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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.au

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

2,847,763 (2003)

Internet users [time series]

9.472 million (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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; 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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

10.815 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

14.347 million (2003)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

104 (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues: $185 billion expenditures: $181 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Australian dollar (AUD)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

AUD

Current account balance [time series]

$-30.14 billion (2003)

Debt - external [time series]

$233.5 billion (2003 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

35.2 (1994)

Economic aid (Economic aid - donor) [time series]

ODA, $894 million (FY99/00)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Australia has an enviable Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economy's strength. The impact of drought, weak foreign demand, and strong import demand pushed the trade deficit up to $18 billion in 2003 and to $20 billion in 2004 from $8 billion in 2002. One other concern is the domestic housing bubble.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

184.4 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

198.2 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000), 1.55 (1999)

Exports [time series]

$68.67 billion (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment

Exports - partners [time series]

Japan 18.1%, US 8.7%, China 8.4%, South Korea 7.4%, New Zealand 7.4%, UK 6.7% (2003)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $571.4 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 3.5% industry: 26.3% services: 70.2% (2003 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $29,000 (2003 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 25.4% (1994)

Imports [time series]

$82.91 billion (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products

Imports - partners [time series]

US 16%, Japan 12.5%, China 11%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.2% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-0.1% (2003 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.8% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

24.8% of GDP (2003)

Labor force [time series]

10.19 million (37256)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture 5%, industry 22%, services 73% (1997 est.)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

23.33 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

9.744 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

33.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption [time series]

796,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

523,400 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

530,800 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

731,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

3.664 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line [time series]

Public debt [time series]

18.2% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold (Reserves of foreign exchange & gold) [time series]

$33.26 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate [time series]

6% (2003)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

25,760 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates [time series]

27 00 S, 133 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

24,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 6.55% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.41% (2001)

Location [time series]

Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards [time series]

cyclones along the coast; severe droughts; forest fires

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum

Terrain [time series]

mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Capital [time series]

Canberra

Constitution [time series]

9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901

Country name [time series]

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

Dependent areas [time series]

Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY 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, and San Francisco

Executive branch [time series]

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 John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); 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

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign

Independence [time series]

1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)

International organization participation [time series]

ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (150 seats - this is up from 148 seats in 2001 election; members elected by popular vote on the basis of preferential representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives) elections: Senate - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than June 2008); House of Representatives - last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held not later than November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party (as of 1 July 2003) - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 34, Australian Labor Party 28, Australian Democrats 7, Green Party 2, One Nation Party 1, Country Liberal Party 1, Australian Progressive Alliance 1, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 86, Australian Labor Party 60, Country Liberal Party 1, independent and other 3

National holiday [time series]

Australia Day, 26 January (1788)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Australian Monarchist League [leader NA]; Australian Republican Movement [leader NA]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took 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. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. 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 a republic, was defeated in 1999.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, new Special Operations Command (announced in December 2002)

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$14,120.1 million (2003)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

2.8% (2003)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 5,061,810 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 4,356,671 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation [time series]

16 years of age for voluntary service (2001)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 140,182 (2004 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 20.1% (male 2,044,449; female 1,948,574) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 6,747,687; female 6,623,995) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 1,121,522; female 1,426,917) (2004 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

14,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages [time series]

English, native languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 80.26 years male: 77.4 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 36.3 years male: 35.5 years female: 37.1 years (2004 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Australian(s) adjective: Australian

Net migration rate [time series]

3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population [time series]

19,913,144 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.9% (2004 est.)

Religions [time series]

Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11%, other 12.6%

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

the 1999 maritime delimitation established partial maritime boundaries with East Timor over part of the Timor Gap but temporary resource-sharing agreements over an unreconciled area grant Australia 90% share of exploited gas reserves and hamper creation of a southern maritime boundary with Indonesia (see Ashmore and Cartier Islands disputes); Australia asserts a territorial claim to Antarctica and to its continental shelf (see Antarctica)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

444 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 305 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 131 914 to 1,523 m: 139 under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 143 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 811,603 km paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways) unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT by type: bulk 20, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 3, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 6 foreign-owned: United Kingdom 2, United States 12 registered in other countries: 60 (2004 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

total: 44,015 km (5,290 km electrified) broad gauge: 1,957 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 27,095 km 1.435-m gauge (2,828 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,957 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2003)

Waterways [time series]

2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004)