Australia

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

• cyclones along the coast;
• severe droughts;
• forest fires

• 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

• 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

0-14 years:

20.2% (male 2,045,783; female 1,949,864)

15-64 years:

67.1% (male 6,680,531; female 6,553,141)

65 years and over:

12.7% (male 1,099,275; female 1,403,390) (2003 est.)

at birth:

1.05 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 (2003 est.)

noun:

Australian(s)

adjective:

Australian

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form:

Australia

chief of state:

Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFREY (since 11 August 2003)

head of government:

Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since 20 July 1999)

cabinet:

• Parliament nominates and selects, from among its members, a list of candidates to serve as government ministers;
• from this list, the governor general swears in the final selections for the Cabinet

elections:

• none;
• the monarch is hereditary;
• governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister;
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general

note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party

• Australian Democrats [Andrew BARTLETT];
• Australian Labor Party [Mark LATHAM];
• Australian Progressive Alliance [Meg LEES];
• Country Labor Party [leader NA];
• Australian Greens [Bob BROWN];
• Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD];
• The Nationals [John ANDERSON];
• One Nation Party [Len HARRIS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco

FAX:

[1] (202) 797-3168

telephone:

[1] (202) 797-3000

chancery:

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission:

Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER

embassy:

Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600

mailing address:

APO AP 96549

telephone:

[61] (02) 6214-5600

FAX:

[61] (02) 6214-5970

consulate(s) general:

Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

• 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 known as the Commonwealth Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901;
• the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories;
• 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

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

25.4% (1994)

general assessment:

excellent domestic and international service

domestic:

• domestic satellite system;
• much use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density;
• rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones

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) (1998)

total:

41,588 km (4,612 km electrified)

broad gauge:

2,193 km 1.600-m gauge

narrow gauge:

15,456 km 1.067-m gauge

dual gauge:

291 km dual gauge (2002)

standard gauge:

23,648 km 1.435-m gauge

total:

811,603 km

paved:

314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways)

unpaved:

497,513 km (1999 est.)

• condensate 36 km;
• condensate/gas 243 km;
• gas 27,321 km;
• liquid petroleum gas 240 km;
• oil 4,779 km;
• oil/gas/water 104 km;
• water 40 km (2003)

total:

51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,415,810 GRT/1,806,554 DWT

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 2, UK 2, US 14 (2002 est.)

ships by type:

bulk 20, cargo 6, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 6

• maritime delimitation and resource sharing agreements signed with East Timor resolve dispute over "Timor Gap" hydrocarbon reserves;
• no agreement reached on dividing Timor Sea with Indonesia (see Ashmore and Cartier Islands disputes);
• Australia asserts a territorial claim to Antarctica and to its continental shelf (see Antarctica)

• 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