Background: Prehistoric settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia at least 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 of the east coast in the name of Great Britain (all of Australia was claimed as British territory in 1829 with the creation of the colony of Western Australia). 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 Allied effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades Australia has become an internationally competitive advanced market economy due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s and its location in one of the fastest growing regions of the world economy. Long-term concerns include aging of the population pressure on infrastructure and environmental issues such as floods droughts and bushfires. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth making it particularly vulnerable to the challenges of climate change. Australia is home to 10 per cent of the world's biodiversity and a great number of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else in the world. In January 2013 Australia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.

Geographic coordinates: 27 00 S 133 00 E

Area
Rank: 6
Land: 7,682,300 km²
Water: 58,920 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 25,760 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Natural resources: bauxite coal iron ore copper tin gold silver uranium nickel tungsten rare earth elements mineral sands lead zinc diamonds natural gas petroleum

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.05%
Other: 93.79% (2011)

Irrigated land: 25,460 km² (2006)

Total renewable water resources: 492 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
Volcanism: volcanic activity on Heard and McDonald Islands

Geography
Note: world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; the largest country in Oceania the largest country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest country without land borders; the only continent without glaciers; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; the invigorating 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

Population: 22,507,617 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 56
Growth rate: 1.09% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 112
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Australian

Ethnic groups: white 92% Asian 7% aboriginal and other 1%

Languages: English 76.8% Mandarin 1.6% Italian 1.4% Arabic 1.3% Greek 1.2% Cantonese 1.2% Vietnamese 1.1% other 10.4% unspecified 5% (2011 est.)

Religions: Protestant 28.8% (Anglican 17.1% Uniting Church 5.0% Presbyterian and Reformed 2.8% Baptist 1.6% Lutheran 1.2% Pentecostal 1.1%) Catholic 25.3% Eastern Orthodox 2.6% other Christian 4.5% Buddhist 2.5% Muslim 2.2% Hindu 1.3% other 8.4% unspecified 2.2% none 22.3%

Age structure
15-24 years: 13.3% (male 1,534,947/female 1,457,250)
25-54 years: 41.8% (male 4,783,473/female 4,626,603)
55-64 years: 11.8% (male 1,321,246/female 1,341,329)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 1,569,197/female 1,828,611) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 28.9 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 22.1 %
Potential support ratio: 4.5 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 37.5 years
Female: 39 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.09% (2014 est.)
Rank: 112

Birth rate: 12.19 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 162

Death rate: 7.07 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 130

Net migration rate: 5.74 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 23

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.49% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: Sydney 4.543 million; Melbourne 3.961 million; Brisbane 2.039 million; Perth 1.649 million; Adelaide 1.198 million; CANBERRA (capital) 399,000 (2011)

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 freshwater resources
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 30.5 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 190
Male: 4.74 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.1 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 10
Male: 79.63 years
Female: 84.64 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 162

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 72.3%

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.85 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 3.9 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 125
People living with hivaids: 20,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 81
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 123

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 26.8% (2008)
Rank: 44

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.2% (2007)
Rank: 136

Education expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 56

Literacy
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 19 years
Female: 20 years (2011)

Country name
Conventional short form: Australia

Government type: federal parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 35 16 S 149 08 E
Time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins first Sunday in October; ends first Sunday in April

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

Dependent areas: (7) Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Macquarie Island, Norfolk Island

Independence: 1 January 1901 (from the federation of UK colonies)

National holiday: Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers) 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli Turkey) 25 April (1915)

Constitution: 9 July 1900; effective 1 January 1901; amended several times last in 1977; note - a referendum to amend the constitution to reflect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Act 2013 is to be completed by the end of 2014 (2013)

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Anthony John 'Tony' ABBOTT (since 18 September 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Warren TRUSS (since 18 September 2013)
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: the monarchy 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

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats; 12 members 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 vote to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives)
Elections: Senate - last held on 7 September 2013; House of Representatives - last held on 7 September 2013 (the latest a simultaneous half-Senate and House of Representative elections can be held is 30 November 2016)
Election results: Senate NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - Liberal/National Coalition 53.45% Australian Labor Party 46.55%; seats by party - Liberal/National Coalition 90 (Liberal 58 Liberal National 22 Nationals 9 Country Liberals 1) Australian Labor Party 55 Australian Greens Party 1 Katter's Australian Party 1 Palmer United Party 1 independents 2

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor-general in council for life with mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: subordinate courts at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Magistrates' Courts of Australia; Family Court; subordinate courts at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts - Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia Tasmania Northern Territory Australian Capital Territory; District Courts - New South Wales Queensland South Australia Western Australia; County Court - Victoria; Family Court - Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions - Norfolk Island

Political parties and leaders: Palmer United Party [Clive PALMER]

International organization participation: ADB ANZUS APEC ARF ASEAN (dialogue partner) Australia Group BIS C CD CP EAS EBRD EITI (implementing country) FAO FATF G-20 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IEA IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NEA NSG OECD OPCW OSCE (partner) Pacific Alliance (observer) Paris Club PCA PIF SAARC (observer) SICA (observer) Sparteca SPC UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNMISS UNMIT UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 797-3,000
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 797-3,168
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Chicago Honolulu Los Angeles New York San Francisco
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 telephone: [61] (02) 6,214-5,600
From the us FAX: [61] (02) 6,214-5,970
From the us consulate 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 or Federation 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; on the fly 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: Southern Cross constellation (five seven-pointed stars); kangaroo; emu

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Peter Dodds McCORMICK

Economy overview: The Australian economy has experienced continuous growth and features low unemployment contained inflation very low public debt and a strong and stable financial system. By 2012 Australia had experienced more than 20 years of continued economic growth averaging 3.5% a year. Demand for resources and energy from Asia and especially China has grown rapidly creating a channel for resources investments and growth in commodity exports. The high Australian dollar has hurt the manufacturing sector while the services sector is the largest part of the Australian economy accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of jobs. Australia was comparatively unaffected by the global financial crisis as the banking system has remained strong and inflation is under control. Australia has benefited from a dramatic surge in its terms of trade in recent years stemming from rising global commodity prices. Australia is a significant exporter of natural resources energy and food. Australia's abundant and diverse natural resources attract high levels of foreign investment and include extensive reserves of coal iron copper gold natural gas uranium and renewable energy sources. A series of major investments such as the US$40 billion Gorgon Liquid Natural Gas project will significantly expand the resources sector. Australia is an open market with minimal restrictions on imports of goods and services. The process of opening up has increased productivity stimulated growth and made the economy more flexible and dynamic. Australia plays an active role in the World Trade Organization APEC the G20 and other trade forums. Australia has bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with Chile Malaysia New Zealand Singapore Thailand and the US has a regional FTA with ASEAN and New Zealand is negotiating agreements with China India Indonesia Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as with its Pacific neighbors and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and is also working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with Brunei Darussalam Canada Chile Malaysia Mexico New Zealand Peru Singapore the US and Vietnam.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 18

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 131

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 21

Gross national saving:
Rank: 53

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 17.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 27.4%
Investment in inventories: 0.1%
Exports of goods and services: 20.9%
Imports of goods and services: -20.8%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 27.4%
Services: 68.7% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat barley sugarcane fruits; cattle sheep poultry

Industries: mining industrial and transportation equipment food processing chemicals steel

Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (2013 est.)
Rank: 91

Labor force: 12.44 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 43
By occupation industry: 21.1%
By occupation services: 75% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2012 est.)
Rank: 53

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 25.4% (1994)

Distribution of family income gini index: 35.2 (1994)
Rank: 120

Budget
Expenditures: $514.4 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 66

Taxes and other revenues: 33.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 75

Public debt: 32.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 112

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 89

Central bank discount rate: 4.35% (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 82

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.98% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 120

Stock of narrow money: $534.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 10

Stock of broad money: $1.648 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 11

Stock of domestic credit: $2.255 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 12

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 9

Current account balance: -$57.14 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 186

Exports: $257.9 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 22
Commodities: coal iron ore gold meat wool alumina wheat machinery and transport equipment
Partners: China 29.5% Japan 19.3% South Korea 8% India 4.9% (2012)

Imports: $263 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 21
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment computers and office machines telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Partners: China 18.4% US 11.7% Japan 7.9% Singapore 6% Germany 4.6% Thailand 4.2% South Korea 4.1% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $49.15 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 40

Debt external: $1.497 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 13

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $610.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 13

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $426 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 16

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 225.5 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 20
Consumption: 213.5 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 17
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 99
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 116
Installed generating capacity: 59.13 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 17
Generation sources fossil fuels: 78.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 94
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 41
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 13.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 105
Generation sources other renewable sources: 5.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 46

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 519,100 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 32
Crude oil exports: 314,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 25
Crude oil imports: 475,900 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 18
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.433 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 39

Refined petroleum
Products production: 675,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 25
Products consumption: 1.023 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 20
Products exports: 70,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 53
Products imports: 304,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 21

Natural gas
Production: 48.24 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 20
Consumption: 33.39 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 27
Exports: 30.27 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 15
Imports: 10.92 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 27
Proven reserves: 1.219 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 24

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 392.3 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 10.47 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 20
Mobile cellular: 24.4 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 43

Telephone system
Domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile telephones
International: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia the Middle East and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean) 2 Inmarsat 2 Globalstar 5 other) (2007)

Broadcast media: the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs multiple national and local radio networks and TV stations as well as Australia Network a TV service that broadcasts throughout the Asia-Pacific region and is the main public broadcaster; Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) a second large public broadcaster operates radio and TV networks broadcasting in multiple languages; several large national commercial TV networks a large number of local commercial TV stations and hundreds of commercial radio stations are accessible; cable and satellite systems are available (2008)

Internet
Country code: .au
Hosts: 17.081 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 8
Users: 15.81 million (2009)
Users rank: 25

Military expenditures:
Rank: 51

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; women allowed to serve in most combat roles except the Army special forces (2013)

Airports: 480 (2013)
Rank: 16
With paved runways over 3047 m: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 14
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 155
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 155
With paved runways under 914 m: 14 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 101
With unpaved runways: 14 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate/gas 637 km; gas 30,054 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 3,609 km; oil/gas/water 110 km; refined products 72 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 7
Broad gauge: 3,355 km 1.600-m gauge
Standard gauge: 21,674 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 9,539 km 1.067-m gauge (2,067 km electrified); 3,877 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 9
Paved: 356,343 km
Unpaved: 466,874 km (2011)

Waterways: 2000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2011)
Rank: 43

Merchant marine
Rank: 75
By type: bulk carrier 8 cargo 7 liquefied gas 4 passenger 6 passenger/cargo 6 petroleum tanker 5 roll on/roll off 5
Foreign owned: 17 (Canada 5 Germany 2 Singapore 2 South Africa 1 UK 5 US 2)
Registered in other countries: 25 (Bahamas 1 Dominica 1 Fiji 2 Liberia 1 Netherlands 1 Panama 4 Singapore 12 Tonga 1 UK 1 US 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Dry bulk cargo port: Dampier (iron ore) Dalrymple Bay (coal) Hay Point (coal) Port Hedland (iron ore) Port Walcott (iron ore)
Container port: Brisbane (1,004,983) Melbourne (2,467,967) Sydney (2,028,074)(2011)
LNG terminal: Darwin Karratha

Disputes international: In 2007 Australia and Timor-Leste agreed to a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing arrangement and deferred a maritime boundary; Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica; Australia's 2004 submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) extends its continental margins over 3.37 million square kilometers expanding its seabed roughly 30 percent beyond its claimed exclusive economic zone; all borders between Indonesia and Australia have been agreed upon bilaterally but a 1997 treaty that would settle the last of their maritime and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary has yet to be ratified by Indonesia's legislature; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing

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; major co