Introduction Originally settled as an English colony, Australia is now organized as a federal parliamentary state. The population of Australia was 18-million as of 1994. English is the official language. The capital is Canberra. Australia is the world's smallest continent but 6th largest country.
Senators have six-year terms and are elected by popular vote.
The Senate has limited legislative powers. The bulk of the legislative work is done in the House of Representatives. The Constitution lists the powers that the federal government has at section 51. The states and territories have all those legislative powers not specifically given to the federal government under the constitution. For example, the Constitution prohibits Australian state governments from coining money or from raising a military or naval force.