Australia

federal parliamentary stateIndependence 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

Australia as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalCanberra

Area7,686,850 km2

Populationas each edition published it

16.92 million July 1990 · 27.49m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.41% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 36 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 77.36 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.8 children per woman 1990 · 1.5 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $16,700 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.5% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 7,686,850 km2

arable land 6%meadows and pastures 58%forest and woodland 14%other 22%NEGL% permanent crops; includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

7,686,850km2

land area: 7,617,930 km2; includes Macquarie IslandComparative area: slightly smaller than the US

Coastline

25,760km

land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 3 nm

Disputes

territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Natural resources

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

Environment

subject to severe droughts and floods;
cyclones along coast;
limited freshwater availability;
irrigated soil degradation;
regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as the doctor occurs along west coast in summer;
desertification

Note

world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country

People

14 fields

Population

16,923,478

(July 1990), growth rate 1.3% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

15Death

8Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Caucasian 95%Asian 4%Aboriginal and other 1%

Literacy

98.5%

Nationality

noun--Australian(s); adjective--Australian

Religion

26.1% Anglican, 26.0% Roman Catholic, 24.3% other Christian

Labor force

7,700,000; 33.8% finance and services, 22.3% public and community services, 20.1% wholesale and retail trade, 16.2% manufacturing and industry, 6.1% agriculture (1987)

Government

Federal parliamentary state

19 fields

Senate, 76 seats, elected 11 July 1987one dot, one seat

Labor 32Liberal-National 34Australian Democrats 7independents 3

Percent of vote

Labor 43%Liberal-National 42%Australian Democrats 8%independents 2%

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)

Legal system

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

National holiday

Australia Day (last Monday in January), 29 January 1990

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

Judicial branch

High Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 1952), represented by Governor General William George HAYDEN (since NA February 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Robert James Lee HAWKE (since 11 March 1983);
Deputy Prime Minister Paul KEATING (since 3 April 1990)

Political parties and leaders

government--Australian Labor Party, Robert Hawke;
opposition--Liberal Party, Andrew Peacock;
National Party, Charles Blunt;
Australian Democratic Party, Janine Haines

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18 Senate--last held 11 July 1987 (next to be held by 12 May 1990);
results--Labor 43%, Liberal-National 42%, Australian Democrats 8%, independents 2%;
seats--(76 total) Labor 32, Liberal-National 34, Australian Democrats 7, independents 3;
House of Representatives--last held 24 March 1990 (next to be held by November 1993);
results--Labor 39.7%, Liberal-National 43%, Australian Democrats and independents 11.1%;
seats--(148 total) Labor 78, Liberal-National 69, independent 1

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)

ADB, AIOEC, ANZUS, CCC, CIPEC (associate), Colombo Plan, Commonwealth, DAC, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC--International Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Michael J. COOK;
Chancery at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
telephone (202) 797-3000;
there are Australian Consulates General in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco;
US--Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER;
Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (mailing address is APO San Francisco 6404);
telephone [61] (62) 705000;
there are US Consulates General in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and a Consulate in 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

Economy

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GNP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

8.0%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

6.0%

(December 1989)

External debt

$111.6billion

(September 1989)

Budget

Revenues

$76.3 billionExpenditures

$69.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (FY90 est.)

Overview

Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GNP 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. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are primary products, so that, as happened during 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 will be severe.

GNP

$240.8 billion, per capita $14,300; real growth rate 4.1% (1989 est.)

Exports

$43.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89);
commodities--wheat, barley, beef, lamb, dairy products, wool, coal, iron ore;
partners--Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, USSR 3%

Imports

$48.6 billion (c.i.f., FY89);
commodities--manufactured raw materials, capital equipment, consumer goods;
partners--US 22%, Japan 22%, UK 7%, FRG 6%, NZ 4% (1984)

Industrial production

growth rate 5.6% (FY88)

Electricity

38,000,000 kW capacity; 139,000 million kWh produced, 8,450 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 5% of GNP and 37% 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

Aid

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $8.8 billion

Currency

Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 77 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 2cargo 7container 5roll-on/roll-off cargo 10petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 17chemical tanker 2liquefied gas 3combination ore/oil 1livestock carrier 1bulk 2977 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,300,049 GRT/3,493,802 DWT

Airports, 564 total, 524 usable

permanent-surface runways, 2 with runways over 3,659 m

235runways 2,440-3,659 m

20runways 1,220-2,439 m

311

Networkskm

Highways

837,872Inland waterways

8,368

Highways: ; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth · Inland waterways: ; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft

Railroads

40,478 km total;
7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge;
183 km dual gauge;
1,130 km electrified;
government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned track) (1985)

Highways

837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

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

good international and domestic service;
8.7 million telephones;
stations--258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV;
submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia;
domestic satellite service;
satellite stations--4 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations