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| Introduction | Australia |
| Background: | 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 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 was able to take advantage of its natural resources in order 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 a republic, was defeated in 1999. |
| People | Australia |
| Population: | 19,913,144 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 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.) |
| Median age: | total: 36.3 years male: 35.5 years female: 37.1 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.9% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 5.16 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 80.26 years male: 77.4 years female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.76 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 14,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 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%, other 12.6% |
| Languages: | English, native languages |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.) |
| Government | Australia |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia |
| Government type: | democratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign |
| Capital: | Canberra |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
| 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 |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch: | 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 |
| 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 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 |
| Judicial branch: | High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) |
| Political parties and leaders: | 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 pressure groups and leaders: | Australian Monarchist League [leader NA]; Australian Republican Movement [leader NA] |
| International organization participation: | 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, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Paris Club, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 |
| 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] (02) 6214-5600 FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970 consulate(s) general: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
| Flag description: | 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 |
| Communications | Australia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 10.815 million (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 14.347 million (2003) |
| Telephone system: | 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: | 25.5 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 104 (1997) |
| Televisions: | 10.15 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .au |
| Internet hosts: | 2,847,763 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 571 (2002) |
| Internet users: | 9.472 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Australia |
| Railways: | 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) dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2003) narrow gauge: 14,957 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified) |
| Highways: | total: 811,603 km paved: 314,090 km (including 18,619 km of expressways) unpaved: 497,513 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 2,000 km (mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | condensate/gas 492 km; gas 28,680 km; liquid petroleum gas 240 km; oil 4,773 km; oil/gas/water 110 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville |
| Merchant marine: | total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,531,461 GRT/1,999,409 DWT foreign-owned: United Kingdom 2, United States 12 registered in other countries: 60 (2003 est.) 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 |
| Airports: | 444 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | 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: | total: 143 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Australia |
| Military branches: | Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, new Special Operations Command (announced in December 2002) |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 16 years of age for voluntary service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 5,061,810 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 4,356,671 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 140,182 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $14,120.1 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.8% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Australia |
| Disputes - international: | 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: | 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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