Background: 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.
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- Map:
- Location:
- • Oceania, continent between the
Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
- Area—comparative:
- •slightly smaller than the US
- Land boundaries:
- • 0 miles
- Coastline:
- • 25,760 km
- Climate:
- • generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
- Terrain:
- • mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
- 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
- • signed, but not ratified: Desertification
-
- Department of Enviroment and
Heritage
Environment Australia
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- Population:
- • 19,357,594 (July 2001 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- • 4.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio:
- • 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 (20001est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- • 4.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
- Nationality:
- • noun: Australian(s)
• adjective: Australian
- Ethnic
groups
- • Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%
- Religions
- • Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%
- Languages
- • English, native languages
- Literacy
- • definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• total population: 100%
• male: 100%
• female: 100% (1980 est.)
- Austrailan Bureau of Statistics
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- Country name:
- • conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia
• conventional short form: Australia
- Government type
- • democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign
- National capital:
- • Canberra
- Administrative
divisions
- • 6 states and 2 territories
- 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)
- National holiday:
- • Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
- Constitution
- • 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
- Legal system:
- • based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
- Australian Legal Information
Institute
- Suffrage
- • 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Executive branch:
- • chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dr
Peter John Hollingworth (since 29 June 2001)
• head of government: Prime
Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson
(since 7 July 1999)
• cabinet:
Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
• elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen; 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
- 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)
- Yahoo Election Guide
- Debate On how to
choose Head of State
- Judicial branch
- • High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed by the
governor general
- Political parties
- • government: coalition
of Liberal Party and National Party
• opposition: Australian Labor
Party, Australian Democratic Party,
Green Party
- Yahoo Guide to Political Parties and Pressure Groups
- 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 J.
Thomas Schieffer
embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600
mailing address: APO AP 96549
telephone: [61] (6) 270-5000
FAX: [61] (6) 270-5970
consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney
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- 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 2001 will depend on key international commodity prices,
the extent of recovery in nearby Asian economies, and the strength of US and European
markets.
- GDP:
- • purchasing power parity—$445.8 billion (2000 est.)
- Budget
- • revenues: $94 billion
• expenditures: $103 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
- Industries:
- • mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals,
steel
- Productivity Commission
- Exports:
- • total value: $69 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
• commodities: coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and
transport equipment
• partners: Japan 19%, EU 14%, ASEAN 12%, US 9%,
South Korea, NZ, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (1999)
- Imports:
- • total value: $77 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
• commodities: machinery and transport equipment, computers and office
machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products
• partners: EU 24%, US 22%, Japan 14%, ASEAN 13%
(1999)
- Debt—external:
- • $220.6 billion (2000)
- Economic aid:
- • donor: ODA, $1.43 billion (FY97/98)
- Currency:
- • 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
- Exchange
rates:
- • Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.7995 (January 2001), 1.52068 (January
2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)
- Australian Trade Commission
- National Competition Council
- Austrailan Bureau of Statistics
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- Military branches:
- • Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
- Military manpower—military age:
- • 17 years of age
- Military manpower—availability:
- • males age 15-49: males age 15-49:
4,990,107 (2001 est.)
- Military expenditures—dollar figure:
- • $6.9 billion (FY98/99)
- Military expenditures—percent of GDP:
- • 1.9% (FY98/99)
- Defence Budgets
- Australia's
Strategic Policy
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- Disputes—international:
- • territorial
claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
- 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
- The Virtual Clearinghouse on
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
AUSTRALIA