Australia

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

Australia as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 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

17.29 million July 1991 · 16.92m in 1990

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 1991 · 1.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 8 in 1990

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

11 fields

Total area

7,686,850km2

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

Coastline

25,760 km Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial 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

Land use

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

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

17,288,044

(July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

15Death

7Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Caucasian 95%Asian 4%Aboriginal and other 1%

Literacy

100%

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

Nationality

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

Religion

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

Labor force

7,700,000; 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)

Government

Federal parliamentary state

18 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) government--Australian Labor Party, Robert James Lee HAWKE;
opposition--Liberal Party, John HEWSON;
National Party, Timothy FISCHER;
Australian Democratic Party, Janet POWELL

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18 Senate--last held 11 July 1987 (next to be held by July 1993);
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)

AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NEA, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIIMOG, UNTAG, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 96404);
telephone [61] (6) 270-5000;
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

GDP, purchasing power parity

$255.9billion

per capita $15,000; real growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Inflation, consumer prices

6.9%

(December 1990)

Unemployment rate

9.2%

(March 1991)

External debt

$123.7billion

(September 1990)

Budget

Revenues

$74.2 billionExpenditures

$67.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of NA (FY90)

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.

Exports

$39.8 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--metals, minerals, coal, wool, cereals, meat, manufacturers;
partners--Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong

Imports

$42.0 billion (f.o.b., FY90);
commodities--manufactured raw materials, capital equipment, consumer goods;
partners--US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)

Industrial production

growth rate - 1.8% (1990); accounts for 32% of GDP

Electricity

38,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,860 kWh per capita (1990)

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

Economic aid

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

Currency

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

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (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 6container 6roll-on/roll-off cargo 10vehicle carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 16chemical tanker 1liquefied gas 4combination ore/oil 1bulk 3077 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,249,926 GRT/3,391,323 DWT

Airports, 747 total, 524 usable

permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways over 3,659 m

270runways 2,440-3,659 m

17runways 1,220-2,439 m

401

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