CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Australia


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!| 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 its 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. 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 a republic, was defeated in 1999.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island land: 7,617,930 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.41% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol !| Geography - note:
 * Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
 * 27 00 S, 133 00 E
 * Oceania
 * total: 7,686,850 sq km
 * slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
 * 0 km
 * 25,760 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
 * mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
 * lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m
 * bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
 * arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland)
 * 24,000 sq km (1998 est.)
 * cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 6,747,687; female 6,623,995) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 1,121,522; female 1,426,917) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 35.5 years female: 37.1 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: 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 (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 77.4 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Australian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.)
 * 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 2,044,449; female 1,948,574)
 * total: 36.3 years
 * 0.9% (2004 est.)
 * 12.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 80.26 years
 * 1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.1% (2003 est.)
 * 14,000 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Australian(s)
 * Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
 * Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%
 * English, native languages
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Australia !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Dependent areas: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since 20 July 1999) cabinet: Parliament nominates and selects, from among its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers; from this list, the governor general swears in the final selections for the Cabinet 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: elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party (as of 1 July 2003) - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 34, Australian Labor Party 28, Australian Democrats 7, Green Party 2, One Nation Party 1, Country Liberal Party 1, Australian Progressive Alliance 1, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 86, Australian Labor Party 60, Country Liberal Party 1, independent and other 3 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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:
 * conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
 * democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign
 * Canberra
 * 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
 * Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
 * 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
 * Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
 * 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
 * based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
 * 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
 * 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)
 * bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (150 seats - this is up from 148 seats in 2001 election; members elected by popular vote on the basis of preferential representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)
 * High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
 * Australian Democrats [Andrew BARTLETT]; Australian Labor Party [Mark LATHAM]; Australian Progressive Alliance [Meg LEES]; Country Liberal Party [Terry MILLS]; Australian Greens [Bob BROWN]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; The Nationals [John ANDERSON]; One Nation Party [Len HARRIS]
 * Australian Monarchist League [leader NA]; Australian Republican Movement [leader NA]
 * ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, ZC
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY
 * chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 26.3% services: 70.2% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $181 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - donor: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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 has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. 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 to $18 billion in 2003 and to $20 billion in 2004 from $8 billion in 2002. One other concern is the domestic housing bubble.
 * purchasing power parity - $571.4 billion (2003 est.)
 * 3% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $29,000 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 3.5%
 * 24.8% of GDP (2003)
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: 2%
 * 35.2 (1994)
 * 2.8% (2003 est.)
 * 10.19 million (37256)
 * agriculture 5%, industry 22%, services 73% (1997 est.)
 * 6% (2003)
 * revenues: $185 billion
 * 18.2% of GDP (2003)
 * wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry
 * mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel
 * -0.1% (2003 est.)
 * 198.2 billion kWh (2001)
 * 184.4 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 731,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 796,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 523,400 bbl/day (2001)
 * 530,800 bbl/day (2001)
 * 3.664 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 33.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 23.33 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 9.744 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $-30.14 billion (2003)
 * $68.67 billion (2003 est.)
 * coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
 * Japan 18.1%, US 8.7%, China 8.4%, South Korea 7.4%, New Zealand 7.4%, UK 6.7% (2003)
 * $82.91 billion (2003 est.)
 * machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
 * US 16%, Japan 12.5%, China 11%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.2% (2003)
 * $33.26 billion (2003)
 * $233.5 billion (2003 est.)
 * ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)
 * Australian dollar (AUD)
 * AUD
 * Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000), 1.55 (1999)
 * 1 July - 30 June
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: 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 - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean regions) (1998) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 10.815 million (2003)
 * 14.347 million (2003)
 * general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
 * AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)
 * 25.5 million (1997)
 * 104 (1997)
 * 10.15 million (1997)
 * .au
 * 2,847,763 (2003)
 * 571 (2002)
 * 9.472 million (2002)
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!| Railways: broad gauge: 1,957 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 27,095 km 1.435-m gauge (2,828 km electrified) dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2003) narrow gauge: 14,957 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) !| Highways: paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways) unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: foreign-owned: United Kingdom 2, United States 12 registered in other countries: 60 (2004 est.) by type: bulk 20, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 3, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 6 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 131 914 to 1,523 m: 139 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.)
 * total: 44,015 km (5,290 km electrified)
 * total: 811,603 km
 * 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004)
 * condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)
 * Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
 * total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT
 * 444 (2003 est.)
 * total: 305
 * total: 143
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, new Special Operations Command (announced in December 2002)
 * 16 years of age for voluntary service (2001)
 * males age 15-49: 5,061,810 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 4,356,671 (2004 est.)
 * males: 140,182 (2004 est.)
 * $14,120.1 million (2003)
 * 2.8% (2003)
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