1856 |accessdate=2006-05-28 |publisher=[[Parliament of South Australia]] |year=2005}}</ref> It consisted of three representatives of the British Government and four colonists appointed by the governor. The governor retained total executive power.
In 1851, the Imperial Parliament enacted the [[Australian Colonies Government Act]] which allowed for the election of representatives to each of the colonial legislatures and the drafting of a Constitution to properly create representative and responsible Government in South Australia and later that year, wealthy male colonists were allowed to vote for 16 members on a new 24 seat Legislative Council. Eight members continued to be appointed by the governor.
The main responsibility of this body was to draft a Constitution for South Australia. The body drafted the most democratic constitution ever before seen in the British Empire and provided for manhood [[suffrage]]. It created the bicameral [[Parliament of South Australia]] and the two houses of parliament. For the first time in the colony, the executive was elected by the people and the colony used the [[Westminster system]] where the government is the party or coalition that exerts a majority in the House of Assembly. In 1894, South Australia was the first Australian colony to allow women to vote and it had the first Parliament in the world to allow women to be elected as members. [[Catherine Helen Spence]] was the first woman in Australia to be a candidate for political office when she nominated to be one of South Australia's delegates to the constitutional conventions that drafted the Constitution. South Australia became an original state of the Commonwealth of Australia on [[1 January]] [[1901]].
==Education==
[[Image:University of Adelaide.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[University of Adelaide]] from [[North Terrace, Adelaide|North Terrace]].]]
{{seealso|List of schools in South Australia}}
Education is compulsory for all children until age 16, however, the majority of students stay on to complete their [[South Australian Certificate of Education]] (SACE). School education is the responsibility of the South Australian government, but the public and private education systems are funded jointly by it and the [[Government of Australia|Commonwealth Government]]. The South Australian Government provides, to schools on a per student basis, 89 percent of the total Government funding while the Commonwealth contributes 11 percent. Since the early 1970s it has been an ongoing controversy<ref>[http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Debates/ReidPaper.html The Redefinition of Public Education]</ref> that 68 percent of Commonwealth funding (increasing to 75% by 2008) goes to private schools that are attended by 32% of the states students.<ref>[http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/anr/index.html Ministerial Council National Report on Schooling in Australia]</ref>
From [[1 January]] [[2009]], the school leaving age will be raised to 17.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19215505-1246,00.html |accessdate=2006-05-28 |publisher=[[News Corp]] |work=[[The Advertiser]] |date=[[2006-05-22]] |title=School leaving age to be raised |first=Michael |last=Owen}}</ref>
There are three universities in South Australia: [[University of Adelaide]], [[Flinders University]] and [[University of South Australia]] . All are based in Adelaide, and [[Mount Gambier, South Australia|Mount Gambier]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unisa.edu.au/about/campuses/default.asp |accessdate=2006-05-28 |date=[[2006-03-15]] |title=Campuses and maps |publisher=[[University of South Australia]]}}</ref> [[Carnegie Mellon University]]'s [[Heinz School]] and "Entertainment Technology Center" have campuses in Adelaide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etc.cmu.edu/australia/ |title=Welcome to ETC: Australia |accessdate=2006-05-28 |publisher=[[Carnegie Mellon University]]}}</ref>
Tertiary vocational education is provided by [[TAFE South Australia]] colleges throughout the state.
==Sport==
{{main|Sport in South Australia}}
[[Australian rules football]] is the most popular sport in South Australia. [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyCatalogue/1F8FAC9C2C7B1623CA2568A900139417?OpenDocument] The state has the highest participation rate of people taking part in Australian Football, with over 2.2% of the population aged 18 years and over participating in the sport.<ref>source AuSport 2000</ref> South Australia fields two teams, the [[Adelaide Crows]] and [[Port Adelaide Football Club|Port Adelaide Power]] in the [[Australian Football League]] national competition. The [[Adelaide Crows]] have a membership base of 50,000,<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://afc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=267980 |date=[[2006-05-23]] |accessdate=2006-05-28 |title=50,000 milestone coming closer |publisher=[[Adelaide Crows]]}}</ref> higher than any of the other 15 teams in the competition. Both teams regularly draw large crowds. The [[South Australian National Football League]], which owns the dedicated Australian Football stadium [[AAMI Stadium]], is a popular local league comprising nine teams.
South Australia's [[soccer]] team in the new [[A-League]] is [[Adelaide United FC|Adelaide United]]. Basketball also has a big following in South Australia with the [[Adelaide 36ers]] playing out an 8,070 seat stadium in Findon and winning four championships in the last 20 years in the [[National Basketball League (Australia)]]. South Australia also has a cricket team, the [[Southern Redbacks]], who play at Adelaide Oval in North Adelaide during the summer; however they have not won a title since 1996. The Redbacks currently have four players who hold a contract with [[Cricket Australia]].
Fifty-nine percent of children take part in organised sports. For boys, soccer has the highest participation rate (22%) followed by [[swimming]] (16%). For girls [[netball]] is most popular (18%) followed by swimming (16%).<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4901.0Apr%202003?OpenDocument Australian Bureau of Statistics Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities PDF Doc]</ref>
==Notable places==
[[Image:SouthAustraliaRoads.png|thumb|right|290px|South Australian cities, towns, settlements and [[List of highways in South Australia|road network]]]]
{| valign=top style="font-size:95%;"|-
|width=200 valign=top|
'''Regions:'''
*[[Adelaide Hills]]
*[[Barossa Valley]]
*[[Clare Valley]]
*[[Eyre Peninsula]]
*[[Fleurieu Peninsula]]
*[[Flinders Ranges]]
*[[Kangaroo Island]]
*[[Limestone Coast]]
*[[Nullarbor Plain]]
*[[Riverland]]
*[[Yorke Peninsula]]
'''Rivers:'''
*[[Cooper Creek]]
*[[Marne River, South Australia|Marne River]]
*[[Murray River]]
*[[Onkaparinga River]]
*[[Port River]]
*[[River Torrens]]
|width=200 valign=top|
'''Lakes:'''
*[[Lake Albert, South Australia|Lake Albert]]
*[[Lake Alexandrina, South Australia|Lake Alexandrina]]
*[[Lake Eyre]]
*[[Lake Frome]]
*[[Lake Gairdner]]
*[[Lake Torrens]]
*[[Blue Lake (South Australia)|Blue Lake]]
'''Islands:'''
*[[Granite Island (Australia)|Granite Island]]
*[[Hindmarsh Island]]
*[[Kangaroo Island]]
*[[Neptune Island]]
*[[Nuyts Archipelago]]
*[[Flinders Island (South Australia)|Flinders Island]]
*[[Pearson Isles]]
|width=200 valign=top|
''' Main Highways:'''
*[[Barrier Highway]]
*[[Barossa Valley Highway]]
*[[Dukes Highway]]
*[[Eyre Highway]]
*[[Flinders Highway, South Australia|Flinders Highway]]
*[[Lincoln Highway (Australia)|Lincoln Highway]]
*[[Main North Road]]
*[[Mallee Highway]]
*[[Princes Highway]]
*[[Riddoch Highway]]
*[[Stuart Highway]]
*[[Sturt Highway]]
*[[South Eastern Freeway]]
*[[Southern Expressway]]
|}
==See also==
{{portal|South Australia}}
*[[Adelaide]]
*[[:Category:Towns in South Australia|Towns in South Australia]]
*[[:Category:Cities in South Australia|Cities in South Australia]]
*[[Local Government Areas of South Australia]]
*[[List of highways in South Australia]]
*[[List of cities and towns in South Australia]]
*[[List of people from Adelaide]]
*[[Proclamation Day]]: [[28 December]] [[1836]]
*SA [[Country Fire Service]]
*[[South Australian Ambulance Service]]
*[[Pie floater]]
*[[South Australian food and drink]]
*[[Adelaide Festival of Arts]]
*[[South Australian wine]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
*Dorothy Jauncey, Bardi Grubs and Frog Cakes — South Australian Words, Oxford University Press (2004) ISBN 0-19-551770-9
== External links ==
{{commonscat|South Australia}}
*[http://www.sacentral.sa.gov.au/ South Australia Central]
*[http://www.premcab.sa.gov.au/emblems/ Official Insignia And Emblems Page]
*[http://www.southaustralia.com South Australian Tourism Commission - Travel Guides, Accommodation, Tours, Online Booking, Maps etc]
*[http://www.climatechange.sa.gov.au/PDFs/FINAL_TACKLING_CLIMATE_CHANGE_STRATEGY_MAY_2007/TACKLING_CLIMATE_CHANGE_STRATEGY.pdf South Australia's Climate Change Strategy (2007)]
*[http://saculture.com/ The Encyclopædia of South Australian Culture] Locals reflect on South Australian culture.
*[http://www.chariot.net.au/~littoral/index.htm Ground Truth - towards an Environmental History of South Australia] Community resources
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{{South Australia}}
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[[Category:South Australia| ]]
[[Category:1836 establishments]]
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[[ca:Austràlia Meridional]]
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[[fa:استرالیای جنوبی]]
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[[ko:사우스오스트레일리아 주]]
[[hi:साउथ आस्ट्रेलिया]]
[[hr:Južna Australija]]
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[[it:Australia Meridionale]]
[[he:אוסטרליה הדרומית]]
[[pam:South Australia]]
[[ka:სამხრეთი ავსტრალია]]
[[kw:Soth Ostrali]]
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[[ja:南オーストラリア州]]
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[[sr:Јужна Аустралија]]
[[fi:Etelä-Australia]]
[[sv:South Australia]]
[[ta:தெற்கு ஆஸ்திரேலியா]]
[[vi:Nam Úc (tiểu bang)]]
[[uk:Південна Австралія]]
[[zh:南澳大利亚州]]