|
Background:
|
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent
from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began
exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made
until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great
Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries;
they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The
new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop
agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major
contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent
decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally
competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's
fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large
part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns
include climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer
and more frequest droughts, and management and conservation of coastal
areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. |
|
Location:
|
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and
the South Pacific Ocean |
|
Geographic
coordinates:
|
27 00 S, 133 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania |
|
Area:
|
total: 7,686,850 sq km
land: 7,617,930 sq km
water: 68,920 sq km
note: includes Lord Howe Island
and Macquarie Island |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48
states |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
25,760 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to
the edge of the continental margin |
|
Climate:
|
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south
and east; tropical in north |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain
in southeast |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
highest point: Mount Kosciuszko
2,229 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold,
silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds,
natural gas, petroleum |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 6.15% (includes
about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 93.81% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
25,450 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water
resources:
|
398 cu km (1995) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
total: 24.06 cu km/yr
(15%/10%/75%)
per capita: 1,193 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts;
forest fires |
|
Environment - current
issues:
|
soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial
development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity
rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing
for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique
animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast
coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased
shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh
water resources |
|
Environment -
international agreements:
|
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol |
|
Geography - note:
|
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest
country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern
coasts; the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor"
affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most
consistent winds in the world |
|
Population:
|
20,600,856 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 19.1% (male
2,014,230/female 1,920,604)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male
7,005,588/female 6,895,817)
65 years and over: 13.4% (male
1,226,432/female 1,538,185) (2008 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 37.4 years
male: 36.6 years
female: 38.3 years (2008 est.) |
|
Population growth
rate:
|
0.801% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
11.9 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
7.62 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
3.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8
male(s)/female
total population: 0.99
male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live
births
male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 4.11 deaths/1,000 live
births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at
birth:
|
total population: 80.73 years
male: 77.86 years
female: 83.75 years (2008 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.76 children born/woman (2008 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Australian(s)
adjective: Australian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
white 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% |
|
Religions:
|
Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian
20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none
15.3% (2001 Census) |
|
Languages:
|
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other
11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over
can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form: Australia
|
|
Government type:
|
federal parliamentary democracy |
|
Capital:
|
name: Canberra
geographic coordinates: 35 17 S,
149 13 E
time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours
ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins
last Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March
note: Australia is divided into
three time zones |
|
Administrative
divisions:
|
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital
Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South
Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
|
Dependent areas:
|
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island,
Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald
Islands, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island |
|
Independence:
|
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
|
National holiday:
|
Australia Day, 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day
(commemorated as 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) |
|
Constitution:
|
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on English common law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: Queen of
Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor
General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister
Kevin RUDD (since 3 December 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Julia GILLARD
(since 3 December 2007)
cabinet: prime minister nominates,
from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn
in by the governor general to serve as government ministers
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the
recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections,
the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
sworn in as prime minister by the governor general |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the
Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the six states and 2 from
each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are
elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while
all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of
Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential
vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than
5 representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 24
November 2007 (next to be held no later than 2010); House of
Representatives - last held 24 November 2007 (next to be called no
later than 2010)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party
coalition 37, Australian Labor Party 32, Australian Greens 5, Family
First Party 1, other 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - Australian Labor Party 83, Liberal Party
55, National Party 10, independents 2 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
High Court (the chief justice and six other
justices are appointed by the governor general) |
|
Political parties and
leaders:
|
Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON]; Australian
Greens [Bob BROWN]; Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD]; Country
Liberal Party [Jodeen CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING];
Liberal Party [Brendan NELSON]; The Nationals [Warren TRUSS] |
|
International
organization participation:
|
ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD,
OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic
representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador
Dennis J. RICHARDSON
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000
FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168
consulate(s) general: Atlanta,
Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco |
|
Diplomatic
representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador
Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.
embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla,
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address: APO AP 96549
telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600
FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970
consulate(s) general: Melbourne,
Perth, Sydney |
|
Flag description:
|
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 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Australia has an enviable, strong economy with a
per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies.
Robust business and consumer confidence and high export prices for raw
materials and agricultural products are fueling the economy,
particularly in mining states. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low
inflation, a housing market boom, and growing ties with China have been
key factors behind the economy's 16 solid years of expansion. Drought,
robust import demand, and a strong currency have pushed the trade
deficit up in recent years, while infrastructure bottlenecks and a
tight labor market are constraining growth in export volumes and
stoking inflation. Australia's budget has been in surplus since 2002
due to strong revenue growth. |
|
GDP (purchasing power
parity):
|
$766.8 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP (official
exchange rate):
|
$889.7 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth
rate:
|
4% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita
(PPP):
|
$37,500 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by
sector:
|
agriculture: 3.7%
industry: 25.6%
services: 70.7% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
10.9 million (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force - by
occupation:
|
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 21.2%
services: 75.2% (2004 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
4.4% (November 2007 est.) |
|
Population below
poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or
consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) |
|
Distribution of
family income - Gini index:
|
30.5 (2006) |
|
Inflation rate
(consumer prices):
|
3% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross
fixed):
|
27.6% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $312 billion
expenditures: $299.6 billion (2007
est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
15.2% of GDP
note: The Commonwealth government
eliminated its net debt in 2006, but continues a gross debt issue to
support the market for risk-free securities. (2007 est.) |
|
Agriculture -
products:
|
wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits, cattle, sheep,
poultry |
|
Industries:
|
mining, industrial and transportation equipment,
food processing, chemicals, steel |
|
Industrial production
growth rate:
|
3.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity -
production:
|
236.7 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity -
production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 90.8%
hydro: 8.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0.9% (2001) |
|
Electricity -
consumption:
|
219.8 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production:
|
572,400 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
903,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
333,200 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
611,400 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
1.437 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
|
Natural gas -
production:
|
38.62 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas -
consumption:
|
25.72 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
12.9 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved
reserves:
|
750.6 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
|
Current account
balance:
|
-$50.96 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$139.4 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina,
wheat, machinery and transport equipment |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Japan 19.6%, China 12.3%, South Korea 7.5%, US
6.2%, India 5.5%, NZ 5.5%, UK 5% (2006) |
|
Imports:
|
$152.7 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and transport equipment, computers and
office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and
petroleum products |
|
Imports - partners:
|
China 14.4%, US 14.1%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 6%,
Germany 5.1% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $2.123 billion (2006) |
|
Reserves of foreign
exchange and gold:
|
$71.15 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$757.9 billion (30 June 2007) |
|
Stock of direct
foreign investment - at home:
|
$246.2 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct
foreign investment - abroad:
|
$226.8 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Market value of
publicly traded shares:
|
$804.1 billion (2005) |
|
Currency (code):
|
Australian dollar (AUD) |
|
Currency code:
|
AUD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137
(2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 July - 30 June |
|
Telephones - main
lines in use:
|
9.94 million (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile
cellular:
|
19.76 million (2006) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: excellent
domestic and international service
domestic: domestic satellite
system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population
density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 61;
landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine
cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Southern
Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the
United States; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian
Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean
regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007) |
|
Radio broadcast
stations:
|
AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) |
|
Radios:
|
25.5 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast
stations:
|
104 (1997) |
|
Televisions:
|
10.15 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.au |
|
Internet hosts:
|
9.458 million (2007) |
|
Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
|
571 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
15.3 million (2006) |
|
Airports:
|
461 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved
runways:
|
total: 317
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 138
914 to 1,523 m: 143
under 914 m: 13 (2007) |
|
Airports - with
unpaved runways:
|
total: 144
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 109
under 914 m: 16 (2007) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2007) |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate/gas 469 km; gas 26,719 km; liquid
petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,720 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2007) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 38,550 km
broad gauge: 3,727 km 1.600-m
gauge
standard gauge: 20,519 km 1.435-m
gauge (1,877 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 14,074 km 1.067-m
gauge (2,453 km electrified)
dual gauge: 230 km dual gauge
(2006) |
|
Roadways:
|
total: 810,641 km
paved: 336,962 km
unpaved: 473,679 km (2004) |
|
Waterways:
|
2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray
and Murray-Darling river systems) (2006) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or
over) 1,322,527 GRT/1,501,865 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 5,
chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 7,
passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 16 (Canada 2,
France 1, Germany 2, Netherlands 2, Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US
5)
registered in other countries: 29
(Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 3, Bermuda 4, Fiji 1, The Gambia 1,
Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 4, Singapore 6, Tonga 1, UK 1, US
2, Vanuatu 2, unknown 1) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay
Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott,
Sydney |
|
Military branches:
|
Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army,
Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations
Command (2006) |
|
Military service age
and obligation:
|
17 years of age for voluntary military service
(with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in
Army combat units in non-combat support roles (2008) |
|
Manpower available
for military service:
|
males age 16-49: 4,999,988
females age 16-49: 4,870,043 (2008
est.) |
|
Manpower fit for
military service:
|
males age 16-49: 4,137,176
females age 16-49: 4,022,588 (2008
est.) |
|
Manpower reaching
military service age annually:
|
males age 16-49: 146,248
females age 16-49: 139,697 (2008
est.) |
|
Military expenditures
- percent of GDP:
|
2.4% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Australia |
|
Disputes -
international:
|
Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to
defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split
hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development
Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; East Timor dispute hampers
creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor
Sea; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore and
Cartier Islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier
Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on
certain catch; regional states continue to express concern over
Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime
identification zone; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to
Antarctica (see Antarctica); in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to
UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend
its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers or
roughly thirty percent of its claimed exclusive economic zone; since
2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to
the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and
reinforce regional security |
|
This page was
last updated on 15 May, 2008
|
|
