1997 Edition

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

Climate

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

Coastline

25,760 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciusko 2,229 m

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 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Desertification

Geographic coordinates

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

21,070 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 54% forests and woodland: 19% other : 21% (1993 est.)

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 hazards

cyclones along the coast; severe droughts

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (male 2,018,363; female 1,921,252) 15-64 years: 66% (male 6,188,476; female 6,041,173) 65 years and over : 12% (male 987,092; female 1,282,468) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

13.73 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

6.89 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English, native languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.64 years male : 76.69 years female: 82.74 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female : 100% (1980 est.)

Nationality

noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian

Net migration rate

2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

18,438,824 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

0.96% (1997 est.)

Religions

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

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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Country name

conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia

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 from the US

chief of mission : Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (6) 270-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Sharp PEACOCK chancery : 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996) head of government : Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since 11 March 1996) cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections : none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term

FAX

[1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

[61] (6) 270-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, and 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; 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

Government type

federal parliamentary state

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, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, 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 consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives) elections: Senate - last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA 1999); House of Representatives - last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal-National 37, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 8, Greens 1, independent 1; note - subsequent to the election, there has been a change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as follows - Liberal-National 37, Labor 28, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Liberal-National 94, Labor 49, independent 5

National capital

Canberra

National holiday

Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $95.69 billion expenditures : $95.15 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.)

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$134 billion (June 1996)

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $1.25 billion (FY95/96)

Economy - overview

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP above the 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 about 60% of the value of total exports, so that 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, but the economy has expanded at reasonably steady rates in recent years. In addition to high unemployment, short-term economic problems include a balancing of output growth and inflationary pressures and the stimulation of exports to offset rising imports.

Electricity - capacity

38.83 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

8,278 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

173 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January 1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3668 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992)

Exports

total value: $59.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities : coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment partners: Japan 24%, South Korea 8%, NZ 7%, US 7%, UK, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong (1994/95)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $430.5 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.1% industry: 27.7% services: 69.2% (1994)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $23,600 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.6% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value : $59.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products partners: US 22%, Japan 17%, UK 6%, China 5%, NZ 5% (1994/95)

Industrial production growth rate

1.2% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

3.1% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 8.4 million (December 1996) by occupation : finance and services 34%, public and community services 23%, wholesale and retail trade 20%, manufacturing and industry 17%, agriculture 6% (1987 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.5% (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.)

Airports

443 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 275 over 3,047 m : 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 106 914 to 1,523 m: 116 under 914 m : 31 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 168 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 146 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 895,030 km paved: 345,482 km (including 1,330 km of expressways) unpaved: 549,548 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,282,084 GRT/3,326,092 DWT ships by type : bulk 30, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 14, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km

Ports and harbors

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceton (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville

Railways

total : 38,563 km (2,914 km electrified; 172 km dual gauge) broad gauge: 6,083 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 16,752 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 15,728 km 1.067-m gauge

Waterways

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

Military branches

Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$7.9 billion (FY96/97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.9% (FY96/97)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 4,863,007 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 4,200,090 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 127,508 (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

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 ______________________________________________________________________ AUSTRIA