HEADING
| Australian History | Australian Culture | Australian Nature | Australian Facts |
| Background: |  Australia
became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was
able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly
develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and
to make a major contribution to the British effort in World
Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly
depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation
of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum
to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by
the British monarch to an independent republic, was defeated
in 1999. |
| Australia | Geography | Top of Page |
| 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 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 contiguous 48 states of the US |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 25,760 km |
| 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 |
| 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, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum |
| Land use: | arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 54% forests and woodland: 19% other: 21% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | 21,070 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts |
| 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,
Nuclear Test Ban, 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; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer |
| Australia | People | Top of Page |
| Population: | 19,357,594 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.64% (male 2,045,892;
female 1,948,949) 15-64 years: 66.86% (male 6,538,096; female 6,405,014) 65 years and over: 12.5% (male 1,059,107; female 1,360,536) (2001 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.99% (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian |
| Australia | Government | Top of Page |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador J.
Thomas SCHIEFFER 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: Sydney consulate(s): Melbourne and Perth |
| 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 |
| Australia | Economy | Top of Page |
| Economy - overview: | Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for 57% 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. While Australia has suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD countries in the early 1990s and during the recent financial problems in East Asia, the economy has expanded at a solid 4% annual growth pace in the last five years. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's resilience to the regional crisis and its stronger than expected growth rate. Growth in 2001 will depend on key international commodity prices, the extent of recovery in nearby Asian economies, and the strength of US and European markets. |
| Australia | Communications | Top of Page |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 9.58 million (1998) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 6.4 million (1998) |
| 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: 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) (1998) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: | 25.5 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 104 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 10.15 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .au |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 264 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 7.77 million (2000) |