Australia

§1. Australia Introduction

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 pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and
  management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier
  Reef.

§2. Australia Geography

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 km²
  land: 7,617,930 km²
  water: 68,920 km²
  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:
  24,000 km² (1998 est.)

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
  tropical 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

§3. Australia People

Population:
  20,264,082 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.6% (male 2,031,313/female 1,936,802)
  15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,881,863/female 6,764,709)
  65 years and over: 13.1% (male 1,170,589/female 1,478,806) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 36.9 years
  male: 36 years
  female: 37.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.85% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  12.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  7.51 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  3.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.79 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 5.02 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 80.5 years
  male: 77.64 years
  female: 83.52 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  14,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Australian(s)
  adjective: Australian

Ethnic groups:
  Caucasian 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.)

§4. Australia Government

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

Government type:
  democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as
  sovereign

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,
  Macquarie 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 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 John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March
    1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005)
  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: none; 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
  note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 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 voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state
  can have fewer than 5 representatives)
  elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held no later than
    June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to
    be called no later than November 2007)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
    Liberal Party-National Party coalition 39, Australian Labor Party 28,
    Democrats 4, Australian Greens 4, Family First Party 1; House of
    Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
    Liberal Party-National Party coalition 87, Australian Labor Party 60,
    independents 3

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 [Kim BEAZLEY]; Country Liberal Party [Jodeen
  CARNEY]; Family First Party [Steve FIELDING]; Liberal Party [John Winston
  HOWARD]; The Nationals [Mark VAILE]

International organization participation:
  ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C,
  CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
  MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca,
  SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim William
    A. STANTON
  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 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; 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

§5. Australia Economy

Economy - overview:
  Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy with a per
  capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising
  output in the domestic economy, robust business and consumer confidence,
  and rising exports of raw materials and agricultural products are fueling
  the economy. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing
  ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The
  impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the
  trade deficit up from $8 billion in 2002, to $18 billion in 2003, $13
  billion in 2004, and nearly $17 billion in 2005. Housing prices probably
  peaked in 2005, diminishing the prospect that interest rates would be
  raised to prevent a speculative bubble. Conservative fiscal policies have
  kept Australia's budget in surplus from 2002 to 2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $642.1 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $633.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $32,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 4%
  industry: 26.4%
  services: 69.6% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  10.42 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 3.6%, industry 21.2%, services 75.2% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  5.2% (2005 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:
  35.2 (1994)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.7% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  24.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $249.8 billion
  expenditures: $240.2 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  16.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  1.6% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  237 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  221 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  530,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  875,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  523,400 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
  530,800 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
  3.664 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  35.6 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  25.08 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  9.744 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  2.549 trillion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-41.1 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $103 billion (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport
  equipment

Exports - partners:
  Japan 18.7%, China 9.2%, US 8.1%, South Korea 7.7%, New Zealand 7.4%, India
  4.6%, UK 4.2% (2004)

Imports:
  $119.6 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines,
  telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

Imports - partners:
  US 14.8%, China 12.7%, Japan 11.8%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, UK 4.1%
  (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $39.03 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $509.6 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
  ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)

Currency (code):
  Australian dollar (AUD)

Exchange rates:
  Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419
  (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Australia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  11.66 million (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  16.48 million (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
  domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of
    low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones
  international: country code - 61; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua
    New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4
    Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean
    regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  104 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .au

Internet hosts:
  5,351,622 (2005)

Internet users:
  14,189,544 (2005)

§7. Australia Transportation

Airports:
  450 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 308
  over 3,047 m: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 133
  914 to 1,523 m: 140
  under 914 m: 13 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 142
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 110
  under 914 m: 14 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil
  4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 54,652 km (3,859 km electrified)
  broad gauge: 5,434 km 1.600-m gauge
  standard gauge: 34,110 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)
  narrow gauge: 14,895 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
  dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 811,601 km
  paved: 316,524 km
  unpaved: 495,077 km (2002)

Waterways:
  2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river
  systems) (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,360,458 GRT/1,532,874 DWT
  by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 15, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3,
    container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
    tanker 6, roll on/roll off 5
  foreign-owned: 17 (Canada 1, France 3, Germany 3, Japan 1, Netherlands 2,
    Norway 1, Philippines 1, UK 2, US 3)
  registered in other countries: 34 (The Bahamas 3, Bermuda 2, Fiji 1,
    Liberia 2, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 1, NZ 2, Panama 4, Portugal 1,
    Singapore 6, Spain 1, Tonga 1, UK 4, US 2, Vanuatu 2) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle,
  Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney

§8. Australia Military

Military branches:
  Australian Defense Force (ADF): Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy,
    Royal Australian Air Force, Special Operations Command

Military service age and obligation:
  16 years of age for voluntary service; women allowed to serve in Army
  combat units in non-combat support roles (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 16-49: 4,943,676 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 16-49: 4,092,717 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 142,158 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $17.84 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.7% (2005 est.)

§9. Australia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  East Timor 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 (see also Ashmore and Cartier Islands dispute); regional
  states 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 margin from both its mainland and
  Antarctic claims

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


<Factbook 2006>
