|
Country
|
Australia | 
Belgium |
|
Leader
|
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Quentin Bryce Prime minister: Julia Gillard
|
King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
|
|
Population
|
22,015,576
| 10,438,353
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.900 years
| 79.650 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Canberra
| Brussels
|
|
Largest city
|
| Sydney (population: 4,394,580) | Brussels (population: 1,019,020) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.965
| 0.948
|
| GDP per capita |
$40,800 US
| $38,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 99%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
8.7
| 7.3
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
29.6%
| 36.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Frank Lowy & family ($2.7bn US)
| Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.100%
| 7.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy
| federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
| 4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
|
| Religions |
Catholic 26.4%, Anglican 20.5%, other Christian 20.5%, Buddhist 1.9%, Muslim 1.5%, other 1.2%, unspecified 12.7%, none 15.3% (2001 Census)
| Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
|
| Languages |
English 79.1%, Chinese 2.1%, Italian 1.9%, other 11.1%, unspecified 5.8% (2001 Census)
| Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
|
| Exports |
coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment
| machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
|
| External Debt |
$1,376,000,000,000 $
| $1,399,000,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)
| euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
3.000%
| 1.300%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
46
| 2
|
| Location |
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
| Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
|
| Area |
7,741,220 km sq
| 30,528 km sq
|
| Coastline |
25,760 km
| 67 km
|
| Climate |
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
| temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
|
|
|
|
