Conventional Long Form Name of country: Commonwealth of Australia Capital City(ies): Canberra Type of Government: federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm Date of Independence: 1 January 1901 National Holiday(s): Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates 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) Executive Branch/Powers: Legislative Branch/Powers: Judicial Branch/Powers: Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Ambassador to U.S.: Ambassador Kim Christian BEAZLEY Embassy in U.S.: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 Consulates in U.S.: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco U.S. Ambassador: Ambassador Jeffrey L. BLEICH U.S. Embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 U.S. Consulates: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Representative to U.N.:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars