| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Oceania |
| Geographical Location |
27° 00' South Latitude
133° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
7,686,850 sq km |
| Climate |
Generally arid to semiarid ; temperate in south and east; tropical in north |
| Natural Resources |
Bauxite , coal , iron ore , copper , tin , gold , silver , uranium , nickel , tungsten , mineral sands , lead , zinc , diamonds , natural gas , petroleum |
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| Political Information |
 |
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| Country Name |
Commonwealth of Australia |
| Capital City |
Canberra |
| Government Type |
Democratic , federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign |
| Administrative Divisions |
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
| Independence Day |
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
20,090,437 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Australian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Caucasian 92% , Asian 7% , aboriginal and other 1% |
| Religion |
Anglican 26.1% , Roman Catholic 26% , other Christian 24.3% , non-Christian 11% , other 12.6% |
| Languages |
English , native languages |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.87% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Industries |
Mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel |
| Labor Force |
10.35 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 3.6% , industry 26.4% , services 70% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry |
| Export Commodities |
Japan 18.6%, China 9.2%, US 8.1%, South Korea 7.7%, New Zealand 7.4%, India 4.6%, UK 4.2% (2004) |
| Export Partners |
Japan 18.1% , US 8.7% , China 8.4%, South Korea 7.4%, New Zealand 7.4%, UK 6.7% (2003) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products |
| Import Partners |
US 14.8%, China 12.7%, Japan 11.8%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.4%, UK 4.1% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
54,439 km (3859 km electrified) |
| Highways |
811,603 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate/gas 492 km ; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004) |
| Airports |
448 (2004 Estimate) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Brisbane, Dampier, Fremantle, Gladstone, Hay Point, Melbourne, Newcastle, Port Hedland, Port Kembla, Port Walcott, Sydney |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+61 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.au |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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.
It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990's, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980's. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly
depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. |
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