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;
• the invigorating sea breeze known as the "Fremantle Doctor" affects the city of Perth on the west coast, and is one of the most consistent winds in the world

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.049 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.017 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.794 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

noun:

Australian(s)

adjective:

Australian

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of Australia

conventional short form:

Australia

name:

Canberra

geographic coordinates:

35 17 S, 149 13 E

time difference:

UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March

note: Australia is divided into three time zones

chief of state:

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

head of government:

Prime Minister Kevin RUDD (since 3 December 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Julia GILLARD (since 3 December 2007)

cabinet:

prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers

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

• Australian Democrats [Lyn ALLISON];
• Australian Greens [Bob BROWN];
• Australian Labor Party [Kevin RUDD];
• Country Liberal Party [Jodeen CARNEY];
• Family First Party [Steve FIELDING];
• Liberal Party [Brendan NELSON];
• The Nationals [Warren TRUSS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dennis J. RICHARDSON

chancery:

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 797-3000

FAX:

[1] (202) 797-3168

consulate(s) general:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Robert D. McCALLUM, Jr.

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 or Federation 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;
• on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars

agriculture:

3.6%

industry:

21.2%

services:

75.2% (2004 est.)

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:

• country code - 61;
• landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe;
• the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States;
• satellite earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar, 5 other) (2007)

• condensate/gas 546 km;
• gas 31,323 km;
• liquid petroleum gas 240 km;
• oil 4,808 km;
• oil/gas/water 110 km (2006)

total:

38,550 km

broad gauge:

3,727 km 1.600-m gauge

standard gauge:

20,519 km 1.435-m gauge (1,877 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

14,074 km 1.067-m gauge (2,453 km electrified)

dual gauge:

230 km dual gauge (2006)

total:

810,641 km

paved:

336,962 km

unpaved:

473,679 km (2004)

males age 18-49:

4,943,676

females age 18-49:

4,821,264 (2005 est.)

males age 16-49:

4,092,717

females age 16-49:

3,983,447 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

142,158

females age 16-49:

135,675 (2005 est.)

• Timor-Leste and Australia agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for fifty years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty;
• East Timor dispute hampers creation of a revised maritime boundary with Indonesia in the Timor Sea;
• Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore and Cartier Islands;
• Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catch;
• regional states continue to express concern over Australia's 2004 declaration of a 1,000-nautical mile-wide maritime identification zone;
• Australia asserts land and maritime claims to Antarctica (see Antarctica);
• in 2004 Australia submitted its claims to UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its continental margins covering over 3.37 million square kilometers or roughly thirty percent of its claimed exclusive economic zone;
• since 2003, Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security

• 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;
• major consumer of cocaine and amphetamines