1996 Edition

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; 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

Location

27 00 S, 133 00 E -- Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than the US

land area

7,617,930 sq km

note

includes Macquarie Island

total area

7,686,850 sq km

Climate

generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north

Coastline

25,760 km

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

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; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

natural hazards

cyclones along the coast; severe droughts

Geographic coordinates

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Geographic 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

International disputes

territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

Irrigated land

18,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

6%

forest and woodland

14%

meadows and pastures

58%

other

22%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Map references

Oceania

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

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

Terrain

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

highest point

Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m

lowest point

Lake Eyre -15 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 21% (male 2,009,915; female 1,912,605) 15-64 years: 66% (male 6,129,285; female 5,980,315) 65 years and over: 13% (male 967,291; female 1,261,452) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

13.99 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

6.88 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Infant mortality rate

5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English, native languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.5 years (1996 est.)

male

76.44 years

total population

79.39 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

female

100%

male

100%

total population

100%

Nationality

adjective

Australian

noun

Australian(s)

Net migration rate

2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

18,260,863 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.99% (1996 est.)

Religions

Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%

Sex ratio

all ages

1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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: 0.77 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.84 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Capital

Canberra

Constitution

9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Data code

AS

Dependent areas

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador John Phillip MCCARTHY

telephone

[1] (202) 797-3000

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996) who was appointed by the queen

head of government

Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996) was appointed by the governor general; Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since 11 March 1996)

FAX

[1] (202) 797-3168

[61] (6) 270-5970

consulate(s)

Brisbane

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney

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

House of Representatives

elections last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (148 total) Liberal-National 94, Labor 49, independent 5

Independence

1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

International organization participation

AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general

Legal system

based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Parliament

Name of country

conventional long form

Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form

Australia

National holiday

Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

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)

Senate

elections last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total) Liberal-National 37, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 8, Greens 1, independent 1

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type of government

federal parliamentary state

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

Agriculture

wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry

Budget

expenditures

$95.15 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

revenues

$95.69 billion

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $953 million (1993)

Economic overview

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP comparable to levels in highly industrialized West European countries. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for more than 80% 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 reduced the value of Australia's net farm production, but rising world commodity prices are likely to boost commodity exports by 15% to $42.4 billion in 1995/96, according to government statistics. Short-term economic problems include a balancing of output growth and inflationary pressures and the stimulation of exports to offset rising imports.

Electricity

capacity

34,540,000 kW

consumption per capita

8,021 kWh (1993)

production

155 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3668 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991)

Exports

$51.57 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

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)

External debt

$147.2 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $405.4 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

3.1%

industry

27.7%

services

69.2% (1994)

GDP per capita

$22,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3.3% (1995 est.)

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

Imports

$57.41 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

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)

Industrial production growth rate

3.9% (FY93/94)

Industries

mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.75% (1995)

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)

Unemployment rate

8.1% (December 1995)

Branches

Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $7.3 billion, 2.0% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

4,848,777

males fit for military service

4,192,250

males reach military age (17) annually

127,569 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 258, FM 67, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

good domestic and international service

domestic

domestic satellite system

international

submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions)

Telephones

8.7 million (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

134 (1987 est.)

Televisions

9.2 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

442

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

106

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

13

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

116

with paved runways over 3 047 m

9

with paved runways under 914 m

30

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

22

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

146 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

283,592 km (including 1,200 km of expressways)

total

810,264 km

unpaved

526,672 km (1989 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 30, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)

total

76 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,547,869 GRT/3,679,534 DWT

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

Railways

broad gauge

6,083 km 1.600-m gauge

narrow gauge

15,728 km 1.067-m gauge

standard gauge

16,752 km 1.435-m gauge

total

38,563 km (2,914 km electrified; 172 km dual gauge)

Waterways

8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft