Australia

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 258, FM 67, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

8,700,000 telephones; good international and domestic service local: NA intercity: domestic satellite service international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; 10 INTELSAT (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Television

broadcast stations: 134 televisions: NA

Branches

Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $7.2 billion, 2.2% of GDP (FY94/95) AUSTRIA

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 4,934,175; males fit for military service 4,274,900; males reach military age (17) annually 131,852 (1995 est.)

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $83.8 billion expenditures: $92.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion

Electricity

capacity: 34,540,000 kW production: 155 billion kWh consumption per capita: 8,021 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)

Exports

$50.4 billion (1994) 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)

External debt

$147.2 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

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

Imports

$51.1 billion (1994) 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)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.9% (FY93/94); accounts for 32% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $374.6 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$20,720 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

6.4% (1994)

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. Growth picked up so strongly in 1994 that the government felt the need for fiscal and monetary tightening by yearend. Australia's GDP grew 6.4% in 1994, largely due to increases in industrial output and business investment. A severe drought in 1994 is expected to reduce the value of Australia's net farm production by $825 million in the twelve months through June 1995, but rising world commodity prices are likely to boost rural exports by 7.7% to $14.5 billion in 1995/96, according to government statistics.

Unemployment rate

8.9% (December 1994)

Area

total area: 7,686,850 sq km land area: 7,617,930 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than the US note: includes Macquarie Island

Climate

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

Coastline

25,760 km

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 natural hazards: cyclones along the coast; severe droughts international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

International disputes

territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

Irrigated land

18,800 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 6% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 58% forest and woodland: 14% other: 22%

Location

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Map references

Oceania

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

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

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

Terrain

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Canberra

Constitution

9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Dependent areas

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island

Digraph

AS

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Eric RUSSELL chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000

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) cabinet: Cabinet; prime minister selects his cabinet from members of the House and Senate

FAX

[1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco

FAX

[61] (6) 270-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney consulate(s): Brisbane

Flag

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

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

Independence

1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

Judicial branch

High Court

Legal system

based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Parliament

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Names

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

National holiday

Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

Other political or pressure groups

Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)

Political parties and leaders

government: Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING opposition: Liberal Party, John HOWARD; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian Democratic Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, leader NA

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type

federal parliamentary state

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Edward J. PERKINS embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (6) 270-5000

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (female 1,929,366; male 2,032,238) 15-64 years: 67% (female 6,017,362; male 6,181,887) 65 years and over: 11% (female 1,227,004; male 934,374) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

14.13 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

7.37 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, aboriginal and other 1%

Infant mortality rate

7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

8.63 million (September 1991) by occupation: finance and services 33.8%, public and community services 22.3%, wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry 16.2%, agriculture 6.1% (1987)

Languages

English, native languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.78 years male: 74.67 years female: 81.04 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Nationality

noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian

Net migration rate

6.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

18,322,231 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

1.31% (1995 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Airports

total: 480 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 9 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 128 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 125 with paved runways under 914 m: 31 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 23 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 149

Highways

total: 837,872 km paved: 243,750 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 228,396 km; unimproved earth 365,726 km

Inland waterways

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

Merchant marine

total: 81 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,620,536 GRT/3,801,970 DWT ships by type: bulk 30, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 6, oil tanker 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7, short-sea passenger 1

Pipelines

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

Ports

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceton (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville

Railroads

total: 40,478 km (1,130 km electrified; 183 km dual gauge) broad gauge: 7,970 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 16,201 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 16,307 km 1.067-m gauge