Australia
Commonwealth of Australia
democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereignIndependence 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Australia as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 111 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take 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. 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 an independent republic, was defeated in 1999.
Geography
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
18 fieldsLand useshare of 7,686,850 sq km
Natural resources
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum
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
Environment - 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, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Geography - 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
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2000 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 21% (male 2,052,095; female 1,954,543)
- 15-64 years:
- 67% (male 6,458,083; female 6,322,475)
- 65 years and over:
- 12% (male 1,040,950; female 1,340,937) (2000 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.78 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Government
Democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996); Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996)
20 fieldsSenate, 148 seats, elected 3 October 1998one dot, one seat
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since NA)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- elections:
- none;
- the monarch is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term
note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party
Legislative branch
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)
- elections:
- Senate - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001); House of Representatives - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001)
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 35, Australian Labor Party 29, Australian Democratic Party 9, Green Party 1, One Nation Party 1, independent 1;
- House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 80, Australian Labor Party 67, independent 1
Judicial branch
High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general
Political parties and leaders
- Australian Democratic Party [Meg LEES];
- Australian Labor Party [Kim BEAZLEY];
- Green Party [Bob BROWN];
- Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD];
- National Party [John ANDERSON];
- One Nation Party [Pauline HANSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)
International organization participation
ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michael THAWLEY
- chancery:
- 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 797-3000
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 797-3168
- consulate(s) general:
- Atlanta, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Genta Hawkins HOLMES
- embassy:
- Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
- mailing address:
- APO AP 96549
- telephone:
- [61] (6) 6214-5600
- FAX:
- [61] (6) 6214-5970
- consulate(s) general:
- Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
Flag description
- 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 GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies.
31 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1998 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for 57% of the value of total exports, so that 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. While Australia has suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD countries in the early 1990s and during the recent financial problems in East Asia, the economy has expanded at a solid 4% annual growth pace in the last five years.
Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's resilience to the regional crisis and its stronger than expected growth rate. Growth in 2000 will depend on key international commodity prices, the extent of recovery in nearby Asian economies, and the strength of US and European markets.
Exports - commodities
coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
Exports - partners
Japan 20%, EU 14%, ASEAN 11%, US 10%, South Korea, NZ, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (1998)
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.52068 (January 2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
excellent domestic and international service
- domestic:
- domestic satellite system
- international:
- 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)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 33,819 km (2,540 km electrified)
- broad gauge:
- 3,719 km 1.600-m gauge
- standard gauge:
- 15,422 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 14,506 km 1.067-m gauge
- dual gauge:
- 172 km NA gauges (1999)
Highways
- total:
- 913,000 km
- paved:
- 353,331 km (including 13,630 km of expressways)
- unpaved:
- 559,669 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine
- total:
- 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,657,194 GRT/2,206,574 DWT
- ships by type:
- bulk 28, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, container 1, liquified gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll-on/roll-off 6 (1999 est.)
Military
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Australia.” The World Factbook 2000. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/australia/2000.