Map of Australia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Australia became a British commonwealth in 1901. Blessed by rich natural resources, the country enjoyed rapid gains in herding, agriculture, and manufacturing and made a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Australia subsequently developed its minerals, metals, and fossil fuel markets, all of which have become key Australian exports. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.


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Location: Southwestern Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 7,686,850 km²
Land: 7,617,930 km²

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

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

Terrain: mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Elevation

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.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; subject to severe droughts

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


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Population: 18,077,419 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.38% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Australian(s)

Ethnic groups: Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Languages: English, native languages

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.38% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 14.29 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 7.38 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: 6.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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 freshwater availability

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.57 years
Male: 74.45 years
Female: 80.84 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form:

Government 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: (6) 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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)

Legislative branch: Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
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

International organization participation: 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, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edward PERKINS
From the us chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
From the us telephone: [61] (6) 270-5,000
From the us fax: (202) 797-3,168
From the us consulates general: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
From the us embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2,600
From the us mailing address: APO AP 96,549
From the us FAX: [61] (6) 270-5,970
From the us consulates: Brisbane

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Unemployment has hovered around 10% and probably will remain at that level in 1994 as productivity gains rather than more jobs account for growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1993)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (FY93; accounts for 32% of GDP

Labor force: 8.63 million (September 1991)
By occupation finance and services: 33.8%
By occupation public and community services: 22.3%
By occupation wholesaleandretailtrade: 20.1%
By occupation manufacturingandindustry: 16.2%
By occupation agriculture: 6.1% (1987)

Unemployment rate: 10% (December 1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$71.9 billion

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $44.1 billion (1992)
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: $43.6 billion (1992)
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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $141.1 billion (1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 150 billion kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 8,475 kWh (1992)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $7.1 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92/93)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 481
Usable: 440
With permanentsurface runways: 241
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 20
With runways 1220-2439 m: 268

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine: 83 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,517,538 GRT/3,711,549 DWT, bulk 30, cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 7, liquefied gas 5, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 2, vehicle carrier 1

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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