Australia is the only country that is also a continent. In area, Australia ranks as the sixth largest country and smallest continent. Australia is located between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The part of the Indian Ocean that is south of Australia is called the Southern Ocean in the country. Australia is about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) southwest of North America and about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) southeast of mainland Asia. Australia is often referred to …showed first 75 words of 1172 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1172 total…have heavy administrative responsibilities in certain areas, such as local law enforcement, public education, and the building of roads. But the federal government collects nearly all the nation's taxes. Each state receives a share of the federal tax income. But this allowance is usually not enough to finance major new public works. By granting or denying a state's requests for additional funds or loans, the federal government strongly influences the services that the state provides.