Australia

Geography The continent of Australia, with the island state of Tasmania, is approximately equal in area to the United States excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Mountain ranges run from north to south along the east coast, reaching their highest point in Mount Kosciusko 7,308 ft 2,228 m. The western half of the continent is occupied by a desert plateau that rises into barren, rolling hills near the west coast. The Great Barrier Reef, extending about 1,245 mi 2,000 km, lies along the northeast coast.The island of Tasmania 26,178 sq mi 67,800 sq km is off the southeast coast.

History The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines, who migrated there at least 40,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. There may have been between a half million to a full million Aborigines at the time of European settlement today there are about 350,000.Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish ships sighted Australia in the 17th century the Dutch landed at the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606. In 1616 the territory became known as New Holland.

The British arrived in 1688, but it was not until Captain James Cooks voyage in 1770 that Great Britain claimed possession of the vast island, calling it New South Wales. A British penal colony was set up at Port Jackson what is now Sydney in 1788, and about 161,000 transported English convicts were settled there until the system was suspended in 1839. Free settlers and former prisoners established six colonies New South Wales 1786, Tasmania then Van Diemens Land 1825, Western Australia 1829, South Australia 1834, Victoria 1851, and Queensland 1859. Various gold rushes attracted settlers, as did the mining of other minerals. Sheep farming and grain soon became important economic enterprises.

The six colonies became states and in 1901 federated into the Commonwealth of Australia with a constitution that incorporated British parliamentary and U.S. federal traditions.Australia became known for its liberal legislation free compulsory education, protected trade unionism with industrial conciliation and arbitration, the secret ballot, womens suffrage, maternity allowances, and sickness and old-age pensions.

Australia fought alongside Britain in World War I, notably with the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps ANZAC in the Dardanelles campaign 1915. Participation in World War II brought Australia closer to the United States.Parliamentary power in the second half of the 20th century shifted between three political parties the Australian Labour Party, the Liberal Party, and the National Party. Australia relaxed its discriminatory immigration laws in the 1960s and 1970s, which favored Northern Europeans.

Thereafter, about 40 of its immigrants came from Asia, diversifying a population that was predominantly of English and Irish heritage.In March 1996 the opposition Liberal Party National Party coalition easily won the national elections, removing the Labor Party after 13 years in power.

Pressure from the new, conservative One Nation Party threatened to reduce the gains made by Aborigines and to limit immigration. An Aboriginal movement had grown in the 1960s that gained full citizenship and improved education for the countrys poorest socioeconomic group.In Sept. 1999, Australia led the international peacekeeping force sent to restore order in East Timor after pro-Indonesian militias begun massacring civilians to thwart East Timors referendum on independence.

Australias relations with East Timor have soured since then over a dispute over oil reserves claimed by both countries. In Nov. 1999, Australias 11.6 million voters rejected a referendum that would have ended Australias formal allegiance to the British Crown. The referendum would have replaced the British governor-general with an Australian president chosen by Parliament.Although the vast majority of Australians do not consider themselves monarchists, they rejected the referendum because it did not provide for direct, popular elections but gave Parliament the power to select the president.

In 2000, Prime Minister Howard instituted a new tax system, lowering income and corporate taxes, and adding sales taxes on goods and services. John Howard won a third term in Nov. 2001, primarily as the result of his tough policy against illegal immigration.It has also brought him considerable criticism refugees attempting to enter Australia most of them from Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, and numbering about 5,000 annually have been imprisoned in bleak detention camps and subjected to a lengthy immigration process.

Asylum-seekers have staged riots and hunger strikes. Howard has also dealt with refugees with the Pacific solution, which re-routes boat people from Australian shores to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. In 2004, however, the government began easing its policies on immigration.Prime Minister Howard sent 2,000 Australian troops to fight alongside American and British troops in the 2003 Iraq war, despite strong opposition among Australians.

There were no Australian casualties. Australia released the Flood report in 2004, an assessment of pre-war intelligence on Iraq, which described the evidence supporting Iraqs possession of WMD as thin, ambiguous, and incomplete.But like similar U.S. and UK intelligence reports, it cleared the government of manipulating the intelligence. In July 2003, Australia successfully restored order to the Solomon Islands, which had descended into lawlessness during a brutal civil war. Australia has been the victim of two significant terrorist attacks in recent years the 2002 Indonesia, bombings by a group with ties to al-Qaeda in which 202 died, many of whom were Australian, and the 2004 attack on the Australian embassy in Indonesia, which killed ten. 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 Australias status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to a republic, was defeated in 1999. LocationOceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean Geographic coordinates27 00 S, 133 00 E Map referencesOceania Areatotal 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 - comparativeslightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states Land boundaries0 km Coastline25,760 km Maritime claimsterritorial sea 12 nm contiguous zone 24 nm exclusive economic zone 200 nm continental shelf 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climategenerally arid to semiarid temperate in south and east tropical in north Terrainmostly low plateau with deserts fertile plain in southeast Elevation extremeslowest point Lake Eyre -15 m highest point Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m Natural resourcesbauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum Land usearable land 6.55 includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland permanent crops 0.04 other 93.41 2001 Irrigated land24,000 sq km 1998 est. Natural hazardscyclones along the coast severe droughts forest fires Environment - current issuessoil 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 Environment - international agreementsparty 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 Geography - noteworlds 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 Population19,913,144 July 2004 est. Age structure0-14 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 agetotal 36.3 years male 35.5 years female 37.1 years 2004 est. Population growth rate0.9 2004 est. Birth rate12.4 births1,000 population 2004 est. Death rate7.38 deaths1,000 population 2004 est. Net migration rate3.98 migrants1,000 population 2004 est. Sex ratioat birth 1.05 malesfemale under 15 years 1.05 malesfemale 15-64 years 1.02 malesfemale 65 years and over 0.79 malesfemale total population 0.99 malesfemale 2004 est. Infant mortality ratetotal 4.76 deaths1,000 live births male 5.16 deaths1,000 live births female 4.34 deaths1,000 live births 2004 est. Life expectancy at birthtotal population 80.26 years male 77.4 years female 83.27 years 2004 est. Total fertility rate1.76 children bornwoman 2004 est. HIVAIDS - adult prevalence rate0.1 2003 est. HIVAIDS - people living with HIVAIDS14,000 2003 est. HIVAIDS - deathsless than 200 2003 est. Nationalitynoun Australians adjective Australian Ethnic groupsCaucasian 92, Asian 7, aboriginal and other 1 ReligionsAnglican 26.1, Roman Catholic 26, other Christian 24.3, non-Christian 11, other 12.6 LanguagesEnglish, native languages Literacydefinition age 15 and over can read and write total population 100 male 100 female 100 1980 est. Country nameconventional long form Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form Australia Government typedemocratic, federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign CapitalCanberra Administrative divisions6 states and 2 territories Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Dependent areasAshmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos Keeling Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island Independence1 January 1901 federation of UK colonies National holidayAustralia Day, 26 January 1788 Constitution9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 Legal systembased on English common law accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage18 years of age universal and compulsory Executive branchchief 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 branchbicameral 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 branchHigh Court the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general Political parties and leadersAustralian 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 leadersAustralian Monarchist League leader NA Australian Republican Movement leader NA International organization participationANZUS, 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 Diplomatic representation in the USchief of mission Ambassador Michael J. THAWLEY chancery 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone 1 202 797-3000 FAX 1 202 797-3168 consulates general Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco Diplomatic representation from the USchief 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 consulates general Melbourne, Perth, Sydney Flag descriptionblue 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 Australias 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 Economy - overviewAustralia 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.

Australias emphasis on reforms, low inflation, and growing ties with China are other key factors behind the economys 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.

GDPpurchasing power parity - 571.4 billion 2003 est. GDP - real growth rate3 2003 est. GDP - per capitapurchasing power parity - 29,000 2003 est. GDP - composition by sectoragriculture 3.5 industry 26.3 services 70.2 2003 est. Investment gross fixed24.8 of GDP 2003 Population below poverty lineNA Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10 2 highest 10 25.4 1994 Distribution of family income - Gini index35.2 1994 Inflation rate consumer prices2.8 2003 est. Labor force10.19 million 37256 Labor force - by occupationagriculture 5, industry 22, services 73 1997 est. Unemployment rate6 2003 Budgetrevenues 185 billion expenditures 181 billion, including capital expenditures of NA 2003 Public debt18.2 of GDP 2003 Agriculture - productswheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits cattle, sheep, poultry Industriesmining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel Industrial production growth rate-0.1 2003 est. Electricity - production198.2 billion kWh 2001 Electricity - consumption184.4 billion kWh 2001 Electricity - exports0 kWh 2001 Electricity - imports0 kWh 2001 Oil - production731,000 bblday 2001 est. Oil - consumption796,500 bblday 2001 est. Oil - exports523,400 bblday 2001 Oil - imports530,800 bblday 2001 Oil - proved reserves3.664 billion bbl 1 January 2002 Natural gas - production33.08 billion cu m 2001 est. Natural gas - consumption23.33 billion cu m 2001 est. Natural gas - exports9.744 billion cu m 2001 est. Natural gas - imports0 cu m 2001 est. Natural gas - proved reserves2.407 trillion cu m 1 January 2002 Current account balance-30.14 billion 2003 Exports68.67 billion 2003 est. Exports - commoditiescoal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment Exports - partnersJapan 18.1, US 8.7, China 8.4, South Korea 7.4, New Zealand 7.4, UK 6.7 2003 Imports82.91 billion 2003 est. Imports - commoditiesmachinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts crude oil and petroleum products Imports - partnersUS 16, Japan 12.5, China 11, Germany 6.1, UK 4.2 2003 Reserves of foreign exchange gold33.26 billion 2003 Debt - external233.5 billion 2003 est. Economic aid - donorODA, 894 million FY9900 CurrencyAustralian dollar AUD Currency codeAUD Exchange ratesAustralian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 2003, 1.8406 2002, 1.9334 2001, 1.7248 2000, 1.55 1999 Fiscal year1 July - 30 June Telephones - main lines in use10.815 million 2003 Telephones - mobile cellular14.347 million 2003 Telephone systemgeneral 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 stationsAM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 1998 Television broadcast stations104 1997 Internet country code.au Internet hosts2,847,763 2003 Internet users9.472 million 2002 Railwaystotal 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 Highwaystotal 811,603 km paved 314,090 km including 18,619 km of expressways unpaved 497,513 km 1999 est. Waterways2,000 km mainly used for recreation on Murray and Murray-Darling river systems 2004 Pipelinescondensategas 492 km gas 28,680 km liquid petroleum gas 240 km oil 4,773 km oilgaswater 110 km 2004 Ports and harborsAdelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport Tasmania, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart Tasmania, Launceston Tasmania, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville Merchant marinetotal 52 ships 1,000 GRT or over 1,531,461 GRT1,999,409 DWT by type bulk 20, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 3, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll onroll off 6 foreign-owned United Kingdom 2, United States 12 registered in other countries 60 2004 est. Airports444 2003 est. Airports - with paved runwaystotal 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 runwaystotal 143 1,524 to 2,437 m 17 914 to 1,523 m 112 under 914 m 14 2004 est. Military branchesAustralian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, new Special Operations Command announced in December 2002 Military manpower - military age and obligation16 years of age for voluntary service 2001 Military manpower - availabilitymales age 15-49 5,061,810 2004 est. Military manpower - fit for military servicemales age 15-49 4,356,671 2004 est. Military manpower - reaching military age annuallymales 140,182 2004 est. Military expenditures - dollar figure14,120.1 million 2003 Military expenditures - percent of GDP2.8 2003 Disputes - internationalthe 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 drugsTasmania is one of the worlds major suppliers of licit opiate products government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate Canberra This thriving capital of the ACT and was named after the aboriginal word kamberra meaning meeting place and is the hub of the nation s government endeavours.

The city and state work effectively in partnership to encourage the growth and accomplishments of this inspiring region.

Come to Canberra to see the sights of a new and bustling city built for governance and for tranquillity.

While this may sound like a contradiction, it has been achieved beautifully by building the nation s capital amongst a beautiful and wild environment.

Steeped in indigenous history and surrounded by undisturbed nature, Canberra is a city within a lush blanket of native flora and striking landscapes.

Developing arts and culture in society is important for Canberrans and is achieved through incredible galleries and museums, appreciation for the history of the area and the artistic pursuits of the local people.

With Canberra being a relatively new and carefully planned city in Australia, some people think it s a bit on the boring and conservative side. Being the nation s seat of government and politics probably doesn t help that image. However, to the contrary, Canberra is a graceful and industrious city surrounded by an awesome and mostly untouched natural environment.

And its residents have a nearly utopian approach towards conserving the city s quality of life. Aboriginal Culture Most anthropologists will agree that Australian Aboriginal people represent one of the oldest known living cultures on earth.

Dating back tens of thousands of years before European settlement, Aboriginal people roamed the Australian landscape, living in harmony in a nomadic partnership with nature.

Australian Aboriginal people are a diverse group of people, living vastly different lifestyles in each corner of the country.

There are up to 700 traditional societies in Australia and over 200 languages.

Indigenous Australians survived in harsh climatic and environmental conditions which ranged from cold temperate to hot tropical, coping with arid conditions and torrential rains.

They have dwelt for many thousands of years in ways that sustained their societies while conserving resources, protecting fragile soils and leaving a light footprint on the environment.