Australia

Commonwealth of Australia

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

Australia as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 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

LocationOceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand

Populationas each edition published it

17.83 million July 1993 est. · 16.92m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.41% 1993 est. · 1.59% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 36 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.36 years 1993 est. · 83.5 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.83 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 8 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$16,700 1992 · $60,100 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

2.5% 1992 · 1.4% in 2025

Geography

Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand

14 fields

Land useshare of 7,686,850 km2

arable land 6%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 58%forest and woodland 14%other 22%irrigated 18,800 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

7,686,850km2

land area: 7,617,930 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than the USnote: includes Macquarie Island

Coastline

25,760km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 12 nmcontinental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Oceania, between Indonesia and New Zealand

Map references

Southeast Asia, Oceania, Antarctic Region, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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, petroleum

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

17,827,204

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.41% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

14.43Death

7.38Net migration

7.01

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years77.36

74.24 · 80.63

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy100%

100% · 100%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1980)

Ethnic divisions

Caucasian 95%Asian 4%Aboriginal and other 1%

Labor force

8.63million

(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)

Infant mortality rate

7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Australian(s)
adjective:: Australian

Religions

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

Government

Federal parliamentary state

22 fields

Names

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

Administrative divisions

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales,, Northern

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

Political parties and leaders

government:: Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING
opposition:: Liberal Party, John HEWSON;
National Party, Timothy FISCHER;
Australian Democratic Party, John COULTER

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)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Elections

House of Representatives:: last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (147 total) Labor 80, Liberal-National 65, independent 2
Senate:: last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA May 1999);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (76 total) Liberal-National 36, Labor 30, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2, independents 1

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

Leaders

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)

AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, COCOM, 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, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Michael J. COOK
chancery:: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:: (202) 797-3000
consulates general:: Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: (vacant)
embassy:: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address:: APO AP 96549
telephone:: [61] (6) 270-5000
FAX:: [61] (6) 270-5970
consulates general:: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
consulate:: 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

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$16,700

(1992)

Real growth rate

2.5%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%; accounts for 32% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

0.8%

(September 1992)

Unemployment rate

11.3%

(December 1992)

Budget

Revenues

$68.5 billionExpenditures

$78.0 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93)

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. 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 continues to be severe.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $293.5 billion (1992)

Exports

$41.7 billion (f.o.b., FY91)

commodities:: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
partners:: Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong

Imports

$37.8 billion (f.o.b., FY91)

commodities:: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, crude oil and petroleum products
partners:: US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)

External debt

$130.4 billion (June 1991)

Electricity

40,000,000 kW capacity; 150,000 million kWh produced, 8,475 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 5% of GDP 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

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

Economic aid

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

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2836 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 82 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 2cargo 8container 7roll-on/roll-off 8vehicle carrier 1oil tanker 17chemical tanker 3liquefied gas 4bulk 30combination bulk 282 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,347,271 GRT/3,534,926 DWT

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;
petroleum products 500 km;
natural gas 5,600 km

Ports

Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville

Airports

total:: 481
usable:: 439
with permanent-surface runways:: 243
with runways over 3,659 m:: 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 20
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 268

Telecommunications

good international and domestic service;
8.7 million telephones;
broadcast 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