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#CARD:Australia:Geography
#IMAGE 49 66 TWPCX \maps\Australi.PCX
THE WORLD FACTBOOK Click Here for MAP
Australia
Geography
Location:
Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand
Map references:
Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
7,686,850 km2
land area:
7,617,930 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than the US
note:
includes Macquarie Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
12 nm
continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing 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 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited
freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular, tropical,
invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along west coast in
summer; desertification
Note:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:People
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
People
Population:
17,827,204 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.41% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
14.43 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
7.38 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
7.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.36 years
male:
74.24 years
female:
80.63 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.83 children born/woman (1993 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)
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)
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Government
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
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)
Constitution:
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January
Political parties and leaders:
government:
Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING
opposition:
Liberal Party, John HEWSON; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian
Democratic Party, John COULTER
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)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1996); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (147 total) Labor 80, Liberal-National 65,
independent 2
Senate:
last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1999); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total) Liberal-National 36, Labor 30,
Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 1
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
High Court
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Government
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
Government
Leaders:
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)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, COCOM,
CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael J. COOK
chancery:
1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
(202) 797-3000
consulates general:
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American
Samoa), and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant)
embassy:
Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address:
APO AP 96549
telephone:
[61] (6) 270-5000
FAX:
[61] (6) 270-5970
consulates general:
Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
consulate:
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
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Economy
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
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. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are
primary products, so that, as happened during 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.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $293.5 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
2.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
$16,700 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.8% (September 1992)
Unemployment rate:
11.3% (December 1992)
Budget:
revenues $68.5 billion; expenditures $78.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY93)
Exports:
$41.7 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
partners:
Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong
Kong
Imports:
$37.8 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil
and petroleum products
partners:
US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)
External debt:
$130.4 billion (June 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for 32% of GDP
Electricity:
40,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,475 kWh per capita
(1992)
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals,
steel
Agriculture:
accounts for 5% of GDP and 37% 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
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Economy
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
Economy
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992),
1.2836 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Communications
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
Communications
Railroads:
40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130 km electrified;
government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned
track) (1985)
Highways:
837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth
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,
Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,271 GRT/3,534,926 DWT; includes
2 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 7 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle
carrier, 17 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 30 bulk, 2
combination bulk
Airports:
total:
481
usable:
439
with permanent-surface runways:
243
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
20
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
268
Telecommunications:
good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones; broadcast
stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service; satellite stations - 4
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
#ENDCARD
#CARD:Australia:Defense Forces
THE WORLD FACTBOOK
Australia
Defense Forces
Branches:
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 4,830,068; fit for military service 4,198,622; reach
military age (17) annually 135,591 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92/93)
#ENDCARD