Match 17 DB Rec# - 7,469 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Australia
Text :
Australia
Geography
Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
7,686,850 sq km
land area:
7,617,930 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than the US
note:
includes Macquarie Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
Climate:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten,
mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
Land use:
arable land:
6%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
58%
forest and woodland:
14%
other:
22%
Irrigated land:
18,800 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards:
cyclones along the coast; severe droughts
Geography
international agreements:
party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Note:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population
concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; regular, tropical,
invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast
in the summer
People
Population:
18,322,231 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
22% (female 1,929,366; male 2,032,238)
15-64 years:
67% (female 6,017,362; male 6,181,887)
65 years and over:
11% (female 1,227,004; male 934,374) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.31% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
14.13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
7.37 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
6.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.78 years
male:
74.67 years
female:
81.04 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Australian(s)
adjective:
Australian
Ethnic divisions:
Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%
Languages:
English, native languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
8.63 million (September 1991)
by occupation:
finance and services 33.8%, public and community services 22.3%, wholesale
and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry 16.2%, agriculture 6.1%
(1987)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Australia
conventional short form:
Australia
Digraph:
AS
Type:
federal parliamentary state
Capital:
Canberra
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
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
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 ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
William George HAYDEN (since 16 February 1989)
head of government:
Prime Minister Paul John KEATING (since 20 December 1991); Deputy Prime
Minister Brian HOWE (since 4 June 1991)
cabinet:
Cabinet; prime minister selects his cabinet from members of the House and
Senate
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Parliament
Senate:
elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total) Liberal-National 36, Labor
30, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 1
House of Representatives:
elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (147 total) Labor 80, Liberal-National
65, independent 2
Judicial branch:
High Court
Political parties and leaders:
government:
Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING
opposition:
Liberal Party, John HOWARD; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian
Democratic Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, leader NA
Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter
group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party
splinter group)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald Eric RUSSELL
chancery:
1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-3000
FAX:
[1] (202) 797-3168
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American
Samoa), and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward J. PERKINS
embassy:
Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address:
APO AP 96549
telephone:
[61] (6) 270-5000
FAX:
[61] (6) 270-5970
consulate(s) general:
Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
consulate(s):
Brisbane
Flag:
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; the remaining 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 a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per
capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries.
Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural
products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Primary products account for
more than 60% of the value of total exports, so that, as in 1983-84, a
downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The
government is pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods, but
competition in international markets continues to be severe. Australia has
suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD
countries in the early 1990s. In 1992-93 the economy recovered slowly from
the prolonged recession of 1990-91, a major restraining factor being weak
world demand for Australia's exports. Growth picked up so strongly in 1994
that the government felt the need for fiscal and monetary tightening by
yearend. Australia's GDP grew 6.4% in 1994, largely due to increases in
industrial output and business investment. A severe drought in 1994 is
expected to reduce the value of Australia's net farm production by $825
million in the twelve months through June 1995, but rising world commodity
prices are likely to boost rural exports by 7.7% to $14.5 billion in
1995/96, according to government statistics.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $374.6 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
6.4% (1994)
National product per capita:
$20,720 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
8.9% (December 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$83.8 billion
expenditures:
$92.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)
Exports:
$50.4 billion (1994)
commodities:
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
partners:
Japan 25%, US 11%, South Korea 6%, NZ 5.7%, UK, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
(1992)
Imports:
$51.1 billion (1994)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil
and petroleum products
partners:
US 23%, Japan 18%, UK 6%, Germany 5.7%, NZ 4% (1992)
External debt:
$147.2 billion (1994)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3.9% (FY93/94); accounts for 32% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
34,540,000 kW
production:
155 billion kWh
Economy
consumption per capita:
8,021 kWh (1993)
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals,
steel
Agriculture:
accounts for 5% of GDP and over 30% of export revenues; world's largest
exporter of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among top wheat
exporters; major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock -
cattle, sheep, poultry
Illicit drugs:
Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products;
government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation
and output of poppy straw concentrate
Economic aid:
donor:
ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion
Currency:
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994),
1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
40,478 km (1,130 km electrified; 183 km dual gauge)
broad gauge:
7,970 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge:
16,201 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
16,307 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total:
837,872 km
paved:
243,750 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 228,396 km; unimproved earth 365,726
km
Inland waterways:
8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km
Ports:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart
(Tasmania), Launceton (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
total:
81 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,620,536 GRT/3,801,970 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 30, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 7,
liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea
passenger 1
Airports:
total:
480
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
9
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
15
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
128
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
125
with paved runways under 914 m:
31
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
23
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
149
Communications
Telephone system:
8,700,000 telephones; good international and domestic service
local:
NA
intercity:
domestic satellite service
international:
submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; 10
INTELSAT (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean) earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 258, FM 67, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
134
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 4,934,175; males fit for military service 4,274,900; males
reach military age (17) annually 131,852 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, 2.2% of GDP (FY94/95)
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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